Objective:To explore the impacts of acupuncture and moxibustion combined with ABCLOVE voice training on voice function and the levels of inflammatory factors in patients who were diagnosed with vocal cord polyp and received operation. Methods:A total of 96 cases who received operation on vocal cord polyp were randomly assigned into two groups. The control group was given ABCLOVE voice training for rehabilitation after the operation. The study group was given acupuncture and moxibustion combined with ABCLOVE voice training. The voice function and the levels of inflammatory factors of the two groups were compared. Results:The effective rate of the study group was higher than that of the control group（P<0.05）. The scores of main symptoms such as hoarseness, dry mouth, and thirst in the study group were lower than those in the control group（P<0.05）. After 4 weeks of treatment, the voice fundamental frequency（F0） of the study group was higher than that of the control group（P<0.05）, the maximum phonation time（MPT） was longer than that of the control group（P<0.05）, and the voice fundamental frequency perturbation value（Jitter） and voice amplitude perturbation value（Shimmer） were lower than those of the control group（P<0.05）. The levels of serum interleukin-6（IL-6） and tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α） were lower than those of the control group（P<0.05）. Conclusion:Acupuncture and moxibustion combined with ABCLOVE voice training can obviously alleviate hoarseness and other symptoms, improve voice function and reduce the level of inflammatory factors, thus is an effective treatment for patients who received operation on vocal cord polyp.
Humans ; Moxibustion ; Polyps/therapy* ; Vocal Cords ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Voice Training ; Female ; Male ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Interleukin-6/blood* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/blood* ; Young Adult ; Laryngeal Diseases/therapy*

Azvudine and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) are recommended for COVID-19 treatment in China, but their safety and efficacy in the elderly population are not fully known. In this multicenter, retrospective, cohort study, we identified 5131 elderly hospitalized COVID-19 patients from 32,864 COVID-19 patients admitted to nine hospitals in Henan Province, China, from December 5, 2022, to January 31, 2023. The primary outcome was all-cause death, and the secondary outcome was composite disease progression. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to control for confounding factors, including demographics, vaccination status, comorbidities, and laboratory tests. After 2:1 PSM, 1786 elderly patients receiving azvudine and 893 elderly patients receiving Paxlovid were included. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses revealed that compared with Paxlovid group, azvudine could significantly reduce the risk of all-cause death (log-rank P = 0.002; HR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.573-0.883, P = 0.002), but there was no difference in composite disease progression (log-rank P = 0.52; HR: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.877-1.260, P = 0.588). Four sensitivity analyses verified the robustness of above results. Subgroup analysis suggested that a greater benefit of azvudine over Paxlovid was observed in elderly patients with primary malignant tumors (P for interaction = 0.005, HR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.18-0.57) compared to patients without primary malignant tumors. Safety analysis revealed that azvudine treatment had a lower incidence of adverse events and higher lymphocyte levels than Paxlovid treatment. In conclusion, azvudine treatment is not inferior to Paxlovid treatment in terms of all-cause death, composite disease progression and adverse events in elderly hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic and non-specific inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Huanglian Ganjiang decoction (HGD), derived from ancient book Beiji Qianjin Yao Fang, has demonstrated efficacy in treating UC patients traditionally. Previous research established that the compatibility of cold herb Coptidis Rhizoma + Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex (CP) and hot herb Angelicae Sinensis Radix + Zingiberis Rhizoma (AZ) in HGD synergistically improved colitis mice. This study investigated the compatibility mechanisms through which CP and AZ regulated inflammatory balance in colitis mice. The experimental colitis model was established by administering 3% dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) to mice for 7 days, followed by CP, AZ and CPAZ treatment for an additional 7 days. M1/M2 macrophage polarization levels, glucose metabolites levels and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) expression were analyzed using flow cytometry, Western blot, immunofluorescence and targeted glucose metabolomics. The findings indicated that CP inhibited M1 macrophage polarization, decreased inflammatory metabolites associated with tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and suppressed PDK4 expression and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) (Ser-293) phosphorylation level. AZ enhanced M2 macrophage polarization, increased lactate axis metabolite lactate levels, and upregulated PDK4 expression and PDH (Ser-293) phosphorylation level. TCA cycle blocker AG-221 and adeno-associated virus (AAV)-PDK4 partially negated CP's inhibition of M1 macrophage polarization. Lactate axis antagonist oxamate and PDK4 inhibitor dichloroacetate (DCA) partially reduced AZ's activation of M2 macrophage polarization. In conclusion, the compatibility of CP and AZ synergistically alleviated colitis in mice through M1/M2 macrophage polarization balance via PDK4-mediated glucose metabolism reprogramming. Specifically, CP reduced M1 macrophage polarization by restoration of TCA cycle via PDK4 inhibition, while AZ increased M2 macrophage polarization through activation of PDK4/lactate axis.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Mice ; Macrophages/immunology* ; Glucose/metabolism* ; Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Acetyl-Transferring Kinase/genetics* ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Humans ; Colitis/drug therapy* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Colitis, Ulcerative/drug therapy* ; Metabolic Reprogramming

The development and change patterns as well as the disease course management of multiple ground-glass nodules(GGNs)in the lungs are currently hotspots and difficulties in clinical lung cancer research.Understanding the latest advancements in the natural history of multiple GGNs is crucial for grasping the disease variation patterns and formulat-ing management strategies.Meanwhile,utilizing advanced methods such as intelligent follow-up management platforms makes the long-term standardized management of GGNs possible.Therefore,this article provides an overview of the latest research advancements on the natural history of multiple GGNs and new experience in GGNs management.

Inhibiting the death receptor 3(DR3)signaling pathway in group 3 innate lymphoid cells(ILC3s)pre-sents a promising approach for promoting mucosal repair in individuals with ulcerative colitis(UC).Paeoniflorin,a prominent component of Paeonia lactiflora Pall.,has demonstrated the ability to restore barrier function in UC mice,but the precise mechanism remains unclear.In this study,we aimed to delve into whether paeoniflorin may promote intestinal mucosal repair in chronic colitis by inhibiting DR3 signaling in ILC3s.C57BL/6 mice were subjected to random allocation into 7 distinct groups,namely the control group,the 2％dextran sodium sulfate(DSS)group,the paeoniflorin groups(25,50,and 100 mg/kg),the anti-tumor necrosis factor-like ligand 1A(anti-TL1A)antibody group,and the IgG group.We detected the expression of DR3 signaling pathway proteins and the proportion of ILC3s in the mouse colon using Western blot and flow cytometry,respectively.Meanwhile,DR3-overexpressing MNK-3 cells and 2％ DSS-induced Rag1-/-mice were used for verification.The results showed that paeoniflorin alleviated DSS-induced chronic colitis and repaired the intestinal mucosal barrier.Simultaneously,paeoniflorin inhibited the DR3 signaling pathway in ILC3s and regulated the content of cytokines(interleukin-17A,granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor,and interleukin-22).Alternatively,paeoniflorin directly inhibited the DR3 signaling pathway in ILC3s to repair mucosal damage indepen-dently of the adaptive immune system.We additionally confirmed that paeoniflorin-conditioned me-dium(CM)restored the expression of tight junctions in Caco-2 cells via coculture.In conclusion,paeoniflorin ameliorates chronic colitis by enhancing the intestinal barrier in an ILC3-dependent manner,and its mechanism is associated with the inhibition of the DR3 signaling pathway.

Objective To study the differences and mechanisms of damage to the reproductive organs of male rats by single and compound exposure to microwaves at 2.856 and 9.375 GHz.Methods A total of 40 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham group,S10 group,X10 group and SX5 group.Microwavesat 2.856 and 9.375 GHz were used to expose the rats for 6 min in the S10 and X10 groups with an average power density of 10 mW/cm2,respectively.The SX5 group was sequentiallyexposed to 2.856 and 9.375 GHz microwaves with an average power density of 5 mW/cm2 for 6 min.At 1 and 7 d after exposure,the sperm viability and serum sex hormones were detected by light microscopy and electron microscopy,and testicular tissue structure and oxidative stress and energy metabolism levels were examined.Results The sperm viability,testosterone(T),follicle stimulating hormone(FSH),and inhibin B(INHB)decreased in the S10 and X10 groups at 1 and 7 d after exposure(P＜0.01),and in the SX5 group at 7 d after exposure(P＜0.05).The LH decreased in all the exposure groups at 1 d after exposure(P＜0.01),and increased in the S10 and X10 groups at 7 d after exposure(P＜0.05).The spermatogenic epithelium of testicular tissue was lax,spermatogenic cells were edematous and vacuolated,chromatin condensed and shifted side by side,and the damage was significant in the S10 and X10 groups as compared with the SX5 group.The superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity in testis tissue decreased and malondialdehyde(MDA)content increased at 1 and 7 d after exposure in the S10 group(P＜0.01).In the X10 group,the SOD decreased at 1 d after exposure(P＜0.01).The lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)and succinate dehydrogenase(SDH)activity and adenosine triphosphate(ATP)content in testis tissue decreased at 1 and 7 d after exposure in the S10 and X10 groups(P＜0.05).In the SX5 group,the LDH and SDH decreased at 1 d after exposure(P＜0.05).Conclusion Single and combined exposure to S-band and X-band microwaves can cause damage to male reproductive organs.The S-band causes damage more significantly than that of X-band.Single-frequency microwave high-intensity exposure causes damage more significantly than that of multi-frequency microwave prolonged combined exposure.The damage is closely related to oxidative stress and energy metabolism.

Traditional Chinese medicine injections for the prevention and treatment of cardiotoxicity of antineoplastic drugs was summarized, including Shengmai injection, Shenmai injection, Shenfu injection, Shenqi Fuzheng injection, Kangai injection, Huangqi injection, Xinmailong injection, Danhong injection, Danshen injection, Honghua injection, Kushen injection, Cinobufacin injection and Yinxingdamo injection. The mechanism of effect mainly includes inhibition of lipid peroxidation, reduction of calcium overload and anti-cardiomyocyte apoptosis, which provides the basis for the prevention and treatment of cardiotoxicity of antitumor drugs by traditional Chinese medicine.

Acetylcholine (ACh) is an important neuromodulator in various cognitive functions. However, it is unclear how ACh influences neural circuit dynamics by altering cellular properties. Here, we investigated how ACh influences reverberatory activity in cultured neuronal networks. We found that ACh suppressed the occurrence of evoked reverberation at low to moderate doses, but to a much lesser extent at high doses. Moreover, high doses of ACh caused a longer duration of evoked reverberation, and a higher occurrence of spontaneous activity. With whole-cell recording from single neurons, we found that ACh inhibited excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) while elevating neuronal firing in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, all ACh-induced cellular and network changes were blocked by muscarinic, but not nicotinic receptor antagonists. With computational modeling, we found that simulated changes in EPSCs and the excitability of single cells mimicking the effects of ACh indeed modulated the evoked network reverberation similar to experimental observations. Thus, ACh modulates network dynamics in a biphasic fashion, probably by inhibiting excitatory synaptic transmission and facilitating neuronal excitability through muscarinic signaling pathways.
Cholinergic Agents/pharmacology* ; Acetylcholine/metabolism* ; Neurons/metabolism* ; Synaptic Transmission/physiology*

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficiency of a modified double-tract reconstruction procedure─proximal gastrectomy with piggyback interposed jejunal single-channel reconstruction (PJIR-STR) for early SiewertⅡ adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG).Method:Data of 8 SiewertⅡ AEG patients at Shanxi Tumor Hospital and undergoing PJIR-STR from May 2018 to Oct 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The gastroesophageal reflux disease questionnaire (GerdQ) was used to score the patients at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months after surgery. The severity of postoperative reflux esophagitis was assessed by gastroscopy at 3, 6 months after surgery, using the Los Angeles Classification criteria.Result:All patients recovered well after surgery without serious complications. No obvious gastroesophageal reflux was observed in all patients at different periods (All of the GerdQ scores were <8 points.) The results of gastroscopy showed that 1 patient was diagnosed as grade B reflux esophagitis at 3, 6 months after surgery, which was responsive to conservative treatment, and the other 7 patients had no grade B or above reflux esophagitis.Conclusion:PJIR-STR is a feasible, safe reconstruction with excellent efficiency of dual anti-reflux for the SiewertⅡ AEG.