Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics, treatment methods, and prognosis of refractory pharyngeal ulcers. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical manifestations, laryngoscopic features, laboratory tests, histopathological examinations, and treatments of 78 patients diagnosed with refractory pharyngeal ulcers. Results:There was no significant difference in the proportion of males-to-females in benign lesions, while males were significantly more prevalent in cases of malignant lesions. Seven distinct pathological types of pharyngeal ulcers were identified, with the most common being simple inflammatory ulcers（18 cases）, followed by tuberculosis（16 cases）, fungi（15 cases）, lymphoma（14 cases）, squamous cell carcinoma（10 cases）, Behcet's disease（3 cases）, and myelosarcoma（2 cases）. Conclusion:The clinical manifestations and lesions associated with refractory pharyngeal ulcers are diverse. A clear diagnosis should be established based on a systematic and comprehensive medical history, specialized examinations, and additional tests to avoid misdiagnosis and mistreatment. Laryngoscopy and histopathological examinations are essential for identifying the type of lesion and guiding appropriate treatment.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Pharyngeal Diseases/pathology* ; Young Adult ; Ulcer/pathology* ; Adolescent ; Aged, 80 and over

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of different dosage forms of Kaixinsan （KXS） on the morphology and function of mitochondria in rat models of Alzheimer's disease （AD） and potential mechanisms of action. MethodsMale SD rats were randomly assigned to a sham group， model group， treatment groups receiving KXS decoction， powders， and granules （3.08 g·kg^-1）， as well as donepezil group （0.51×10^-3 g·kg^-1）， with 10 rats in each group. AD model was created using intracerebroventricular injection of streptozocin （STZ）. After 30 days of administration， behavioral assessments were conducted， and mitochondrial morphology was observed using transmission electron microscopy. Mitochondrial respiratory chain complex content was measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Changes in mitochondrial membrane potential were measured via JC-1 staining， and superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity and reactive oxygen species （ROS） levels were measured via biochemical assays. The mRNA expression of adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）， peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α （PGC-1α）， and silent information regulator 3 （SIRT3） was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and Western blot was used to examine the protein expression levels of optic atrophy protein1 （OPA1）， mitochondrial fission protein 1 （FIS1）， AMPK， p-AMPK， PGC-1α， and SIRT3. ResultsCompared with the sham group， rats in the model group had significantly lower recognition index， spontaneous alternation rate， escape latency， number of platform crossings， time spent in the target quadrant， and percentage of distance traveled in the target quadrant distance （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Significant mitochondrial damage was observed in the hippocampal tissue， with a marked decrease in mitochondrial respiratory chain complex content （P<0.01） and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential （P<0.05）. Additionally， the SOD activity was reduced， while ROS levels were elevated （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of PGC-1α and SIRT3 was significantly downregulated （P<0.01）， along with decreased protein expression levels of OPA1， p-AMPK/AMPK， PGC-1α， and SIRT3， whereas FIS1 protein expression was significantly upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， rats in KXS-treated groups （various dosage forms） showed significant improvement in behavioral indexes （P<0.05， P<0.01）， reduced hippocampal mitochondrial damage， and more organized mitochondrial cristae. Mitochondrial respiratory chain complex content was significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and mitochondrial membrane potentials were elevated （P<0.05）. SOD activity was elevated， and ROS levels were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Furthermore， the mRNA expression of PGC-1α and SIRT3 was upregulated， with increased protein levels of OPA1， p-AMPK/AMPK， PGC-1α， and SIRT3， while FIS1 protein expression levels were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Across the KXS-treated groups， the granule group showed a higher spontaneous alternation rate than the decoction and powder groups （P<0.05）. ConclusionKXS decoction， powders， and granules can improve the learning and memory ability of rats， with granules being the most effective. The mechanism of action may involve activation of the AMPK/PGC-1α/SIRT3 signaling pathway， improvement of the mitochondrial function， and subsequent amelioration of the brain energy metabolism disorders.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of different dosage forms of Kaixinsan （KXS） on the morphology and function of mitochondria in rat models of Alzheimer's disease （AD） and potential mechanisms of action. MethodsMale SD rats were randomly assigned to a sham group， model group， treatment groups receiving KXS decoction， powders， and granules （3.08 g·kg^-1）， as well as donepezil group （0.51×10^-3 g·kg^-1）， with 10 rats in each group. AD model was created using intracerebroventricular injection of streptozocin （STZ）. After 30 days of administration， behavioral assessments were conducted， and mitochondrial morphology was observed using transmission electron microscopy. Mitochondrial respiratory chain complex content was measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Changes in mitochondrial membrane potential were measured via JC-1 staining， and superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity and reactive oxygen species （ROS） levels were measured via biochemical assays. The mRNA expression of adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）， peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α （PGC-1α）， and silent information regulator 3 （SIRT3） was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and Western blot was used to examine the protein expression levels of optic atrophy protein1 （OPA1）， mitochondrial fission protein 1 （FIS1）， AMPK， p-AMPK， PGC-1α， and SIRT3. ResultsCompared with the sham group， rats in the model group had significantly lower recognition index， spontaneous alternation rate， escape latency， number of platform crossings， time spent in the target quadrant， and percentage of distance traveled in the target quadrant distance （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Significant mitochondrial damage was observed in the hippocampal tissue， with a marked decrease in mitochondrial respiratory chain complex content （P<0.01） and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential （P<0.05）. Additionally， the SOD activity was reduced， while ROS levels were elevated （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of PGC-1α and SIRT3 was significantly downregulated （P<0.01）， along with decreased protein expression levels of OPA1， p-AMPK/AMPK， PGC-1α， and SIRT3， whereas FIS1 protein expression was significantly upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， rats in KXS-treated groups （various dosage forms） showed significant improvement in behavioral indexes （P<0.05， P<0.01）， reduced hippocampal mitochondrial damage， and more organized mitochondrial cristae. Mitochondrial respiratory chain complex content was significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and mitochondrial membrane potentials were elevated （P<0.05）. SOD activity was elevated， and ROS levels were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Furthermore， the mRNA expression of PGC-1α and SIRT3 was upregulated， with increased protein levels of OPA1， p-AMPK/AMPK， PGC-1α， and SIRT3， while FIS1 protein expression levels were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Across the KXS-treated groups， the granule group showed a higher spontaneous alternation rate than the decoction and powder groups （P<0.05）. ConclusionKXS decoction， powders， and granules can improve the learning and memory ability of rats， with granules being the most effective. The mechanism of action may involve activation of the AMPK/PGC-1α/SIRT3 signaling pathway， improvement of the mitochondrial function， and subsequent amelioration of the brain energy metabolism disorders.

Objective To investigate the association of urinary phthalate metabolites with 4 high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-C)-related inflammatory indicators[lymphocyte/HDL-C ratio(LHR),monocyte/HDL-C ratio(MHR),neutrophil/HDL-C ratio(NHR),and platelet/HDL-C ratio(PHR)],and to explain their possible biological mechanisms.Methods The 4 573 adult participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(NHANES)were subjected,and then generalized linear regression(GLM),restricted cubic spline(RCS),and weighted quantile sum(WQS)regressions were performed to explore the potential associations of phthalates mono-exposures and mixed exposures,respectively,with the HDL-C-related inflammation metrics.Results Nine urinary phthalate metabolites were significantly positively associated with at least 1 inflammatory marker,while 1 metabolite(MEP)showed a negative association with an inflammatory indicator(LHR).Some exposure metabolites showed a nonlinear association with outcome inflammatory indicators.WQS regression revealed varying weight contributions of individual metabolite to each inflammatory outcome.Subgroup analyses indicated differential association effects of phthalates with HDL-C-related inflammatory metrics across gender,age,and BMI populations.Conclusion There are associations between phthalate exposure and HDL-C-related inflammation indicators,but further studies are needed to reveal the underlying mechanisms.

Objective To systematically construct patient-derived tumor organoid(PDO)and patient-derived xenograft(PDX)models of prostate cancer(PCa),and to explore the inhibitory effect and mechanism of gambogic acid(GA)on PCa.Methods The PubChem,SwissTargetPrediction,SuperPred,SEA,GeneCards,OMIM,and STRING databases,and the Venny 2.1.0 online website,Cytoscape 3.8.2,and DAVID software were used to construct a protein-protein interaction network.Gene ontology(GO)and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)enrichment analyses were carried out,and visualization processing was performed to identify the targets and pathways of GA acting on PCa.GA was applied to PDOs and PCa cells(22Rv1,PC3,and DU145)for 48 hours and its effects on cell viability were assessed by CellTiter-Glo and CCK-8 assays.Changes in gene and protein levels of the targets were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western Blot,respectively.The PDX model was treated with GA and the tumor volume and weight were measured.Changes in expression levels of the targets in tumor tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results Network pharmacology identified signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)as the core target of GA inhibiting PCa,related to the hypoxia-inducible factor(HIF)-1α signaling pathway.GA reduced the viability of cells and PDOs and significantly down-regulated HIF-1α,STAT3,and P-STAT3 protein levels.In vivo experiments,tumor volume and weight were significantly reduced in the GA group,and immunohistochemistry showed that STAT3 and HIF-1α expression levels were decreased.Conclusions The clinically representative PDO and PDX models,combined with cell lines,verified the prediction result of network pharmacology,confirming a significant killing effect of GA on PCa,possibly via a mechanism related to the STAT3/HIF-1α signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND:Non-traumatic necrosis of the femoral head is a difficult joint disease,and preserving one's own femoral head is of great significance for young patients.Currently,there is a lack of regular and unified functional exercise plans.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of hip abductor muscle exercise on the three-dimensional gait and collapse rate of patients with non-traumatic femoral head necrosis,and to provide theoretical basis for effective rehabilitation of patients with non-traumatic femoral head necrosis.METHODS:Totally 81 non-traumatic and non-surgical patients with femoral head necrosis(81 hips)admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from June 2020 to June 2022 were included.Patients were randomly divided into a control group(n=40)and a hip abductor muscle exercise group(n=41).The control group received routine physical therapy and medication treatment.The hip abductor muscle exercise group underwent hip abductor muscle exercise on the basis of the control group.The gait status(hip joint range of motion,step length difference,and ground contact time difference)of two groups of patients was evaluated using the Tecnobody balance assessment system before and 12 weeks after treatment.The BIODEX-S4 isokinetic muscle strength testing system was used to test the peak force distance of hip abduction isokinetic muscle strength.Gluteus medius width ratio was compared between two groups.The collapse rate was compared between two groups of patients 1 year after treatment.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)There was no statistically significant difference between the hip abductor muscle exercise group and the control group in terms of age,gender,side profile,body mass index,and etiology(P＞0.05).(2)Before treatment,there was no significant statistical difference in the range of motion of the affected hip joint between the two groups(P＞0.05).After treatment,the range of motion of the affected hip joint in both groups improved compared to before treatment(P＜0.05),and the range of motion of the affected hip joint in the hip abductor muscle exercise group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P＜0.05).(3)Before treatment,there was no significant statistical difference in the step length and touchdown time between the two groups(P＞0.05).12 weeks after treatment,the difference in step length and touchdown time between the two groups decreased compared to before treatment(P＜0.05),and the difference in step length and touchdown time between the hip abductor muscle exercise group after treatment was significantly greater than that of the control group(P＜0.05).(4)Before treatment,there was no significant statistical difference in gluteus medius width ratio between the two groups(P＞0.05).12 weeks after treatment,the gluteus medius width ratio of both groups increased compared to that before treatment(P＜0.05),and the gluteus medius width ratio of the hip abductor muscle exercise group was significantly higher than that of the control group(P＜0.05).(5)At 1 year after treatment,the comparison of femoral head collapse rates between the two groups showed significant statistical significance(P＜0.05),and that in the hip abductor muscle exercise group(22％)was significantly lower than that in the control group(45％).(6)It is concluded that exercise of the hip abductor muscle effectively enhances hip joint function,improves gait,and reduces the rate of femoral head collapse in patients with non-traumatic femoral head necrosis.It is recommended to use hip abductor muscle exercise as one of the basic methods for hip preservation in non-traumatic femoral head necrosis.

Objective To systematically construct patient-derived tumor organoid(PDO)and patient-derived xenograft(PDX)models of prostate cancer(PCa),and to explore the inhibitory effect and mechanism of gambogic acid(GA)on PCa.Methods The PubChem,SwissTargetPrediction,SuperPred,SEA,GeneCards,OMIM,and STRING databases,and the Venny 2.1.0 online website,Cytoscape 3.8.2,and DAVID software were used to construct a protein-protein interaction network.Gene ontology(GO)and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)enrichment analyses were carried out,and visualization processing was performed to identify the targets and pathways of GA acting on PCa.GA was applied to PDOs and PCa cells(22Rv1,PC3,and DU145)for 48 hours and its effects on cell viability were assessed by CellTiter-Glo and CCK-8 assays.Changes in gene and protein levels of the targets were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western Blot,respectively.The PDX model was treated with GA and the tumor volume and weight were measured.Changes in expression levels of the targets in tumor tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results Network pharmacology identified signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)as the core target of GA inhibiting PCa,related to the hypoxia-inducible factor(HIF)-1α signaling pathway.GA reduced the viability of cells and PDOs and significantly down-regulated HIF-1α,STAT3,and P-STAT3 protein levels.In vivo experiments,tumor volume and weight were significantly reduced in the GA group,and immunohistochemistry showed that STAT3 and HIF-1α expression levels were decreased.Conclusions The clinically representative PDO and PDX models,combined with cell lines,verified the prediction result of network pharmacology,confirming a significant killing effect of GA on PCa,possibly via a mechanism related to the STAT3/HIF-1α signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND:Non-traumatic necrosis of the femoral head is a difficult joint disease,and preserving one's own femoral head is of great significance for young patients.Currently,there is a lack of regular and unified functional exercise plans.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of hip abductor muscle exercise on the three-dimensional gait and collapse rate of patients with non-traumatic femoral head necrosis,and to provide theoretical basis for effective rehabilitation of patients with non-traumatic femoral head necrosis.METHODS:Totally 81 non-traumatic and non-surgical patients with femoral head necrosis(81 hips)admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from June 2020 to June 2022 were included.Patients were randomly divided into a control group(n=40)and a hip abductor muscle exercise group(n=41).The control group received routine physical therapy and medication treatment.The hip abductor muscle exercise group underwent hip abductor muscle exercise on the basis of the control group.The gait status(hip joint range of motion,step length difference,and ground contact time difference)of two groups of patients was evaluated using the Tecnobody balance assessment system before and 12 weeks after treatment.The BIODEX-S4 isokinetic muscle strength testing system was used to test the peak force distance of hip abduction isokinetic muscle strength.Gluteus medius width ratio was compared between two groups.The collapse rate was compared between two groups of patients 1 year after treatment.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)There was no statistically significant difference between the hip abductor muscle exercise group and the control group in terms of age,gender,side profile,body mass index,and etiology(P＞0.05).(2)Before treatment,there was no significant statistical difference in the range of motion of the affected hip joint between the two groups(P＞0.05).After treatment,the range of motion of the affected hip joint in both groups improved compared to before treatment(P＜0.05),and the range of motion of the affected hip joint in the hip abductor muscle exercise group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P＜0.05).(3)Before treatment,there was no significant statistical difference in the step length and touchdown time between the two groups(P＞0.05).12 weeks after treatment,the difference in step length and touchdown time between the two groups decreased compared to before treatment(P＜0.05),and the difference in step length and touchdown time between the hip abductor muscle exercise group after treatment was significantly greater than that of the control group(P＜0.05).(4)Before treatment,there was no significant statistical difference in gluteus medius width ratio between the two groups(P＞0.05).12 weeks after treatment,the gluteus medius width ratio of both groups increased compared to that before treatment(P＜0.05),and the gluteus medius width ratio of the hip abductor muscle exercise group was significantly higher than that of the control group(P＜0.05).(5)At 1 year after treatment,the comparison of femoral head collapse rates between the two groups showed significant statistical significance(P＜0.05),and that in the hip abductor muscle exercise group(22％)was significantly lower than that in the control group(45％).(6)It is concluded that exercise of the hip abductor muscle effectively enhances hip joint function,improves gait,and reduces the rate of femoral head collapse in patients with non-traumatic femoral head necrosis.It is recommended to use hip abductor muscle exercise as one of the basic methods for hip preservation in non-traumatic femoral head necrosis.

Objective:To observe the proteomic changes in vitreous fluid samples from patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment combined with choroidal detachment (RRDCD).Methods:A prospective cross-sectional clinical study. Vitreous fluid samples were collected from 35 patients with RRDCD (RRDCD group) and 40 patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD group) who were diagnosed at Wuhan Aier Eye Hospital between November 2021 and December 2023. Prior to vitrectomy, 0.3-0.5 ml of vitreous fluid was collected from the affected eyes. Differentially expressed proteins were analyzed using Data-Independent Acquisition (DIA). Three of these proteins were randomly selected for validation using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Bioinformatics analyses, including gene ontology functional enrichment and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway enrichment, were performed to explore the functions of the differentially expressed proteins.Results:Significant differences were observed between the RRDCD and RRD groups in intraocular pressure ( t=-12.795), the number of retinal tears ( t=4.601), the extent of retinal detachment ( χ2=39.642), axial length ( t=0.840), postoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy incidence ( χ2=4.730), single-surgery reattachment rate ( χ2=7.717), and best-corrected visual acuity ( t=7.033) at 6 months postoperatively ( P<0.05). A total of 237 differentially expressed proteins were identified between the RRDCD and RRD groups, with 63 upregulated and 174 downregulated. These proteins were involved in pathways such as extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, complement activation, coagulation, and lysosomal pathways. ELISA validation results showed that the expression trends of the three selected proteins in the RRDCD and RRD groups were consistent with the DIA proteomic analysis. Compared to the RRD group, proteins such as fibrin, coagulation factors, cathepsins, and trypsin inhibitors were significantly upregulated in the RRDCD group. Conclusions:The protein expression profile in vitreous fluid samples from RRDCD patients show significant alterations compared to the RRD group. These differential changes suggest that RRDCD is closely associated with complement and coagulation cascade activation, lysosomal pathways, and extracellular matrix remodeling.

Two new nor-ent-halimane diterpenes and three previously unreported nor-clerodane diterpenes,designated callicain-tides A-E(1-5),were isolated from Callicarpa integerrima.Compounds 1 and 2 feature a distinctive 5/6-membered ring system,while compounds 3-5 are characterized by progressively truncated carbon skeletons,containing 18,17,and 16 carbons,respectively.In addition,four known compounds 6-9 were also identified.Their structures were elucidated using advanced spectroscopic tech-niques,including nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR),high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry(HR-ESI-MS),ultra-violet(UV),infrared radiation(IR),optical rotatory dispersion(ORD),DP4+analysis and electronic circular dichroism(ECD),sup-ported by quantum chemical calculations.Compounds 1-9 were evaluated for their anti-MRSA activity.Among them,compound 6 demonstrated significant anti-MRSA activity,with a minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)of 16 μg·mL-1.