OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of bone acupuncture in improving pain and function in degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS) and compare it with Jiaji acupuncture. METHODS: From January to December 2023, 80 DLSS patients were treated with acupuncture and divided into bone acupuncture and Jiaji acupuncture groups. Among them, 40 patients in the bone acupuncture group included 15 males and 25 females, with a mean age of (60.60±6.98) years old;anthor 40 patients in the Jiaji acupuncture group included 16 males and 24 females, with a mean age of (61.48±9.55) years old. The Roland Morris disability questionnaire(RMDQ), walking distance, visual analogue scale(VAS), and the MOS item short from health survey(SF-36) of two groups at baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks post-treatment were compared. RESULTS: Eighty patients were followed up for 3 to 5 months with an average of (3.62±0.59) months. There was no significant differences in general data and the scores before treatment between two groups(P>0.05). The RMDQ scores in both groups decreased significantly at 2, 4 and 12 weeks after treatment compared with before treatment(P<0.05), at each time point after treatment, the decrease was more significant in the bone acupuncture group than in the Jiaji acupuncture group(P<0.05). The VAS of waist and leg in both groups was significantly lower at 2, 4 and 12 weeks after treatment that before treatment(P<0.05). At all time points after treatment, the waist VAS in the bone acupuncture group was reduced more significant than in the Jiaji acupuncture group(P<0.05);there was no significant difference in leg VAS at 2 and 12 weeks after treatment between two groups(P>0.05), the improvement was more significant in the bone acupuncture group in the 4 weeks after treatment than in the Jiaji acupuncture group. The SF-36 scores in both groups were significantly higher at 2, 4, and 12 weeks after treatment than before treatment(P<0.05);the SF-36 score raised more significant in the bone acupuncture group than in the Jiaji acupunture group(P<0.05). No significant difference in the walking distance between two groups at 2 weeks after treatment(P>0.05);the walking distance in the bone acupuncture group was significantly higher than that in the Jiaji acupuncture group at 4 and 12 weeks after treatment(P<0.05). CONCLUSION Bone-penetrating acupuncture moderately improves functional impairment, pain, and quality of life in patients with DLSS, showing better efficacy than Jiaji acupuncture.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Spinal Stenosis/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Lumbar Vertebrae/physiopathology* ; Pain Management

OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical efficacy of tibial transverse transport (TTT) microcirculation reconstruction and periosteal distraction in treating patients with early diabetic foot(DF). METHODS: From June 2021 to June 2024, 60 patients with DF were admitted and divided into bone transport group and stretch group according to different treatment methods. There were 30 patients in bone transport group, including 16 males and 14 females;aged from 48 to 65 years old with an average of (55.59±3.78) years old;the course of disease ranged from 2 to 9 months with an average of(5.95±1.32) months;TTT microcirculation reconstruction surgery was performed. There were 30 patients in distraction group, including 17 males and 13 females;aged from 47 to 67 years old with an average of (55.24±3.81) years old;the course of disease ranged from 2 to 10 months with an average of (5.68±1.54) months;periosteal distraction surgery was performed. The skin temperature of the affected feet, the time of getting out of bed and walking after operation, the time of full weight-bearing, the wound healing time and complications were compared between two groups;the pain was evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS) before operation and one month after operation respectively;the changes of blood flow velocity of dorsal foot arteries, ankle brachial index(ABI), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) before and after operation at 3 months were compared between two groups. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 3 to 4 months with an average of (3.52±0.12) months. There were no statistically significant differences in comparison of foot skin temperature, postoperative walking time, full weight-bearing time and complications between two groups (P>0.05). The wound healing time of bone transport group (61.26±7.31) days was shorter than that of distraction group (70.17±7.15) days, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Postoperative VAS at 1 month of bone transport group (2.19±0.21) was lower than that of distraction group (2.55±0.20), and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). At 3 months after operation, the blood flow velocity of dorsal foot artery, ankle-brachial index, EGF and bFGF in bone transport group were(34.73±4.18) cm·s^-1, (0.95±0.13), (716.61±71.13) pg·ml^-1 and (175.69±31.28) pg·ml^-1, respectively;which were higher than that of distraction group (31.86±3.23) cm·s^-1, (0.84±0.11), (677.37±70.21) pg·ml^-1, (149.26±30.13) pg·ml^-1, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). There was no recurrence of ulcers in situ or at other sites in both groups during follow-up. CONCLUSION Compared with periosteal distraction, TTT microcirculation reconstruction surgery has a definite effect in the treatment of early DF. It could effectively reduce pain level, improve blood flow indicators and vascular endothelial function of the foot, and has a relatively high safety.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Tibia/blood supply* ; Diabetic Foot/physiopathology* ; Microcirculation ; Periosteum/surgery* ; Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods* ; Osteogenesis, Distraction

Objective:To explore the application of COVID-19-specific IgG antibody in identifying epidemic Omicron BA.5 strain infection.Method:Omicron BF.7/BA.5 naturally infected population, healthy population vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine, and Omicron BF.7/BA.5 breakthrough cases were enrolled into this study. The serum WT-S-IgG and BA.5-S-IgG were detected by indirect ELISA, and the serum-specific IgG antibody levels of different populations were compared. The application value of the two antibody titers and the ratio of the two antibodies in identifying Omicron BA.5 epidemic strain infection were explored by the ROC curve, aiming to provide technical support for pathogen diagnosis.Results:The antibody titers of WT-S-IgG and BA.5-S-IgG in the breakthrough cases were higher than those in the naturally infected population and the healthy population ( P<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of WT-S-IgG and BA.5-S-IgG in identifying epidemic Omicron BA.5 strain infection was 0.947 and 0.961, respectively. The AUC of BA.5-S-IgG and WT-S-IgG antibody titer ratio was 0.873. When the antibody titer ratio was 0.855, the sensitivity and specificity were 80.00% and 90.00%, respectively. According to the interval since the last infection, the AUC of the ratio of BA.5-S-IgG to WT-S-IgG antibody titer to identify the infection of epidemic strains less than 30 days and more than 30 days was 0.887 and 0.863, respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity were both above 80%. Conclusion:Both BA.5-S-IgG and WT-S-IgG, as well as the combination of these two antibodies, are of high value in the identification of epidemic strains.

Objective To analyze the stress changes of thoracic vertebra(T)11-sacrum(S)titanium rods in patients with ankylosing spondylitis after vertebral column decancellation(VCD)osteotomy,and provide reference for the selection and improvement of titanium rods before surgery.Methods The original data of the continuous scanning tomographic images of patients with ankylosing spondylitis after VCD osteotomy were imported into Mimics 21.0 in DICOM format,and T11-S vertebrae,screws and titanium rods were respectively reconstructed.They were imported into 3-Matic to establish a preliminary geometric modeling,and then processed with noise removal,paving,smoothing,etc.The improved model was imported into Hypermesh 10 software for grid division,and the material was imported into ANSYS 19.2 to display the finite element model after attribute assignment,Set the boundary and load conditions,and measure the stress value at the connection between the screw and the titanium rod.Results Under neutral position,forward bending,lateral bending,and axial rotation conditions,the titanium rod had the highest stress at the upper vertebrae(T11)and the lowest stress at the top vertebrae(L3);Under the backward extension condition,the titanium rod has the highest stress at the lower end vertebra(L5).Conclusion In the upper and lower vertebrae,it is possible to consider increasing the diameter of the titanium rod,enhancing its hardness,or changing it to a double rod.

Objective To explore the potential mechanism of proguanil on the proliferation and apoptosis of bladder cancer cells.Methods 253J cells were randomly divided into control group(normal treatment),proguanil group(42.06 μmol·L-1 proguanil),pcDNA group(transfected with pcDNA+42.06 μmol·L-1 proguanil),FADS2 group[transfected fatty acid desaturase gene 2(FADS2)+42.06 μmol·L-1 proguanil],si-NC(transfection si-NC),si-FADS2(transfection si-FADS2),Ferrostatin-1 group(transfected with si-FADS2+10 μmol·L-1 ferrostatin-1).Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)assay was used to detect mRNA expression of related genes;Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of each protein;apoptosis was detected by TdT mediated dUDP nick end labeling(Tunel)assay;5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine(EdU)assay to detect cell proliferation;the Transwell assay measures the ability of cells to migrate;Fe2+levels were determined by kit method;DCFH-DA probe was used to detect ROS levels.Results The mRNA levels of FADS2 in control group,proguanil group,pcDNA group and FADS2 group were 1.00±0.11,0.47±0.09,0.49±0.06 and 2.09±0.21,respectively;cell proliferation rate were(100.00±3.50)％,(54.31±4.90)％,(56.46±5.17)％and(78.76±6.50)％,respectively;the apoptosis rate were(3.92±0.53)％,(28.79±3.30)％,(27.20±2.90)％and(7.34±0.68)％,respectively;the migration number were 132.70±9.81,70.10±5.05,68.70±537 and 101.80±11.25,respectively;Fe2+level were(100.00±8.14)％,(201.33±17.84)％,(192.38±21.34)％and(116.70±10.90)％,respectively;GPX4 protein relative expression level were 0.77±0.05,0.31±0.05,0.34±0.05 and 0.68±0.06,respectively.The above indexes in proguanil group were compared with those in control group,the above indexes in FADS2 group were compared with those in pcDNA group,all the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).The ROS levels of si-NC,si-FADS2 and Ferrostatin-1 groups were 9.72±1.18,40.94±5.63 and 13.77±1.40,respectively.Compared the si-FADS2 group with the si-NC group,Ferrostatin-1 group compared with si-FADS2 group,ROS level were significantly different(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Proguanil can induce the apoptosis of bladder cancer cells by inhibiting FADS2 expression mediated by oxidation-reduction driven ferroptosis pathway.

Objective:To explore the application of COVID-19-specific IgG antibody in identifying epidemic Omicron BA.5 strain infection.Method:Omicron BF.7/BA.5 naturally infected population, healthy population vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine, and Omicron BF.7/BA.5 breakthrough cases were enrolled into this study. The serum WT-S-IgG and BA.5-S-IgG were detected by indirect ELISA, and the serum-specific IgG antibody levels of different populations were compared. The application value of the two antibody titers and the ratio of the two antibodies in identifying Omicron BA.5 epidemic strain infection were explored by the ROC curve, aiming to provide technical support for pathogen diagnosis.Results:The antibody titers of WT-S-IgG and BA.5-S-IgG in the breakthrough cases were higher than those in the naturally infected population and the healthy population ( P<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of WT-S-IgG and BA.5-S-IgG in identifying epidemic Omicron BA.5 strain infection was 0.947 and 0.961, respectively. The AUC of BA.5-S-IgG and WT-S-IgG antibody titer ratio was 0.873. When the antibody titer ratio was 0.855, the sensitivity and specificity were 80.00% and 90.00%, respectively. According to the interval since the last infection, the AUC of the ratio of BA.5-S-IgG to WT-S-IgG antibody titer to identify the infection of epidemic strains less than 30 days and more than 30 days was 0.887 and 0.863, respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity were both above 80%. Conclusion:Both BA.5-S-IgG and WT-S-IgG, as well as the combination of these two antibodies, are of high value in the identification of epidemic strains.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of Xianglian Pills(XLP) on lipid metabolism in obese mice and explore the underlying mechanism based on network pharmacology and intestinal flora. Firstly, network pharmacology was used to predict the possible effect of XLP on obesity. Secondly, an obese mouse model induced by a high-fat diet was established to observe changes in mouse body weight, adiposity index, liver and adipose tissue pathology. Lipid profiles, liver and kidney function markers, insulin content, and the expression of recombinant uncoupling protein 1(UCP-1) and PR structural domain protein 16(PRDM16) were measured. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology was used to analyze the changes in the intestinal flora. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis showed that XLP mainly played a role in improving obesity by regulating lipolysis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and insulin resistance. The results of animal experiments showed that XLP significantly reduced body weight, adiposity, blood lipid levels, and serum insulin levels in obese mice, while enhancing the expression of UCP-1 and PRDM16 in adipose tissue without causing damage to the liver or kidneys. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing results showed that XLP decreased the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes(F/B) ratio at the phylum level, increased the relative abundance of Akkermansia and Bacteroides at the family and genus levels, and reduced the abundance of Allobaculum. Therefore, XLP can effectively improve lipid metabolism disorders in high-fat diet-induced obese mice, and the mechanism is related to the improvement of brown adipose function, the browning of white fat, the accelerated lipid metabolism, and the improvement of intestinal flora. However, its effect on promoting the conversion of white adipose to brown adipose still needs to be further studied.
Mice ; Animals ; Mice, Obese ; Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Network Pharmacology ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications* ; Obesity/genetics* ; Body Weight ; Lipids ; Insulin ; Transcription Factors ; Dyslipidemias/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

The taste of oral dosage forms has become a critical factor affecting the drug compliance and adherence to the treatment, and clinical application of the drug product may seriously restricted due to its bad taste. On the basis of the statement for the basic principle and specific performance of existing instruments, the application progress of electronic tongue on drug taste evaluation is addressed in detail. In view of its objective, fatigue-free, less harmful and accurate advantages, electronic tongue has been widely and meaningfully applied in the aspects of bitterness masking, and quality assessment and assurance of drug products. In addition, the reasons limiting the popularization of electronic tongue are mentioned in the paper, and some suggestions might be useful to enlarge the further application in the future.

Objective:To investigate the combination of internal fixation for periprosthetic fractures of the proximal femur (PFFF) after hip arthroplasty.Methods:The data of 58 patients with periprosthetic fractures after hip arthroplasty from May 2008 to March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 31 males and 27 females. The average age was 75.5±18.2 years (range, 35-95 years). There were 39 total hip arthroplasty and 19 hemiarthroplasty; 37 biological prosthesis and 21 cemented prosthesis. Intraoperative periprosthetic fractures occurred in 6 cases and 52 cases postoperatively. Unified classification system (UCS): UCS IV.3A1 type 2 cases, 3A2 type 1 case, 3B1.1 type 19 cases, 3B2.1 type 25 cases, 3B3 type 2 cases, 3C type 9 cases. Fracture site: 3 cases in zone A (greater trochanter), 46 cases in zone B (around the femoral stem), and 9 cases in zone C (distal to the tip of the femoral stem. Internal fixation is composed of primary and secondary fixation, the main fixation method was the cerclage of steel wire or titanium cable, locking compression plate, and locking attachment plate fixation. The secondary fixation method was the cerclage of titanium cable, which was required to cover three zones A, B and C to form an overall balanced fixation. The modified Harris hip scores (mHHS), plate length, working length and screw number of different internal fixation combinations were compared.Results:The follow-up time was 54.2±21.6 months (range, 11-86 months). All patients showed signs of fracture healing at 10.2±1.5 weeks (range, 7-13 weeks) after operation, and bony union was observed at 19.6±1.3 weeks (range, 17-22 weeks) after operation. No delayed union or nonunion was observed. After operation, one case had a stress fracture and was revised with double-plate internal fixation; one case had a failed internal fixation and was revised with double-plate internal fixation and a large allograft bone graft. The mHHS score of UCSIV.3B2.1 group (80.3±4.6) was the lowest at 6 months after operation, and the difference between the groups of different types was statistically significant ( F=256.72, P<0.001). The score of simple internal fixation group (91.6±4.2) was higher than that of revision combined with internal fixation group (81.9±4.1), and the difference was statistically significant ( t=8.32, P<0.001). The plate length and working length were 24.9±2.5 cm and 12.6±1.7 cm for UCS IV.3B1.1, 25.4±2.6 cm and 13.6±1.8 cm for 3B2.1 and 28.1±2.5 cm and 4.9±1.9 cm for 3C, respectively ( F=5.33, P=0.005; F=6.78, P<0.001). The number of screws in zone A was significant difference among different UCS types ( F=52.67, P<0.001); UCS IV.3B1.1 (6.5±2.3) and 3B2.1 (6.7±2.2) were more than 3B3 (3.5±1.5) and 3C (3.7±1.6). The number of screws in zone B was significant difference among different UCS types ( F=42.15, P<0.001); The number of UCS IV.3B1.1 (2.3±1.6) and 3B2.1 (2.8±1.9) were significantly more than that of 3B3 (1.0±0.5) and 3C (1.2±0.6). The number of screws in zone C was significant differences among different UCS types ( F=39.62, P<0.001); The number of UCS IV.3B1.1 (3.8±1.9) and 3B2.1 (3.9±1.7) were more than that of 3B3 (2.0±0.5), the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The function of hip after simple internal fixation of proximal femoral periprosthetic fractures was better than that of those who underwent revision at the same time; the number of screws of UCSIV.B1 and B2 is more than that of B3.