AIM:This study aimed to explore the mechanism by which Bufei-Yishen formula(BYF)mitigates mitochondrial damage in rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)by regulating the AMPK/PGC-1α signal-ing pathway.METHODS:Forty rats were randomly divided into four groups,each containing ten rats each:control group,COPD group,BYF group,and N-acetylcysteine(NAC)group.The COPD model was established through chronic cigarette smoke exposure combined with periodic bacterial inoculations over an eight-week induction phase.During the subsequent eight-week treatment period(i.e.,weeks 9～16),rats in the control and COPD groups received an isovolumet-ric saline solution via oral gavage,at a standardized daily dose of 2 mL per animal.Moreover,rats in the BYF and NAC groups were given Bufei Yishen formula(11.61 g·kg-1·d-1)or N-acetylcysteine(54 mg·kg-1·d-1)by gavage,once per day.At week 16,samples were collected and the general condition of the rats was observed.Body weight was recorded weekly.We also obtained data characterizing rat lung function,lung pathology,ATP content,and mitochondrial ultra-structure,as well as the levels of interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α),interleukin-1β(IL-1β),se-rum transforming growth factor-beta 1(TGF-β1)and the enzymatic activities of mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes I(NADH dehydrogenase)and III(cytochrome c reductase).Finally,we quantified the mRNA and protein lev-els of AMPK and PGC-1α in lung tissue.RESULTS:Compared to the control group,the COPD group exhibited yellow-ish hair color,reduced gloss,slower weight gain,and a disordered respiratory rhythm.We also observed significant de-creases(P<0.01)in pulmonary function tidal volume(TV),minute ventilation(MV),peak expiratory flow(PEF),expi-ratory flow at 50%of tidal volume(EF50),forced vital capacity(FVC),forced expiratory volume in 0.1 s(FEV0.1),and FEV0.1/FVC.Histopathological analysis showed alveolar cavity enlargement,bullous changes in lung morphology,smooth muscle hypertrophy in the tracheal wall,ciliary destroyed,mucosal shrinking and thickening,and a large number of in-flammatory cells gathered around the tube.Moreover,the mean linear intercept(MLI)and bronchial wall thickness(BWt)had both significantly increased(P<0.01).Electron microscopic analysis of the lungs revealed a reduction in the number of mitochondria in alveolar epithelial cells,a swollen and deformed lung morphology overall.We observed that the mitochondrial cristae were broken,dissolved or vacuolated,accompanied by a significant reduction in the number of lamel-lar bodies and lung volume,along with a disordered internal lipid layer structure.Furthermore,some lung samples were vacuolated or had content leakage.Further quantitative analyses showed statistically significant increases(P<0.01)in the levels of serum pro-inflammatory mediators,including IL-6,TNF-α,IL-1β,and TGF-β1.At the same time we observed substantial reductions in the enzymatic activities of mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes I and III(P<0.01).Moreover,we found that metabolic impairment correlated with significantly attenuated ATP production(P<0.01)in exper-imental subjects.Moreover,the expression levels of AMPK and PGC-1α mRNA and proteins in lung tissue were signifi-cantly decreased(P<0.01).Moreover,compared to the COPD group,the BYF group showed significant improvements in several of the above indicators,albeit to different degrees(P<0.01 or P<0.05).Moreover,BYF was more effective than NAC in improving minute ventilation and up-regulating PGC-1α expression(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Bufei-Yishen formula may ameliorate mitochondrial damage in rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by regulating the AMPK/PGC-1α signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the overall dietary intake of adult residents in Sijing Town, Songjiang District, Shanghai, and to explore the association between dietary health literacy and diet quality. MethodsA total of 1 280 adult residents were selected as the research subjects using a multi-stage sampling method, and face-to-face questionnaire surveys were administered on site. Dietary intake data were collected using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), and the overall diet quality of the participants was evaluated based on the Chinese Healthy Eating Index (CHEI). Participants were divided into low- and high-CHEI groups according to the median CHEI score. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association between dietary health literacy and diet quality. ResultsThe median CHEI score for adults in the area was 63.68 points. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that adults with lower dietary health literacy had lower CHEI scores and poorer overall diet quality compared to those with higher dietary health literacy (OR=1.435, 95%CI:1.132‒1.819). ConclusionThe overall diet quality of adult residents in this region requires improvement. There is a significant positive correlation between the level of dietary health literacy and CHEI scores, suggesting that enhancing dietary health literacy may be an important strategy to improve resident’ dietary quality.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the protective effect of Bufei Yishen Formula (BYF) against cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced injuries in human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells and explore the underlying mechanism. METHODS: BEAS-2B cells exposed to CSE were treated with normal rat serum, BYF-medicated rat serum at low or high doses, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC, a NF-κB inhibitor), PDTC combined with high-dose BYF-medicated serum, or S-carbomethyloysteine (S-CMC, as the positive control). CCK-8 assay was used to determine the optimal concentration and treatment time of CSE, BYF-medicated serum and S-CMC. The treated cells were examined for inflammatory factor levels in the supernatant and cellular expressions of MUC5AC and MUC5B using ELISA, cell ultrastructural changes with transmission electron microscopy, and cell apoptosis rate using flow cytometry. The expression levels of TLR4/NF‑κB pathway-associated mRNAs and proteins were determined by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: CSE exposure significantly increased secretions of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, mRNA and protein expressions of MUC5AC and MUC5B, and early and total apoptosis rates in BEAS-2B cells, where the presence of apoptotic bodies was detected. CSE also significantly enhanced the mRNA and protein expressions of TLR4, I-κB, and NF-κB and reduced mRNA and protein expressions of AQP5. Treatments of the CSE-exposed cells with BYF-medicated serum, PDTC and S-CMC all significantly lowered inflammatory factor levels, MUC5AC and MUC5B expressions, and early and total cell apoptosis rates, and partly reversed the changes in cellular ultrastructure and mRNA and protein expressions of the TLR4/NF-κB pathway, and the effects were the most conspicuous following the combined treatment with high-dose BYF-medicated serum and PDTC. CONCLUSIONS BYF can inhibit cell apoptosis, inflammation and mucus hypersecretion in CSE-induced BEAS-2B cells by inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Humans ; Epithelial Cells/cytology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Bronchi/cytology* ; Smoke/adverse effects* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Mucin 5AC/metabolism* ; Cell Line ; Toll-Like Receptor 4/metabolism* ; Mucin-5B/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Nicotiana ; Rats ; Thiocarbamates/pharmacology* ; Animals

BACKGROUND:After total knee arthroplasty,patients may experience significant pain,which has negative effects on functional recovery.Exploring and seeking effective means of analgesia has important clinical value.OBJECTIVE:To explore an effective perioperative analgesic strategy for total knee arthroplasty patients,we first proposed a novel local infiltration anesthetic formulation consisting of morphine,flurbiprofen,and compound betamethasone,and we explored its efficacy and safety.METHODS:This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 60 patients who underwent unilateral total knee arthroplasty at First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2023 to April 2024.Based on whether local anesthesia was used during surgery,the patients were divided into the control and study groups,each consisting of 30 cases.In the study group,the local infiltration anesthesia mixture consisting of morphine,flurbiprofen,and compound betamethasone was injected into the joint cavity around the knee during surgery.No analgesic drugs were used in the control group as a blank control.We recorded and compared the postoperative visual analog scale pain scores,knee range of motion,knee function score,degree of postoperative knee edema,and incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups at different time points.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the control group,the visual analog scale pain score in the study group was lower at 6,12,and 24 hours after operation,and the difference was statistically significant(Z=-2.367,-2.906,-4.199,P＜0.05).However,there was no significant difference in the pain visual analog scale score between the two groups at 48 and 72 hours after operation(Z=-1.287,-1.478,P＞0.05).(2)The postoperative knee range of motion and knee function score of the study group were better than those of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(t=-2.519,-8.027,P＜0.05).(3)The degree of knee joint swelling in the study group was also lighter than that in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(Z=-2.818,P＜0.05).(4)In the early postoperative period,there was no significant difference in fever between the two groups(P＞0.05).There was no poor wound healing or periprosthetic infection in the two groups.(5)The results show that applying local infiltration anesthesia composed of morphine,flurbiprofen axetil,and compound betamethasone in total knee arthroplasty can relieve early postoperative pain and show high safety.However,prospective studies with large samples are still needed to provide data support.

AIM:This study aimed to explore the mechanism by which Bufei-Yishen formula(BYF)mitigates mitochondrial damage in rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)by regulating the AMPK/PGC-1α signal-ing pathway.METHODS:Forty rats were randomly divided into four groups,each containing ten rats each:control group,COPD group,BYF group,and N-acetylcysteine(NAC)group.The COPD model was established through chronic cigarette smoke exposure combined with periodic bacterial inoculations over an eight-week induction phase.During the subsequent eight-week treatment period(i.e.,weeks 9～16),rats in the control and COPD groups received an isovolumet-ric saline solution via oral gavage,at a standardized daily dose of 2 mL per animal.Moreover,rats in the BYF and NAC groups were given Bufei Yishen formula(11.61 g·kg-1·d-1)or N-acetylcysteine(54 mg·kg-1·d-1)by gavage,once per day.At week 16,samples were collected and the general condition of the rats was observed.Body weight was recorded weekly.We also obtained data characterizing rat lung function,lung pathology,ATP content,and mitochondrial ultra-structure,as well as the levels of interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α),interleukin-1β(IL-1β),se-rum transforming growth factor-beta 1(TGF-β1)and the enzymatic activities of mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes I(NADH dehydrogenase)and III(cytochrome c reductase).Finally,we quantified the mRNA and protein lev-els of AMPK and PGC-1α in lung tissue.RESULTS:Compared to the control group,the COPD group exhibited yellow-ish hair color,reduced gloss,slower weight gain,and a disordered respiratory rhythm.We also observed significant de-creases(P<0.01)in pulmonary function tidal volume(TV),minute ventilation(MV),peak expiratory flow(PEF),expi-ratory flow at 50%of tidal volume(EF50),forced vital capacity(FVC),forced expiratory volume in 0.1 s(FEV0.1),and FEV0.1/FVC.Histopathological analysis showed alveolar cavity enlargement,bullous changes in lung morphology,smooth muscle hypertrophy in the tracheal wall,ciliary destroyed,mucosal shrinking and thickening,and a large number of in-flammatory cells gathered around the tube.Moreover,the mean linear intercept(MLI)and bronchial wall thickness(BWt)had both significantly increased(P<0.01).Electron microscopic analysis of the lungs revealed a reduction in the number of mitochondria in alveolar epithelial cells,a swollen and deformed lung morphology overall.We observed that the mitochondrial cristae were broken,dissolved or vacuolated,accompanied by a significant reduction in the number of lamel-lar bodies and lung volume,along with a disordered internal lipid layer structure.Furthermore,some lung samples were vacuolated or had content leakage.Further quantitative analyses showed statistically significant increases(P<0.01)in the levels of serum pro-inflammatory mediators,including IL-6,TNF-α,IL-1β,and TGF-β1.At the same time we observed substantial reductions in the enzymatic activities of mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes I and III(P<0.01).Moreover,we found that metabolic impairment correlated with significantly attenuated ATP production(P<0.01)in exper-imental subjects.Moreover,the expression levels of AMPK and PGC-1α mRNA and proteins in lung tissue were signifi-cantly decreased(P<0.01).Moreover,compared to the COPD group,the BYF group showed significant improvements in several of the above indicators,albeit to different degrees(P<0.01 or P<0.05).Moreover,BYF was more effective than NAC in improving minute ventilation and up-regulating PGC-1α expression(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Bufei-Yishen formula may ameliorate mitochondrial damage in rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by regulating the AMPK/PGC-1α signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND:After total knee arthroplasty,patients may experience significant pain,which has negative effects on functional recovery.Exploring and seeking effective means of analgesia has important clinical value.OBJECTIVE:To explore an effective perioperative analgesic strategy for total knee arthroplasty patients,we first proposed a novel local infiltration anesthetic formulation consisting of morphine,flurbiprofen,and compound betamethasone,and we explored its efficacy and safety.METHODS:This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 60 patients who underwent unilateral total knee arthroplasty at First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2023 to April 2024.Based on whether local anesthesia was used during surgery,the patients were divided into the control and study groups,each consisting of 30 cases.In the study group,the local infiltration anesthesia mixture consisting of morphine,flurbiprofen,and compound betamethasone was injected into the joint cavity around the knee during surgery.No analgesic drugs were used in the control group as a blank control.We recorded and compared the postoperative visual analog scale pain scores,knee range of motion,knee function score,degree of postoperative knee edema,and incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups at different time points.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the control group,the visual analog scale pain score in the study group was lower at 6,12,and 24 hours after operation,and the difference was statistically significant(Z=-2.367,-2.906,-4.199,P＜0.05).However,there was no significant difference in the pain visual analog scale score between the two groups at 48 and 72 hours after operation(Z=-1.287,-1.478,P＞0.05).(2)The postoperative knee range of motion and knee function score of the study group were better than those of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(t=-2.519,-8.027,P＜0.05).(3)The degree of knee joint swelling in the study group was also lighter than that in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(Z=-2.818,P＜0.05).(4)In the early postoperative period,there was no significant difference in fever between the two groups(P＞0.05).There was no poor wound healing or periprosthetic infection in the two groups.(5)The results show that applying local infiltration anesthesia composed of morphine,flurbiprofen axetil,and compound betamethasone in total knee arthroplasty can relieve early postoperative pain and show high safety.However,prospective studies with large samples are still needed to provide data support.

OBJECTIVE To establish a method for the determination of propofol concentration in human plasma and apply it in patients with lymphedema. METHODS The concentration of propofol was determined by UPLC-MS/MS after protein precipitation of plasma samples using thymol as internal standard. The sample was eluted on a Kinetex C18 column with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile （A）-water （B） for gradient elution at the flow rate of 200 μL/min. The sample size was 5 μL， and the column temperature was set at 40 ℃. The sample chamber temperature was 15 ℃. Using multi-reaction monitoring mode， the ion pairs for quantitative analysis were m/z 177.0→161.2 （propofol） and m/z 149.0→133.1 （internal standard）， respectively. The above method was used to determine the plasma concentration of propofol in 6 patients with lymphedema. RESULTS The linear range of propofol was 50-5 000 ng/mL （r＝0.995 0）. RSDs of within- and between-batch precision were not more than 8.08%； no endogenous interference， carryover effect， or dilution effect was observed in blank plasma. The extraction recovery ranged from 89.80% to 93.73%， and matrix effects were within the range of 97.93%-101.73%. RSDs of the stability test were all lower than 3.27%. During intraoperative TCI 2-30 min， the plasma concentration of propofol in 6 patients was maintained in the range of 1 865.3-6 056.2 ng/mL， and the propofol was almost excreted within 4-8 h after operation. CONCLUSIONS The established UPLC-MS/MS method in this study can achieve the determination of propofol and a simple and fast sample pretreatment process without derivatization； it is proved to be suitable for the concentration monitoring of propofol in plasma samples of patients with lymphedema.

Objective:To investigate the association between plasma anti-Müllerian hormone(AMH) levels and ischemic stroke.Methods:In this case-control study, 93 ischemic stroke patients were randomly selected as the case group from a study on the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome, which was conducted in 2018-2019 in Changshu, Jiangsu Province, while 372 nonischemic stroke patients were selected as the control group according to the principle of 1∶4 matching.An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure plasma AMH levels.The conditional logistic regression model and restricted cubic spline were used to analyze the relationship between AMH levels and ischemic stroke.Results:A total of 465 subjects with an average age of (68.7±7.4)years were included in this study, of whom 215(46.2%)were men and 250(53.8%)were women.According to our conditional Logistic regression analysis, the risk of ischemic stroke was reduced by 44% for every unit increase in the log-AMH level( OR=0.56, 95% CI: 0.37-0.85)in the overall population after multivariate adjustment.Compared with the tertile with the lowest AMH level, the risk of ischemic stroke in the tertile with the highest AMH level decreased significantly( OR=0.37, 95% CI: 0.19-0.69). When subgrouped by sex, the tertiles with the highest AMH levels were associated with a 66% lower risk of ischemic stroke in men( OR=0.34, 95% CI: 0.13-0.88)and a 64% lower risk of ischemic stroke in women( OR=0.36, 95% CI: 0.15-0.87), compared with the tertiles with the lowest AMH levels.The results of restricted cubic spline analysis showed that there was a linear dose-response relationship between plasma AMH levels and ischemic stroke both in the general population and in male or female population( Pvalues for linear trends were 0.0002, 0.008 and 0.007, respectively). Conclusions:Higher plasma AMH levels decrease the risk of ischemic stroke with a dose-response pattern.

【Objective】 To explore the causal relationship between education level and pancreatitis risk through Mendelian randomization. 【Methods】 A two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis was conducted using genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data. The GWAS data for education level and pancreatitis were obtained from SSGAC database and the FinnGen database (version R9). Causal relationship between education level and pancreatitis was explored using the inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, and weighted median methods. Heterogeneity and directional pleiotropy were evaluated using Cochran’s Q test and funnel plots. 【Results】 Totally 604 SNPs associated with education level were included. The results provided evidence that there was negative relationship between education level and pancreatitis risk. For acute pancreatitis, OR=0.52, 95% CI: 0.44-0.62, P=2.43×10^-14 while for chronic pancreatitis, OR=0.51, 95% CI: 0.41-0.64, P=7.20×10^-9. Results from MR-Egger and weighted median analyses obtained the same results. The results of sensitivity analysis indicated that this study did not violate the basic assumptions of Mendelian randomization. 【Conclusion】 There is a causal relationship between education level and the occurrence of pancreatitis. The educational level is negatively correlated with the risk of pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND:The use of vancomycin in total knee arthroplasty is a controversial strategy for the prevention of incisional infection.At present,there is little evidence to evaluate the efficacy of this preventive measure in China. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the efficacy of local vancomycin in the prevention of early postoperative incision infection during total knee arthroplasty. METHODS:120 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee who received unilateral total knee arthroplasty for the first time at Department of Joint Surgery of First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from March to June 2022 were included in this study.They were randomly divided into the observation group and the control group,with 60 cases in each group.All patients gave informed consent to the treatment plan.In the observation group,1 g of vancomycin was applied intraoperatively;in the control group,no vancomycin was applied intraoperatively.Erythrocyte sedimentation rate,C-reactive protein,fever rate on seven consecutive days after surgery,degree of knee joint swelling,cumulative drainage volume,and incidence of periprosthetic joint infection were recorded in two groups of patients on days 1,3,and 5 after surgery so as to evaluate the efficacy of topical vancomycin in total knee arthroplasty for the prevention of incision infection in the early postoperative period. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The differences in erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein between the two groups on days 1,3,and 5 after surgery were not significant(P>0.05).(2)The difference in fever rate between the two groups for 7 consecutive days after surgery was not significant(P>0.05).(3)There was no significant difference in the degree of postoperative knee swelling and cumulative drainage flow between the two groups(P>0.05).(4)The difference in the incidence of periprosthetic joint infection one year after surgery was not significant between the two groups(P>0.05).(5)The results suggest that the local use of vancomycin in total knee arthroplasty has not shown significant efficacy in preventing incision infection in the early postoperative period.