ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism by which Gegen Qinliantang（GQT） improves skeletal muscle insulin resistance. MethodsThe db/m mice were used as the normal group， while db/db mice were assigned to a model group， low-dose （3.12 g·kg^-1）， medium-dose （6.24 g·kg^-1）， and high-dose （12.48 g·kg^-1） GQT groups， and a Western medicine group （semaglutide， 0.045 mg·kg^-1），n=6 in each group. All groups received corresponding interventions. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test （IPGTT）， intraperitoneal insulin tolerance test （IPITT）， and hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining were used to evaluate insulin resistance and therapeutic efficacy. Serum lipid levels were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer， and apoptosis in skeletal muscle was assessed via TUNEL assay. Transcriptome sequencing combined with gene ontology （GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） analyses was performed to identify differentially expressed genes （DEGs）. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to validate gene expression. Molecular docking was applied to evaluate the binding patterns between active components of GQT and key regulatory genes to elucidate pharmacological mechanisms. ResultsCompared with the model group， the medium-dose and high-dose GQT groups showed significantly reduced fasting blood glucose （FBG） levels （P<0.01）. Triglycerides （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） were markedly decreased （P<0.01）， while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） was significantly increased （P<0.01）. IPGTT， IPITT， and HE staining demonstrated that GQT enhanced insulin sensitivity and restored skeletal muscle morphology. GQT also alleviated apoptosis in skeletal muscle tissue. Transcriptome analysis revealed that GQT primarily affected biological processes such as oxidative phosphorylation， metabolic pathways， cellular processes， and protein binding. Real-time PCR results showed that CBR2， CDK6， F830016B08Rik， IL-1β， Rab27b， and COLEC12 were key regulatory genes. Molecular docking demonstrated that CBR2， IL-1β， Rab27b， and COLEC12 formed stable binding with the main active components of GQT. The therapeutic effects of high- and medium-dose GQT were comparable to those of the semaglutide group. ConclusionGQT improves skeletal muscle insulin resistance， potentially by regulating apoptosis as part of its underlying biological mechanism.

Objective To examine the potential causal associations between different dietary taste preferences and the risk of prostatitis, so as to provide reference for the primary prevention of this disease. Methods Summary-level genome-wide association study(GWAS)data on five taste preferences-sweet, sour, salty, bitter and spicy—were obtained from the GWAS, and GWAS data for prostatitis were sourced from the FinnGen database. The potential causal associations between the dietary taste preferences and risk of prostatitis were analyzed with MR. The inverse variance weighted(IVW)method served as the primary analytical approach. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q test. Horizontal pleiotropy was evaluated via the MR-Egger intercept and Mendelian randomization pleiotropy residual sum and outlier(MR-PRESSO)tests. Leave-one-out analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of individual single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)on the causal estimates. Results Preferences for sweet(OR=1.338, 95%CI:1.024-1.748, P=0.033)and salty(OR=1.356, 95%CI:1.092-1.684, P=0.006)tastes showed positive causal associations with the risk of prostatitis, whereas a preference for bitter taste was negatively associated(OR=0.638, 95%CI:0.416-0.978, P=0.039). No significant causal links were observed for sour or spicy taste preferences(P＞0.05). Sensitivity analyses and reverse MR analyses further supported the robustness of the findings.Conclusion Sweet and salty taste preferences may be potential dietary risk factors for prostatitis, while bitter taste preference could play a protective role. Further research is needed to elucidate these causal relationships, which may contribute to developing tailored dietary intervention strategies for prostatitis prevention.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains a refractory subtype of breast cancer due to its resistance to various therapeutic strategies. In this study, we introduce a "brake-release and accelerator-pressing" approach to engineer a microneedle patch embedded with copper-doped Prussian blue nanoparticles (Cu-PB) and the ferroptosis inducer sorafenib (SRF) for raised chemodynamic (CDT)/photothermal (PTT) combination therapy against TNBC. Upon transdermal insertion, the dissolving microneedles swiftly disintegrate and facilitate the release of SRF. Under gentle external light exposure, copper ions (Cu²⁺) and iron ions (Fe³⁺) were liberated from Cu-PB. The direct chelation of Cu²⁺ and the indirect suppression by SRF, collectively attenuate glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) enzymatic function, destabilizing the cellular redox equilibrium (referred to as the "brake-release" strategy). The release of Cu²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions instigates a Fenton/Fenton-like reaction within tumor cells, further yielding hydroxyl radicals and elevating reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentrations (referred to as the "accelerator-pressing" strategy). This overwhelming ROS accumulation, coupled with the impaired clearance of resultant lipid peroxides (LPO), ultimately triggers a robust ferroptosis cell death response. In summary, this study presents an innovative combinatorial therapeutic strategy based on dual-ferroptosis induction for TNBC, implying a promising therapeutic platform for developing ferroptosis-centered treatments for this aggressive breast cancer subtype.

OBJECTIVE To explore the self precipitation source of Erhuang powder, determine the content of related components and its efficacy on HeLa cells. METHODS Bifurcation study to identify the main compatibility of precipitating. The self precipitation, supernatant and extract of Erhuang powder were analyzed by UHPLC-Q-Exactive MS. The main compounds in Coptidis Rhizoma and Catechu, catechin, epicatechin, epicberberine, coptisine, berberine and palmatine were selected as controls. A analysis method of UHPLC for self precipitation, supernatant and extract of Erhuang powder was established and the related components were quantitatively determined. The effects of self precipitation, supernatant and extract on HeLa cells were evaluated by MTT method and flow cytometry. RESULTS A slight flocculation precipitate appeared when the decoction of Erhuang powder was mixed in pairs, while a large amount of flocculation appeared when the decoction of Coptidis Rhizoma and Catechu water was mixed. The self precipitation, supernatant and extract samples contained 39 compounds, which were mainly alkaloids and phenolic acids. The contents of catechin and berberine in the 6 index components were mostly, which accounted for 73.56% of the total content of the index components in self precipitation and 61.89% of the total content of the index components in extract. Inhibition effect on HeLa cells: extract ≈ self precipitation > supernatant, and inducing apoptosis: self precipitate ≈ extract, supernatant had no apoptosis-inducing effect. CONCLUSION Coptidis Rhizoma-Catechu is the main compatible formula for precipitation formation. The self precipitation and extracts of Erhuang powder are mainly alkaloids and phenolic acids, among which berberine and catechin are high in content and can be used as representative components. The effect of self-precipitation and extract on HeLa cells was better than that of supernatant. This basically indicates that the self precipitation components and pharmacological effects of Erhuang powder are similar to those of the extract.

BACKGROUND: Synovectomy has been introduced into total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with the aim of relieving pain and inflammation of the synovium. However, there are no long-term, comparative data to evaluate the effect of synovectomy in TKA. This study was aimed at assessing pain, function, and complications in patients undergoing synovectomy during TKA for osteoarthritis (OA) at long-term follow-up. METHODS: This was a prospective randomized controlled trial of 42 consecutive patients who underwent staged bilateral TKA. Patients undergoing the first-side TKA were allocated to receive TKA with or without synovectomy followed by a 3-month washout period and crossover to the other strategy for the opposite-side TKA. The overall efficacy of both strategies was evaluated by determination of blood loss, the Knee Society score (KSS), and knee inflammation conditions during a 3-month postoperative period. The postoperative pain, range of motion (ROM), and complications were sequentially evaluated to compare the two groups until 10 years after surgery. RESULTS: At the 10-year follow-up, both groups had a similarly significantly improved ROM (114.88 ± 9.84° vs. 114.02 ± 9.43°, t  = 0.221, P  = 0.815) and pain relief with no differences between the two groups (1.0 [1.0] vs. 1.0 [1.5], U  = 789.500, P  = 0.613). Similar changes in total blood loss, KSS, and knee inflammation were found in both groups during 3 months postoperatively ( P  > 0.05). Additionally, there was no significant difference regarding complications and satisfaction between the two groups ( P  > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Synovectomy in conjunction with TKA for primary OA does not seem to provide any benefit regarding postoperative pain, ROM, and satisfaction during a 10-year follow-up. In addition, it may not result in more blood loss and increased incidence of long-term complications. Based on our long-term findings, it should not be performed routinely. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-INR-16008245; https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=13334 .
Humans ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/methods* ; Synovectomy/methods* ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/surgery* ; Prospective Studies ; Pain, Postoperative ; Inflammation/etiology* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Knee Joint/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Knee Prosthesis/adverse effects*

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of hemodiafiltration combined with hemoperfusion in the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD).Methods:A total of 40 patients with SHPT undergoing MHD who received treatment at the Blood Purification Center of The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Science and Technology from February 2021 to March 2023 were included in this prospective cohort study. They were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group ( n = 20/group).The control group received a single high flux hemodialysis, while the observation group used a combination of hemodialysis filtration and hemoperfusion for 3 months. In both groups, the changes in hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, serum calcium, serum phosphorus,and parathyroid hormone levels were compared before and after dialysis. Results:After dialysis, the hemoglobin level in the observation group was (119.45 ± 5.27) g/L, which was significantly higher than (106.30 ± 6.52) g/L in the control group ( t = -7.02, P < 0.001). The serum phosphorus level in the observation group was (1.18 ± 0.17) mmol/L, which was significantly lower than (1.52 ± 0.22) mmol/L in the control group ( t = 5.49, P < 0.001). The parathyroid hormone level in the observation group was (122.14 ± 40.57) ng/L, which was significantly lower than (168.78 ± 78.27) ng/L in the control group ( t = 2.39, P = 0.023). Conclusion:Hemodiafiltration combined with hemoperfusion can reduce clinical symptoms, increase hemoglobin level, and reduce phosphorus and parathyroid hormone levels in patients with SHPT undergoing MHD, which deserves clinical promotion.

OBJECTIVE： To investigate the reasons for drug shortage in medical institutions of Sichuan province and put forward relevant countermeasures， and to provide reference for establishing supply security mechanism of drug shortage. METHODS： Questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate drug shortage in 78 medical institutions of the province during Jan. 2015-Jun. 2017. Traceability investigation was conducted from manufacturers and distribution enterprises involved in drug shortage. Questionnaire survey and field investigation were combined to analyze the reasons for drug shortage in Sichuan province and put forward countermeasures. RESULTS： Totally 78 questionnaires were sent out to medical institutions with recovery rate and effective rate of 100％. A total of 206 drugs were reported by 78 medical institutions， involving 240 specifications for shortage in total. Totally 140 questionnaires and 68 questionnaires were distributed to the manufacturers and distribution enterprises involved in drug shortage， and the recovery rate and effective rate were all 100％. Combined with the field survey， survey results of shortage drugs of 212 specifications were obtained. From the perspective of manufacturers， the most important factors causing drug shortage were the increase of production cost （66.51％） and circulation cost（26.88％）. From the perspective of distribution enterprises，the main factors causing drug shortage were insufficient supply of drugs（75.47％），inventory management（16.51％） and price inversion（11.32％）. CONCLUSIONS： Main reasons of drug shortage from manufacturers and distribution enterprises include the increase of production cost and circulation cost， drug price inversion， inventory management and bidding procurement. It is suggested that measures should be taken to improve the bidding and pricing system of drugs， mobilize the enthusiasm of enterprises； improve the early warning mechanism of drug shortage on the enterprises， strengthen information communication； establish the mechanism of drug shortage reserve， organize the emergency production of drug for shortage； strengthen the management of drug shortage supply chain， purify the unhealthy atmosphere in the market； improve the emergency disposal methods of drug shortage， and improve the supply guarantee ability of drug shortage. Departments cooperate to reduce the emergence of drug shortage and ensure the continuous access to safe and effective drugs in clinic.

OBJECTIVE： To investigate the situation and reasons of drug shortage in some medical institutions from Sichuan province. METHODS： A questionnaire survey was conducted among 78 medical institutions in Sichuan province by stratified random sampling. The situation of drug shortage were collected from Jan. 2015 to Jun. 2017， mainly including the basic information of medical institutions， drug shortage situation， specific drug shortage information and the reasons for drug shortage. Descriptive analysis of the information collected by the questionnaire was carried out， and Logistic regression analysis of the data by SPSS 20.0 software was adopted to find out the key factors affecting drug shortage. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS： Totally 78 medical institutions include 13 third-level hospitals， 22 second-level hospitals and 43 primary medical institutions （10 community health service centers， 33 township health centers）. A total of 78 questionnaires were sent out， and the recovery rate and effective rate both were 100％. Among them， 68 medical institutions reported 206 shortage drugs totally， involving 240 specifications. The prices of more than 88.34％ of the shortage drug were less than 50 yuan. Main types of shortage drugs included anti-infective drugs， central nervous system drugs and cardiovascular system drugs， and most of them were purchased directly through internet. The proportion of temporary shortage （shortage time＜3 months） and long-term shortage （shortage time＞12 months） was relatively high （more than 68％ in total）. Drug supply and medical institutions’own factors were two main causes of drug shortage. Logistic regression analysis showed that main factors affecting the time of drug shortage were hospital drug purchase process， location of medical institution and drug purchase price. The main factors affecting the specifications of drug shortage in medical institutions were the process of drug purchase， the limitation of hospital purchase catalogue， primary or non-primary medical institution， comprehensive or specialized hospitals. It is suggested that medical institutions in this region can reduce the drug shortage caused by their own reasons by building a platform for drug information management， optimizing drug purchase catalogues and plans， strengthening the management of pharmacy inventory and establishing a regulatory system for distribution enterprises.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms may develop when we fail to adapt to various stressors of our daily life. Central oxytocin (OXT) can counteract the biological actions of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), and in turn attenuates stress responses. Administration (intracerebroventricular) of OXT significantly antagonized the inhibitory effects of chronic complicated stress (CCS) on GI dysmotility in rats. However, intracerebroventricular administration is an invasive pathway. Intranasal administration can rapidly deliver peptides to the brain avoiding stress response. The effects of intranasal OXT on hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and GI motility in CCS conditions have not been investigated. METHODS: A CCS rat model was set up, OXT 5, 10, or 20 μg were intranasal administered, 30 minutes prior to stress loading. Central CRF and OXT expression levels were analyzed, serum corticosterone and OXT concentrations were measured, and gastric and colonic motor functions were evaluated by gastric emptying, fecal pellet output, and motility recording system. RESULTS: Rats in CCS condition showed significantly increased CRF expression and corticosterone concentration, which resulted in delayed gastric emptying and increased fecal pellet output, attenuated gastric motility and enhanced colonic motility were also recorded. OXT 10 μg or 20 μg significantly reduced CRF mRNA expression and the corticosterone concentration, OXT 20 μg also helped to restore GI motor dysfunction induced by CCS. CONCLUSION: Intranasal administration of OXT has an anxiolytic effect and attenuates the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in response to CCS, and gave effects which helped to restore GI dysmotility, and might be a new approach for the treatment of stress-induced GI motility disorders.
Administration, Intranasal ; Animals ; Anti-Anxiety Agents ; Brain ; Colon ; Corticosterone ; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Gastric Emptying ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Models, Animal ; Oxytocin ; Peptides ; Rats ; RNA, Messenger

Objective: To investigate the infection status and genotype distribution of cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) in women of different ethnic groups and different ages in Yili, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang). Methods: By using the convenient sampling method, 54 760 women from November 2015 to May 2017 seeking for service in gynecological clinics in a general hospital in Yili, Xinjiang, were selected as the research subjects, and 3 445 samples of cervical mucous exfoliative cells were collected, and the social information of their ethnic and age was collected at the same time. The inclusion criteria were those with sexual life, cervical integrity, and ethnic groups for Han or Uygur or Kazak. PCR-reverse dot blot hybridization was used to detect HPV genotyping in exfoliated cells, and chi-square test was used to compare the difference of HPV positive rate among different ethnic groups. Then, according to ethnicity and age, the differences in positive rates of different ages and ethnic groups were compared in each layer. Results: The positive rate of HPV was 25.6% (882 cases), of which the Han, Uygur and Kazakh were 27.9% (564 cases), 22.9% (196 cases) and 21.6% (122 cases), and the difference was statistically significant (χ²=13.80, P=0.001). The most prevalent high-risk genotypes of Han women were HPV16/52/58, accounting for 24.8% (140 cases), 17.7% (100 cases) and 9.8% (55 cases), respectively. The most prevalent high-risk genotypes of Uygur women were HPV16/52/53, accounting for 34.2% (67 cases), 12.8% (25 cases), 9.2% (18 cases), respectively. The most prevalent high-risk genotypes of Kazak were HPV16/52/53, accounting for 37.7% (46 cases), 17.2% (21 cases), 12.3% (15 cases), respectively. The highest rate of HPV in Uygur patients aged ≥61 years was 41.5% (22 cases), and the lowest in group 36-40 years old, 15.9% (21 cases), the difference between different age groups was statistically significant (χ²=35.01, P<0.001). Conclusion The positive rate of HPV infection among Han, Uygur and Kazak in Yili Prefecture of Xinjiang was different, and the HPV positive genotype differs among different ethnic groups.