Objective To establish and compare rat models of psoriasis with blood-heat syndrome and blood-stasis syndrome.Methods The blood-heat syndrome model was induced by compound heat potion decoction and imiquimod.The blood-stasis syndrome model was induced by fatigue,hunger,cold dampness,panic and imiquimod.The groups were evaluated for TCM syndromes,psoriasis lesions,pathological tissue,spleen index,hemorheology and key gene expression levels.Results The blood-heat syndrome model group showed significant differences from the control group in syndrome manifestations,PASI score,Baker score,spleen index and plasma viscosity(P<0.05).The blood-stasis model group showed significant differences from the control group in syndrome manifestations,body weight,PASI score,Baker score,spleen index,whole blood viscosity(60s-1),whole blood viscosity(10s-1)and plasma viscosity(P<0.05).The key gene expression levels were different among all syndrome groups.Conclusion The animal models had the typical features of psoriasis and matched the signs of blood-heat syndrome and blood-stasis syndrome of TCM.The models can provide a basis for explaining the scientific meaning of TCM syndrome differentiation in treating psoriasis.

Objective To establish and compare rat models of psoriasis with blood-heat syndrome and blood-stasis syndrome.Methods The blood-heat syndrome model was induced by compound heat potion decoction and imiquimod.The blood-stasis syndrome model was induced by fatigue,hunger,cold dampness,panic and imiquimod.The groups were evaluated for TCM syndromes,psoriasis lesions,pathological tissue,spleen index,hemorheology and key gene expression levels.Results The blood-heat syndrome model group showed significant differences from the control group in syndrome manifestations,PASI score,Baker score,spleen index and plasma viscosity(P<0.05).The blood-stasis model group showed significant differences from the control group in syndrome manifestations,body weight,PASI score,Baker score,spleen index,whole blood viscosity(60s-1),whole blood viscosity(10s-1)and plasma viscosity(P<0.05).The key gene expression levels were different among all syndrome groups.Conclusion The animal models had the typical features of psoriasis and matched the signs of blood-heat syndrome and blood-stasis syndrome of TCM.The models can provide a basis for explaining the scientific meaning of TCM syndrome differentiation in treating psoriasis.

In order to study the biological characteristics and whole-genome sequence of Streptococ-cus equi,a sheep-derived Streptococcus equi preserved in our laboratory was subjected to recovery,biochemical experiments,drug susceptibility tests and animal experiments,and followed by whole genome sequencing and annotation of the gene functions of the genome by using the biogenetic da-tabase.The biochemical identification results showed that this strain could ferment sugars,but the results of nitrate,catalase,V-P test,and M-R test were negative;the drug susceptibility test results showed that this strain was highly sensitive to most antibiotics and was resistant to kanaphylaxis.It was resistant to amikacin and amikacin;animal experiments showed that the lethality rate of this strain to mice was 100％,and the median lethal dose of this strain was measured to be 4.86X 106 CFU/kg.According to the pathological section results of mice,it showed that the lungs,liver,kidneys,and spleen all had varying degrees of lesions.The whole genome sequencing results showed that the total genome length of this strain is 2 272 497 bp,the G+C content was 41.1％,and it was predicted to contain 2 124 CDS regions.The RNA prediction results showed that the number of rRNA and tRNA was 15,and the number of tRNA was 57.There were four prophages and gene islands,and there were 362 pathogenicity-related genes in the VFDB database without CRISPR sequences.This study analyzed the complete genome of Streptococcus equi derived from sheep,and also provided a theoretical basis for the treatment,prevention and control of the disease.

BACKGROUND:Abnormal extracellular matrix accumulation and excessive proliferation of fibroblasts are the main manifestations of pathological scars.Excessive proliferation of fibroblasts leads to the production of large amounts of collagen-based extracellular matrix.Therefore,to investigate the role of fibroblast fibrosis in the formation of pathological scar will provide a new idea for revealing the mechanism of pathological scar and biological therapy. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of RAS-selective lethal small molecule 3(RSL3)on the fibrosis of human pathological scar fibroblasts. METHODS:Then cases of pathological scar tissue and normal skin tissue samples from the same individuals,provided by the Department of Burn Plastic Surgery,General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University,were collected.Fibroblasts of human pathological scar and human normal skin were extracted and used in the following experiments.The general condition of the pathological scar tissue and the normal skin tissue was detected by hematoxylin-eosin staining.The appearance of fibroblasts from pathological scar and normal skin were observed by inverted microscope.The fibroblasts were verified by immunofluorescence assay.The cells were treated with different concentrations of RSL3(1,3,5,7,9,11,13 μmol/L).The inhibitory concentration of RSL3 on fibroblasts was detected by cell counting kit-8.Control group(without treatment)and RSL3 intervention group(treated with 7 μmol/L RSL3 for 24 hours)were set up.The mRNA and protein expressions of glutathione peroxidase 4,type Ⅰ collagen,type Ⅲ collagen and α-smooth muscle actin were detected by Qrt-PCR and western blot,respectively.Level of malondialdehyde in cells was detected.The residual scratch area was measured by cell scratch test after 24 hours to calculate the percentage of residual scratch area. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 in the pathological scar group was higher than that in the normal skin group(Mrna:t=3.252,P<0.01;protein:t=5.075,P<0.01).The expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 in the pathological scar fibroblast group was higher than that in the normal skin fibroblast group(Mrna:t=10.32,P<0.01;protein:t=26.22,P<0.01).Compared with the control group,the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 was decreased(Mrna:t=2.798,P<0.05;protein:t=4.643,P<0.01),the content of malondialdehyde was increased(t=2.917,P<0.05),the expression of type Ⅰ collagen(Mrna:t=15.84,P<0.01;protein:t=4.610,P<0.01),type Ⅲ collagen(Mrna:t=28.86,P<0.01;protein:t=7.713,P<0.01)and α-smooth muscle actin(Mrna:t=2.671,P<0.05;protein:t=7.417,P<0.01)were decreased in the RSL3 intervention group.Compared with the control group,the migration ability was weakened in the RSL3 intervention group(t=14.06,P<0.01).To conclude,RSL3 can inhibit the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 and then inhibit the ability of fibrosis and migration of pathological scar fibroblasts.

The interventional therapy of vascular stent implantation is a popular treatment method for cardiovascular stenosis and blockage. However, traditional stent manufacturing methods such as laser cutting are complex and cannot easily manufacture complex structures such as bifurcated stents, while three-dimensional (3D) printing technology provides a new method for manufacturing stents with complex structure and personalized designs. In this paper, a cardiovascular stent was designed, and printed using selective laser melting technology and 316L stainless steel powder of 0-10 µm size. Electrolytic polishing was performed to improve the surface quality of the printed vascular stent, and the expansion behavior of the polished stent was assessed by balloon inflation. The results showed that the newly designed cardiovascular stent could be manufactured by 3D printing technology. Electrolytic polishing removed the attached powder and reduced the surface roughness Ra from 1.36 µm to 0.82 µm. The axial shortening rate of the polished bracket was 4.23% when the outside diameter was expanded from 2.42 mm to 3.63 mm under the pressure of the balloon, and the radial rebound rate was 2.48% after unloading. The radial force of polished stent was 8.32 N. The 3D printed vascular stent can remove the surface powder through electrolytic polishing to improve the surface quality, and show good dilatation performance and radial support performance, which provides a reference for the practical application of 3D printed vascular stent.
Humans ; Stainless Steel ; Powders ; Cardiovascular System ; Constriction, Pathologic

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and adverse effects of first-line immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy in elderly patients with small cell lung cancer(SCLC)in population of real world.Methods:A total of 148 elderly SCLC patients(age ≥65 years old)underwent pathological diagnosis were retrospectively analyzed from January 2013 to June 2023.103 patients received chemotherapy(chemotherapy group), and 45 patients received immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy(combination group). Patients were divided into senior group(≥75 years old)and younger group(<75 years old)by age.To compare the efficacy of different regimens in first-line treatment, the expression of programmed death-ligand 1(PD-L1)and tumor mutational burden(TMB)were evaluated.Response evaluation criteria in solid tumors(RECIST)version 1.1 was used to evaluate the efficacy, and common terminology criteria for adverse events(CTCAE)version 4.03 was used to evaluate immune-related adverse.Kaplan-meier and Log-rank test were performed.Cox regression was used in prognostic analysis.Results:The overall response rate(ORR)of the first-line combination group in elderly SCLC patients was 79.1%(34/43), which was higher than that of the chemotherapy group 63.2%(60/95), but the difference did not reach statistical significance( χ2=3.451, P=0.063). ORR was significantly higher in the combination group than in the chemotherapy group for patients in the ≥75-year-old group, 87.5%(7/8) vs.48.6%(17/35), respectively( χ2=4.001, P=0.045). The difference in median progression-free survival time(mPFS)in the combination group compared with the chemotherapy group was not statistically significant in the overall patients(5.43 months vs.6.07 months, P=0.660). The combination group prolonged patients' median overall survival time(mOS)compared with the chemotherapy group, but the difference did not reach statistical significance(13.63 months vs.11.97 months, P=0.205). In patients ≥75 years old, mPFS was lower in the combination group than in the chemotherapy group(2.97 months vs.6.47 months), but mOS was prolonged compared with that in the chemotherapy group(13.50 months vs.11.40 months), and none of the differences reached statistical significance(both P>0.05). The differences in mPFS and mOS between the combination group and the chemotherapy group were not statistically significant in patients <75 years old(both P>0.05). In elderly patients with severe comorbidities, mPFS and mOS were lower in the combination group than in the chemotherapy group(5.40 months vs.7.30 months and 10.70 months vs.12.27 months, both P>0.05). In patients without severe comorbidities, the difference in mPFS between the combination group and the chemotherapy group was not statistically significant( P>0.05), but the mOS was significantly longer in the combination group(20.57 months vs.11.57 months, P=0.054). Elderly SCLC patients had a positive PD-L1 tumor cell positive proportion score(TPS)rate(≥1%)of 23.5%(4/17)and a high TMB(≥9 mut/Mb)expression rate of 69.0%(11/16). The overall incidence of immune-related adverse reactions was 71.0%(32/45), grade 3 or higher 33.3%(15/45), and the most common grade 3 adverse reactions were rash, immune-related pneumonia and malaise. Conclusions:First-line immune-combination chemotherapy improves ORR and mOS over chemotherapy in elderly SCLC patients; mOS benefit of immune-combination chemotherapy is more pronounced in patients ≥75 years of age without severe comorbidities, low PD-L1 positivity and high TMB expression are present in elderly SCLC patients, and immune-related adverse effects are generally manageable in elderly patients.

Objective: To evaluate the value of MRI-T₂WI texture analysis in the differentiation of atypical medulloblastoma and ependymoma of the fourth ventricle. Methods: Preoperative MRI data of 36 cases of fourth ventricle tumor (19 cases of medulloblastoma and 17 cases of ependymoma) confirmed by the Central Theater General Hospital of the Chinese People′s Liberation Army were retrospectively analyzed. Manually sketch areas of interest (ROI) were made using texture analysis software to get histogram parameters, including mean, median, standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis, maximum, minimum, heterogeneity, entropy, the 5th percentile (T₂WI_5th), the 10th percentile (T₂WI_10th), the 25th percentile (T₂WI_25th), the 50th percentile (T₂WI_50th), the 75th percentile(T₂WI_75th), the 95th percentile(T₂WI_95th). Independent sample t test or mann-whitney U test was used for statistical analysis of each parameter value between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to perform multiparameter joint analysis on meaningful parameters. The area under the curve (AUC) was obtained by using the subject operating characteristic (ROC) curve to determine the threshold and diagnostic efficacy for distinguishing the two group. Results: The mean, median, T₂WI_5th, T₂WI_10th, T₂WI_25th, T₂WI_50th, T₂WI₇5th values of the medulloblastoma group were smaller than those of the ependymoma group, and difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The T₂WI_5th had the best diagnostic performance. When the critical value was 1 343, the diagnostic specificity was 75.0% and the sensitivity was 92.9%. Logistic regression was used to predict the joint analysis of probability parameters. T₂WI_5th+T₂WI_10th had the best performance, and AUC was 0.928. When the critical value was 0.75, the diagnostic specificity was 75.0% and the sensitivity was 100.0%. Conclusions MRI-T₂WI texture analysis can provide quantitative information for preoperative diagnosis of atypical medulloblastoma and ependymoma and improve the accuracy of preoperative diagnosis, which has obvious clinical value.

Objective:To explore the mechanism by which SRY-related high mobility group-box 9 (SOX9) promotes the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) A549 cells via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Methods: The human NSCLCA549 cell line was divided into three groups: OE-NC group, OE-SOX9 group and OE-SOX9+XAV-939 group. The cells in OESOX9 group were transfected with SOX9 pcDNA plasmid to up-regulate the expression level of SOX9; The cells in OE-SOX9+XAV939 group were transfected with SOX9 pcDNA plasmid while the β-catenin inhibitor XAV-939 (1.0 μmol/L) was added to the medium. qPCR was used to detect SOX9 mRNA levels; CCK-8 was used to examine the proliferation of A549 cells; Wound-healing assay and Transwell chamber assay were used to detect the migration and invasion ofA549 cells, respectively; and WB was used to detect protein expressions of SOX9, β-catenin, E-cadherin, γ-catenin, N-cadherin and vimentin. Results: The mRNA and protein levels of SOX9 in OE-SOX9 group and OE-SOX9+XAV-939 group were significantly higher than those in the OE-NC group after transfection (all P< 0.05), while there was no significant difference between the OE-SOX9 group and the OE-SOX9+XAV-939 group (P>0.05). The proliferation, migration and invasion of cells in OE-SOX9 group were significantly higher than those in OE-NC group; however, those abilities in OE-SOX9+XAV-939 group were significantly lower than those in OE-SOX9 group (all P<0.05). The level of β-catenin protein in OE-SOX9 group was significantly higher than that in the OE-NC group, while the level of β-catenin protein in OE-SOX9+XAV-939 group was lower than that in OE-SOX9 group (all P<0.05). Compared with the OE-NC group, the levels of phenotypic markers of epithelial cells, E-cadherin and γ-catenin, were down-regulated, and the phenotypic markers of mesenchymal cells, N-cadherin and vimentin, were up-regulated in cells of OE-SOX9 group; however, E-cadherin and γ-catenin were higher, and N-cadherin and vimentin were lower in OE-SOX9+XAV-939 group than those in OE-SOX9 group (all P<0.05). Conclusion: SOX9 could promote proliferation, migration and EMT of NSCLCA549 cells by activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. ··

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect of oral and external application of Chinese medicine combined with Ilizarov external fixator and the accordion technique for severe chronic osteomyelitis of the tibia.Methods A total of 78 patients with severe chronic osteomyelitis of the tibia were randomized into a routine treatment group and a combined treatment group, 39 in each group. All the patients in the two groups received external fixation by use of Ilizarov external fixator and the accordion technique. All the patients in the combined treatment group received oralGuyu decoction. The patients who had large wound received vacuum-sealing drainage in the routine treatment group, and vacuum-sealing drainage combined with external application ofShengji-Yuhong plaster in the combined treatment group. All the patients were treated for 8 weeks and followed up for 2 years. The time to wound healing and fracture healing, and the drainage time were compared between the two groups. Functional and radiologic findings were evaluated according to Paley's criteria. The functions of the knee joint and ankle joint were evaluated using the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee score and the scoring system of Baird and Jackson, respectively.Results The time to wound healing (17.33 ± 6.21 dvs. 22.27 ± 8.12 d;t=3.018,P=0.004) and the time to fracture healing (32.25 ± 6.02 weeks vs. 36.37 ± 7.75 weeks;t=2.623,P=0.011), and the drainage time (17.01 ± 4.66 dvs. 21.51 ± 5.23 d;t=4.012, P<0.001) in the combined treatment group were significantly shorter than those in the routine treatment group. According to Paley's criteria, the patients who achieved a score of excellent or good for fracture healing (84.6%vs. 53.8%;χ2=7.282,P=0.007) and function (92.3%vs. 66.7%;χ2=6.369,P=0.012) in the combined treatment group were significantly more than those in the routine treatment group. The scores of the HSS knee score (84.56 ± 7.42vs. 78.81 ± 5.33;t=3.391,P=0.002) and the scoring system of Baird and Jackson (85.01 ± 8.21vs. 79.21 ± 6.78;t=3.402,P=0.024) in the combined treatment group were significantly higher than those in the routine treatment group.Conclusion OralGuyu decoction and external application ofShengji-Yuhong plaster combined with Ilizarov external fixator and the accordion technique can promote recovery of the joint function, fracture healing and wound healing.

Objective To observe the efficacy of atorvastatin and irbesartan in the treatment of early diabetic nephropathy and the influence on serum cystatin C and adiponectin,thus to improve clinical outcomes.Methods 80 patients with early diabetic nephropathy met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into observation group (40 cases)and control group(40 cases).All patients were given conventional diabetes comprehensive intervention, the control group then was given irbesartan 150mg/d,qd,the observation group was given atorvastatin on the basis of control group,20mg/d,qd,both two groups were treated for 12 weeks.The FBG,HbA1c,renal function indication (Scr,BUN,UAER),lipid parameters indication(TC,TG),cystatin C,adiponectin were detected.DBP,SBP were detected by 24h ambulatory blood pressure.Results The DBP,SBP,Scr,BUN,UAER,TC,TG,cystatin C,adiponec-tin of the observation group after treatment were lower than before treatment(P <0.05 or P <0.01).The BUN,TC, TG of the control group had no significant changes before and after treatment (P >0.05).The DBP,SBP,Scr,BUN, UAER,TC,TG,cystatin C,adiponectin of the observation group after treatment were lower than the control group (P <0.05 or P <0.01).Conclusion Atorvastatin combined with irbesartan can effectively control blood pressure, has overall improvement in glucose and lipid metabolism,effectively reduce adiponectin,inhibit glomerular dysfunc-tion,improve kidney function,it is a good method for prevention and treatment of early diabetic nephropathy.