OBJECTIVES: To investigate the regulatory role of the NLRP3 signaling pathway in hepatocyte pyroptosis in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) under hypoxia. METHODS: Twenty-four male C57BL/6 mice were randomized equally into hypoxic control (A), hypoxic NASH model (B), hypoxic NASH+NLRP3 inhibitor (C), and hypoxic NASH+caspase-1 inhibitor (D) groups. In groups B-D, the mice were fed a methionine choline-deficient (MCD) diet under hypoxic conditions (to simulate a 5000 m altitude) for 6 weeks; the mice in groups C and D received intraperitoneal injections of the respective inhibitors every other day. RESULTS: Compared with those in group A, the mice in group B showed significantly elevated serum levels of FBG, TC, TG, ALT and AST, increased liver lipid content, inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber deposition, and enhanced hepatic expressions of NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β and GSDMD proteins, with obvious swelling, cristae breakage, vacuolization, and outer membrane disruption of the mitochondria, ribosome loss in the cytoplasm, destruction of the nuclear membrane, and pathological changes of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Treatment with NLRP3 inhibitor and caspase-1 inhibitor both significantly lowered serum levels of TC, TG, ALT and AST (but without significantly affecting FBG) in the mouse models, and reduced liver lipid content, inflammatory cell infiltration, collagen deposition, and expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, GSDMD and IL-1β. The treatments also significantly improved pathological changes in the mitochondria, ribosomes and endoplasmic reticulum in liver tissues of the mice. CONCLUSIONS NLRP3 signaling pathway plays a key role in promoting hepatocyte pyroptosis in NASH mice under hypoxic condition, and inhibiting this pathway can effectively reduce liver inflammation, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for NASH treatment.
Animals ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/metabolism* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Pyroptosis ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Male ; Hepatocytes/pathology* ; Signal Transduction ; Mice ; Hypoxia/metabolism* ; Caspase 1/metabolism* ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism* ; Liver/metabolism*

Objective To explore the significance of mitoxantrone hydrochloride injection and carbon nanoparticles suspension injection in endoscopic radical thyroid cancer surgery.Methods A retrospective analysis was carried out on patients who underwent endoscopic radical surgery for unilateral thyroid cancer at the Depart-ment of General Surgery,Gansu Provincial Central Hospital,from December 2022 to February 2024.The patients were classified into two groups according to the intraoperative tracer employed:the mitoxantrone group and the nanocarbon group.After a 6-month postoperative follow-up,the baseline data of the two patient groups were compared.The intraoperative visualization of lymph nodes and parathyroid glands in both groups was observed.Additionally,the hospitalization costs and the incidence of postoperative complications were compared between the two groups.Results In this study,110 cases were included in the Mitoxantrone group and 126 cases in the nanocarbon group.The staining time of the central lymph nodes was significantly shorter in the nanocarbon group compared to the mitoxantrone group(P<0.05).The blue staining rate of MHI reached 97.5%,while the black staining rate of CNSI was 98.3%.The difference between them was not statistically significant(P>0.05).Regarding the number of central lymph nodes dissected,it was 9.34±0.22 in the Mitoxantrone group and 9.88±0.24 in the nanocarbon group,with no statistically significant difference(P>0.05).Similarly,the parathyroid misdissection rates were 1.8%and 0.8%in the two groups respectively,and no significant statistical difference was observed(P>0.05).Postoperative blood calcium and PTH levels measured at 1 day,1 month,and 6 months did not show any statistically significant differences between the two groups(P>0.05).The incidence of transient hypoparathy-roidism and hypocalcemia was comparable in both groups(P>0.05),and no patients developed permanent hypo-parathyroidism or permanent hoarseness.None of the patients in one Mitoxantrone group experienced postoperative hemorrhage,coeliac leakage,or skin staining.In contrast,in the nanocarbon group,there was one case of postop-erative hemorrhage and one case of coeliac leakage,and two case of skin staining.Conclusions In laparoscopic unilateral thyroid cancer radical surgery,when it comes to lymph node tracing and parathyroid gland protection,no significant disparities were detected between MHI and CNSI.Nevertheless,CNSI exhibits a shorter staining time for central lymph nodes.In contrast,MHI is more manageable,features a faster metabolic rate,and has been demonstrated to be more cost-effective.

The effects of different robust optimization parameters on the doses to organs-at-risk(OAR)and the clinical target volume(CTV)in proton therapy plans for localized prostate cancer are explored for identifying the optimal robust optimization parameters.A retrospective analysis is conducted on 10 cases in which proton plans with a total dose of 76 Gy delivered in 38 fractions are designed.In robust optimization,uncertainties of 3.5%in range and setup errors of 3,5 and 7 mm are considered.After being grouped by setup errors,3 groups of plans are obtained.The effects of setup errors on the doses to CTV and OAR are analyzed,and the robustness of the CTV dose is assessed,including the worst-case values of dosimetric parameters and the passing rates under different scenarios.The results show that as the setup error increased,the doses to OAR tended to rise.Compared with the 3 mm plan group,the 5 mm and 7 mm plan groups experience increases of 1.99%and 5.15%in rectal V70,3.71%and 10.01%in rectal V45,0.93%and 2.55%in bladder V70,and 1.71%and 5.27%in bladder V45,respectively;similar patterns are observed for the doses to sigmoid colon and bulbous urethra,and the differences are statistically significant(P<0.05).In robustness analysis,the CTV D99 in the 5 mm and 7 mm plan groups increases by 0.68 Gy and 0.95 Gy as compared with the 3 mm plan group,with passing rates improving by 7.2%and 9.6%,respectively(passing criterion:D95 receives at least 100%of the prescribed dose),with significant differences(P<0.05).Considering both OAR dose and CTV robustness,the setup error of 5 mm is found to be a reasonable choice for robust optimization in proton therapy plans for localized prostate cancer,as it can effectively balance the enhancement of CTV dose robustness with the control of dose escalation to OAR.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of antimicrobial stewardship scientific(AMS)of antimicrobial agents on special antibiotics so as to provide evidence-based bases for reasonable use of antibiotics.METHODS A retro-spective survey was conducted for the status of use of special antibiotics in Zhongnan Hospital,Wuhan University.The utilization rate of intravenous infusion of antibiotics,antimicrobials use density(AUD)of special grade antibi-otics,defined daily doses(DDDs),etiological submission rate of microorganisms before use of antibiotics and drug resistance rates of major gram-negative bacteria to special grade antibiotics were observed and compared be-fore and after the AMS was carried out.RESULTS There were no significant differences in gender,severity of dis-ease and spectrum of infectious diseases before and after the AMS was carried out.The utilization rate of intrave-nous infusion of antibiotics was(55.64±1.63)％among the hospitalized patients after the AMS was carried out,the AUD of special grade antibiotics was 2.08±0.57,and the DDDs was 2406.53±292.16,showing generally downward trends(P＜0.05).The drug resistance rates of Acinetobacter baumannii strains to cefepime and imi-penem were 89.15％and 90.21％,respectively,showing upward trends(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION The AUD and DDDs of the special grade antibiotics can be remarkably reduced through powerful means such as carrying out AMS,setting up AMS task group for special grade antibiotics,developing guidance documents for scientific use of special antibiotics,taking full advantage of reasonable drug administration surveillance system,implementing closed-loop management of the special antibiotics,and completing early warning mechanisms for bacterial drug re-sistance as well as information construction to boost management.

Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome is characterized by congenital vaginal hypoplasia and primordial uterus caused by Müllerian anomalies. Case reports concerning adenomyosis associated with MRKH syndrome are limited, and the formation and intervention of adenomyosis without endometrium are unclear. Here, we present the case of a patient with MRKH syndrome complicated with adenomyosis without endometrium, a hypoechoic solid mass next to the right ovary. According to the intraoperative observation and histopathological examination findings, the mass were diagnosed as adenomyosis of the primordial uterus. Moreover, our report provides insights about its mechanism of occurrence and interventions in MRKH syndrome combined with adenomyosis without endometrium.

Objective:To analyze the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic transhepatic section biliary exploration without T-tube drainage in the treatment of intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct stones.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 200 patients with intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct stones who underwent surgical treatment in Ankang Central Hospital from January 2020 to December 2024, including 79 males and 121 females, with the average age of (64.1±6.1) years. Among the 200 patients, 100 underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy and stone removal through transhepatic section cholangiography and choledochoscopy and were included in the observation group. Another 100 patients underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy, common bile duct incision, choledochoscopic exploration and stone removal, and T-tube drainage and were included in the control group. The intraoperative blood loss, operation time, postoperative hospital stay, hospitalization cost, postoperative pain score, time to get out of bed and move around, recovery time of intestinal function, abdominal drainage time, total complication rate, recurrence of stones, biliary tract infection, etc. were compared between the two groups.Results:The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospital stay and hospitalization cost of the observation group (165.8±29.9 min, 158.9±23.7 ml, 8.8±1.8 d and 46, 037.8±312.6 yuan, respectively) were all lower than those of the control group (220.3±37.5 min, 232.5±36.7 ml, 12.5±2.5 d, and 57 006.2±528.5 yuan) and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The postoperative pain score of the control group was (4.8±1.3) points, the postoperative time to get out of bed for activities was (1.6±0.5) d, the postoperative recovery time of intestinal function was (3.2±0.7) d, and the abdominal drainage time was (5.0±0.8) d. All were higher than those of the observation group (3.2±0.8) points, (0.8±0.2) d, (1.8±0.5) d, and (2.5±0.6) d, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The total incidence of complications, recurrence of stones and infection rate of biliary tract in the observation group were 6.0%(6/100), 3.0%(3/100) and 2.0%(2/100) respectively, which were lower than those in the control group at 36.0%(36/100), 11.0%(11/100) and 9.0%(9/100). The differences were all statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Laparoscopic transhepatic section biliary exploration without T-tube drainage for the treatment of intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct stones is feasible and safe.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the correlation between the quality of life （QOL） and different traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes in patients with myasthenia gravis （MG）， identifying potential influencing factors to provide new insights for clinical interventions and improving the QOL of patients with MG. MethodsA questionnaire survey was conducted on 93 adults with MG who visited the Department of Neurology at the Affiliated Hospital of Changchun University of Chinese Medicine from March 2023 to January 2024. Statistical analysis was performed on the clinical data collected using SPSS 24.0 software. ResultsAmong the 93 patients with MG， the average score for myasthenia gravis quality of life-15 （MGQOL-15） was 17.65±6.27， and that for the 36-item short form health survey （SF-36） was （106.13±11.83） scores. The QOL was rated as good for 16 patients and moderate for 77 patients. There were no statistically significant differences in the scores of MGQOL-15， SF-36， and their individual scales by gender or education level. Age showed statistically significant differences in MGQOL-15 and the role physical （RP） scale （P<0.05）， and occupational type showed significant differences in the vitality （VT） scale （P<0.01）. The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America （MGFA） classification had statistical significance on the total SF-36 score （P<0.01）， VT scale （P<0.01）， role emotional （RE） scale （P<0.05）， social functioning （SF） scale （P<0.05）， and physical functioning （PF） scale （P<0.01）. Among patients with different TCM syndromes， there were significant differences in MGQOL-15 scores （F=4.919， P<0.01）. Moreover， significant differences were observed in SF-36 scores （P<0.01）， VT scale （P<0.01）， RE scale （P<0.05）， mental health （MH） scale （P<0.01）， and SF scale （P<0.05）. ConclusionFactors affecting the QOL of patients with MG include age， occupational type， and clinical classification of MG. Specifically， a greater impact on the QOL of older patients is observed， while physical laborers have a poorer QOL compared to non-physical laborers. Patients classified as MGFA type Ⅱ and higher have a poorer QOL. Additionally， there is a potential correlation between the QOL and TCM syndromes， with patients presenting with spleen and kidney Qi deficiency having a lower QOL than those with spleen and stomach Qi deficiency or Qi and Yin deficiency， which is particularly evident in the VT， RE， MH， and SF scales.

Objective: To explore the correlation and lag effects of environmental factors on pediatric respiratory disease visits at hospital, so as to provide scientific basis for disease prediction and optimizing clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods: Data from 503 889 pediatric respiratory disease outpatient and emergency visits a central hospital in Minhang District of Shanghai between 2017 and 2019, along with concurrent meteorological data were collected. A distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM) was constructed to explore the specific relationship between pediatric respiratory disease consultations and various environmental factors and to quantify the cumulative lag effects of environmental factors on respiratory disease consultations. Results: Among the environmental factors, temperature, fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), inhalable particulate matter (PM 10 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2), and sulfur dioxide (SO 2) were associated with pediatric respiratory disease visits. After adjusting for temperature, PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations did not show significant immediate or lag effects. The relative risk (RR) of pediatric respiratory disease visits increased with rising NO 2 concentrations. When NO 2 concentration ≥55 μg/m 3, significant immediate and lagged effects (lag 3, 5, and 7 days) were observed. The RR values were 1.05, 1.13, 1.17, and 1.21( P <0.05). The RR values showed an inverted “U” shaped relationship with SO 2 concentrations. When SO 2 concentration ≥5 μg/m 3, significant lagged effects (lag 3, 5, and 7 days) were observed. The RR values were 1.03 , 1.03, and 1.04 ( P <0.05). Conclusion High concentrations of NO 2 and SO 2 increase the risk of pediatric respiratory disease visits, with observable lag effects.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of chicken-claw needling with blade needle for postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). METHODS: A total of 30 patients with PHN were treated with chicken-claw needling with blade needle, the most painful area, costal angle on the same side with the affected intercostal nerve and the midpoint of the line connecting the first two points along the intercostal nerve were selected as treatment points, without needle retained, once a week, a total of 2 times were required. Before and after treatment, the scores of pain visual analogue scale (VAS) and dermatology life quality index (DLQI) were observed, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated after treatment. The recurrence rate of neuralgia was evaluated on the 60th day after treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, the scores of VAS and DLQI were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). Of 30 patients, 4 cases were cured, 20 cases showed markedly efficacy, 4 cases were improved, 2 cases were ineffective, the total effective rate was 93.3% (28/30). The recurrence rate of neuralgia was 6.7% (2/30). CONCLUSION Chicken-claw needling with blade needle could effectively relieve the pain in patients with PHN, improve the quality of life and reduce the recurrence rate of neuralgia.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic/therapy* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Acupuncture Points ; Treatment Outcome ; Needles ; Adult

To investigate the efficacy and safety of aromatase inhibitors (AI) combined with recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH) in improving the final height (FH) of boys in late puberty.