BACKGROUND: Preclinical studies have indicated that Angong Niuhuang Pills (ANP) reduce cerebral infarct and edema volumes. This study aimed to investigate whether ANP safely reduces cerebral infarct and edema volumes in patients with moderate to severe acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial included patients with acute ischemic stroke with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores ranging from 10 to 20 in 17 centers in China between April 2021 and July 2022. Patients were allocated within 36 h after onset via block randomization to receive ANP or placebo (3 g/day for 5 days). The primary outcomes were changes in cerebral infarct and edema volumes after 14 days of treatment. The primary safety outcome was severe adverse events (SAEs) for 90 days. RESULTS: There were 57 and 60 patients finally included in the ANP and placebo groups, respectively for modified intention-to-treat analysis. The median age was 66.0 years, and the median NIHSS score at baseline was 12.0. The changes in cerebral infarct volume at day 14 were 0.3 mL and 0.4 mL in the ANP and placebo groups, respectively (median difference: -7.1 mL; interquartile range [IQR]: -18.3 to 2.3 mL, P = 0.30). The changes in cerebral edema volume of the ANP and placebo groups on day 14 were 11.4 mL and 4.0 mL, respectively ( median difference: 3.0 mL, IQR: -1.3 to 9.9 mL, P = 0.15). The rates of SAE within 90 days were similar in the ANP (3/57, 5%) and placebo (7/60, 12%) groups ( P = 0.36). Changes in serum mercury and arsenic concentrations were comparable. In patients with large artery atherosclerosis, ANP reduced the cerebral infarct volume at 14 days (median difference: -12.3 mL; IQR: -27.7 to -0.3 mL, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: ANP showed a similar safety profile to placebo and non-significant tendency to reduce cerebral infarct volume in patients with moderate-to-severe stroke. Further studies are warranted to assess the efficacy of ANP in reducing cerebral infarcts and improving clinical prognosis. TRAIL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov , No. NCT04475328.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Ischemic Stroke/drug therapy* ; Pilot Projects ; Stroke/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To compare the efficacy of percutaneous transforaminal approach and translaminar approach in the treatment of L5/S1 disc herniation(LDH)under endoscopic discectomy.Methods Adopted a retro-spective case-control study,and selected 62 cases of patients with L5/S1 LDH who were treated with percutaneous endoscopic surgery in the spine surgery department of our hospital from June 2020 to December 2022,and the transforaminal approach was used.(TELD)in 32 cases(TELD group),and interlaminar approach(IELD)in 30 cases(IELD group).The observation indicators included intraoperative fluoroscopy times,operation time,hospitaliza-tion days,hospitalization expenses,leg pain VAS score,ODI score,modified MacNab curative effect evaluation and complications.Results All 62 patients successfully completed the operation and follow-up,and no serious complications occurred.There were statistically significant differences in operation time,fluoroscopy times,and hospitalization expenses between the two groups(P<0.001),but there was no significant difference in hospitaliza-tion days between the two groups(P>0.05).The lower extremity VAS scores at the last follow-up and the last follow-up were significantly improved compared with those before operation(P<0.001),and the ODI scores of the two groups were significantly improved at 2 days,1 month and at the last follow-up(P<0.001).At the same time point,there was no statistical difference(P>0.05);there was no significant difference in the excellent and good rate of surgery between the two groups(P>0.05).11 patients with high iliac crest in the TELD group successfully completed the surgery.Conclusions Both the endoscopic surgery through the intervertebral foramen and the inter-laminar approach can achieve satisfactory results in the treatment of L5/S1 LDH.However,local anesthesia through the intervertebral foramen approach reduces hospitalization costs,and patients with high iliac crest can successfully complete the surgery by selecting a suitable puncture path.The translaminar approach has fewer fluoroscopy times and shorter surgical time,but there is a higher risk of dura mater and nerve damage,which requires careful opera-tion for beginners.

Objective To identify clinical risk factors for early major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) following surgical correction of supravalvar aortic stenosis (SVAS). Methods Patients who underwent SVAS surgical correction between 2002 and 2019 in Beijing and Yunnan Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospitals were included. The patients were divided into a MACEs group and a non-MACEs group based on whether MACEs concurring during postoperative hospitalization or within 30 days following surgical correction for SVAS. Their preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative clinical data were collected for multivariate logistic regression. Results This study included 302 patients. There were 199 males and 103 females, with a median age of 63.0 (29.2, 131.2) months. The incidence of early postoperative MACEs was 7.0% (21/302). The multivariate logistic regression model identified independent risk factors for early postoperative MACEs, including ICU duration (OR=1.01, 95%CI 1.00-1.01, P=0.032), intraoperative cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time (OR=1.02, 95%CI 1.01-1.04, P=0.014), aortic annulus diameter (OR=0.65, 95%CI 0.43-0.97, P=0.035), aortic sinus inner diameter (OR=0.75, 95%CI 0.57-0.98, P=0.037), and diameter of the stenosis (OR=0.56, 95%CI 0.35-0.90, P=0.016). Conclusion The independent risk factors for early postoperative MACEs include ICU duration, intraoperative CPB time, aortic annulus diameter, aortic sinus inner diameter, and diameter of the stenosis. Early identification of high-risk populations for MACEs is beneficial for the development of clinical treatment strategies.

After kidney transplantation,the recipients have been under long-term immunosuppression due to the use of immunosuppressive drugs,and they are high-risk population of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia(PJP).The risk of PJP is the highest within 6 months after kidney transplantation and after intensified anti-rejection therapy.Fever,dry cough,progressive dyspnea and hypoxemia are common clinical manifestations of PJP after kidney transplantation.Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole(TMP-SMX)can effectively prevent and treat PJP,and significantly reduce the incidence rate and fatality of PJP.To standardize the diagnosis,treatment and prevention of PJP after kidney transplantation,Branch of Organ Transplantation of Chinese Medical Association organized relevant Chinese experts to formulate the"Guidelines for Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Pneumocystis Jirovecii Pneumonia After Kidney Transplantation in China"based on clinical concerns,aiming to provide guidance for the prevention and comprehensive clinical treatment of PJP after kidney transplantation.

177Lu-prostate specific membrane antigen(PSMA)radio-ligand therapy has been approved abroad for advanced prostate cancer and has been in several clinical trials in China.Based on domestic clinical practice and experimental data and referred to international experience and viewpoints,the expert group forms a consensus on the clinical application of 177Lu-PSMA radio-ligand therapy in prostate cancer to guide clinical practice.

Objective:To seek a correlation between short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and skill in the activities of daily living (ADL) after an ischemic stroke.Methods:Ninety ischemic stroke survivors were assessed using the Barthel Index (BI). Fecal samples were collected and analyzed for the concentration of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, isobutyric acid, valeric acid, and isovaleric acid using gas chromatography. Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to identify SCFAs that correlated with the total BI score. Linear regressions were evaluated to explore the correlation between the total BI score and SCFAs.Results:The concentrations of propionic and butyric acids in the feces were found to correlate significantly with the total BI scores. Data including propionic acid and butyric acid levels, age, gender, body mass index, disease duration, any history of hypertension or diabetes, and other SCFAs were included in the regression models. Propionic and butyric acid levels were found to be potentially useful predictors of total BI scores.Conclusions:The concentration of propionic and butyric acids in the feces after an ischemic stroke can predict the survivor′s total BI score. Those concentrations could therefore be useful for predicting ADL ability.

BACKGROUND: Macrophages and microglia play critical roles after spinal cord injury (SCI), with the pro-healing, antiinflammatory (M2) subtype being implicated in tissue repair. We hypothesize that promoting this phenotype within the post-injured cord microenvironment may provide beneficial effects for mitigating tissue damage. As a proof of concept, we propose the use of nanoparticles incorporating the carbohydrate antigen, galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-gal epitope) as an immunomodulator to transition human microglia (HMC3) cells toward a pro-healing state. METHODS: Quiescent HMC3 cells were acutely exposed to α-gal nanoparticles in the presence of human serum and subsequently characterized for changes in cell shape, expression of anti or pro-inflammatory markers, and secretion of phenotype-specific cytokines. RESULTS: HMC3 cells treated with serum activated α-gal nanoparticles exhibited rapid enlargement and shape change in addition to expressing CD68. Moreover, these activated cells showed increased expression of anti-inflammatory markers like Arginase-1 and CD206 without increasing production of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α or IL-6. CONCLUSION This study is the first to show that resting human microglia exposed to a complex of α-gal nanoparticles and anti-Gal (from human serum) can be activated and polarized toward a putative M2 state. The data suggests that α-gal nanoparticles may have therapeutic relevance to the CNS microenvironment, in both recruiting and polarizing macrophages/microglia at the application site. The immunomodulatory activity of these α-gal nanoparticles post-SCI is further described in the companion work (Part II).

BACKGROUND: Previous investigations have shown that local application of nanoparticles presenting the carbohydrate moiety galactose-a-1,3-galactose (α-gal epitopes) enhance wound healing by activating the complement system and recruiting pro-healing macrophages to the injury site. Our companion in vitro paper suggest α-gal epitopes can similarly recruit and polarize human microglia toward a pro-healing phenotype. In this continuation study, we investigate the in vivo implications of α-gal nanoparticle administration directly to the injured spinal cord. METHODS: α-Gal knock-out (KO) mice subjected to spinal cord crush were injected either with saline (control) or with α-gal nanoparticles immediately following injury. Animals were assessed longitudinally with neurobehavioral and histological endpoints. RESULTS: Mice injected with α-gal nanoparticles showed increased recruitment of anti-inflammatory macrophages to the injection site in conjunction with increased production of anti-inflammatory markers and a reduction in apoptosis. Further, the treated group showed increased axonal infiltration into the lesion, a reduction in reactive astrocyte populations and increased angiogenesis. These results translated into improved sensorimotor metrics versus the control group. CONCLUSIONS Application of α-gal nanoparticles after spinal cord injury (SCI) induces a pro-healing inflammatory response resulting in neuroprotection, improved axonal ingrowth into the lesion and enhanced sensorimotor recovery. The data shows α-gal nanoparticles may be a promising avenue for further study in CNS trauma.GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT Putative mechanism of therapeutic action by α-gal nanoparticles. A. Nanoparticles injected into the injured cord bind to anti-Gal antibodies leaked from ruptured capillaries. The binding of anti-Gal to α-gal epitopes on the α-gal nanoparticles activates the complement system to release complement cleavage chemotactic peptides such as C5a, C3a that recruit macrophages and microglia. These recruited cells bind to the anti-Gal coated α-gal nanoparticles and are further polarized into the M2 state. B. Recruited M2 macrophages and microglia secrete neuroprotective and prohealing factors to promote tissue repair, neovascularization and axonal regeneration (C.).

Machine Learning ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods*

The risk of graft loss is relatively high in early stages after pancreatic transplantation so that some patients are placed back on a waiting list for pancreatic transplantation. This review summarized the experiences of two recipients of pancreatic re-transplantation after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation. Both patients could successfully discontinue insulin dosing, blood sugar levels were maintained at a normal level and function of kidney graft improved obviously as compared to pre-transplant levels.