OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of Xuanshen Yishen Decoction (XYD) in the treatment of hypertension. METHODS: Hospital electronic medical records from 2019-2023 were utilized to emulate a randomized pragmatic clinical trial. Hypertensive participants were eligible if they were aged ⩾40 years with baseline systolic blood pressure (BP) ⩾140 mm Hg. Patients treated with XYD plus antihypertensive regimen were assigned to the treatment group, whereas those who followed only antihypertensive regimen were assigned to the control group. The primary outcome assessed was the attainment rate of intensive BP control at discharge, with the secondary outcome focusing on the 6-month all-cause readmission rate. RESULTS: The study included 3,302 patients, comprising 2,943 individuals in the control group and 359 in the treatment group. Compared with the control group, a higher proportion in the treatment group achieved the target BP for intensive BP control [8.09% vs. 17.5%; odds ratio (OR)=2.29, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.68 to 3.13; P<0.001], particularly in individuals with high homocysteine levels (OR=3.13; 95% CI=1.72 to 5.71; P<0.001; P for interaction=0.041). Furthermore, the 6-month all-cause readmission rate in the treatment group was lower than in the control group (hazard ratio=0.58; 95% CI=0.36 to 0.91; P=0.019), and the robustness of the results was confirmed by sensitivity analyse. CONCLUSIONS XYD could be a complementary therapy for intensive BP control. Our study offers real-world evidence and guides the choice of complementary and alternative therapies. (Registration No. ChiCTR2400086589).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Antihypertensive Agents/pharmacology* ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Hypertension/physiopathology* ; Patient Readmission ; Treatment Outcome

Lacking therapeutic targets highlights the crucial roles of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the clinical management of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). To relieve the side effects of the chemoradiotherapy combination regimen, we design and develop a self-assembled micelle nanosystem consisting of perfluorocarbon chain-modified cisplatin prodrug. By incorporating perfluorodecalin, this nanosystem can effectively carry ozone and promote irradiation-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. By leveraging the perfluorocarbon sidechain, the nanosystem exhibits efficient internalization by TNBC cells and effectively escapes from lysosomal entrapment. Under X-ray irradiation, ozone-generated ROS disrupts the intracellular redox balance, thereby facilitating the release of cisplatin in a reduction-responsive manner mediated by reduced glutathione. Moreover, oxygen derived from ozone decomposition enhances the efficacy of radiotherapy by alleviating tumor hypoxia. Notably, the combination of irradiation with ozone-loaded cisplatin prodrug nano system synergistically prompts antitumor efficacy and reduces cellular/systemic toxicity in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the combo regimen remodels the tumor microenvironment into an immune-favored state by triggering immunogenic cell death and relieving hypoxia, which provides a promising foundation for a combination regimen of immunotherapy. In conclusion, our nanosystem presents a novel strategy for integrating chemotherapy and radiotherapy to optimize the efficacy and safety of TNBC clinical treatment.

Objective:To observe the clinical effect of computed tomography(CT)-guided hematoma puncture drainage surgery combined with high-dose(≥50 000 U)urokinase in treating hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage.Methods:The case data of a total of 90 patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage who underwent treatment in Zhangjiakou First Hospital from January 2022 to January 2023 were retrospectively selected as the study subjects.They were divided into a control group and an observation group using the average method,with 45 cases in each group.The conventional group received CT-guided hematoma puncture drainage surgery combined with conventional dose urokinase(20 000 U),while the observation group received CT-guided hematoma puncture drainage surgery combined with high-dose urokinase(50 000 U),with a 6-month follow-up for all patients.The changes of hematoma volume,length of hospital stay,levels of inflammatory indicators,the levels of hemodynamics,clinical efficacy,and incidence of postoperative complications after treatment between two groups were analyzed and compared.Results:After treatment,the hematoma volume at the 1st day[(34.64±5.53)mm3]and the 7th day[(34.64±5.53)mm3]post surgery of observation group were significantly lower than those[(44.57±6.85)mm3 and(16.64±3.24)mm3]of conventional group,and the differences of them between the two groups were statistically significant(t=7.567,10.570,P<0.05),respectively.The length of hospital stay of observation group[(16.86±6.63)d]was significantly lower than that of the control group[(23.47±10.34)d](t=3.610,P<0.05).The levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9),interleukin-6(IL-6),C-reactive protein(CRP),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)at 7th days post surgery of observation group were significantly lower than those of conventional group,and the differences of them between the two groups were statistically significant(t=5.826,10.202,7.661,2.724,P<0.05),respectively.The blood flow levels of middle cerebral artery(MCA),anterior cerebral artery(ACA),and posterior cerebral artery(PCA)after surgery in observation group were significantly higher than those in conventional group(t=2.833,3.329,3.973,P<0.05),respectively.The effective rate of treatment in observation group(95.56%)was significantly higher than that in conventional group(80.00%),and the difference was significant(x2=5.075,P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion:CT-guided hematoma puncture drainage surgery combined with high-dose urokinase can significantly increase the dissolution rate of hematoma,and reduce the body's inflammatory response,and improve cerebral hemodynamic indicators,and effectively enhance clinical efficacy in treating hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage,which have better treatment safety.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a central neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory impairment in clinical. Currently, there are no effective treatments for AD. In recent years, a variety of therapeutic approaches from different perspectives have been explored to treat AD. Although the drug therapies targeted at the clearance of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) had made a breakthrough in clinical trials, there were associated with adverse events. Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the onset and progression of AD. Continuous neuroinflammatory was considered to be the third major pathological feature of AD, which could promote the formation of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. At the same time, these toxic substances could accelerate the development of neuroinflammation, form a vicious cycle, and exacerbate disease progression. Reducing neuroinflammation could break the feedback loop pattern between neuroinflammation, Aβ plaque deposition and Tau tangles, which might be an effective therapeutic strategy for treating AD. Traditional Chinese herbs such as Polygonum multiflorum and Curcuma were utilized in the treatment of AD due to their ability to mitigate neuroinflammation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and indomethacin had been shown to reduce the level of inflammasomes in the body, and taking these drugs was associated with a low incidence of AD. Biosynthetic nanomaterials loaded with oxytocin were demonstrated to have the capability to anti-inflammatory and penetrate the blood-brain barrier effectively, and they played an anti-inflammatory role via sustained-releasing oxytocin in the brain. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells could reduce neuroinflammation and inhibit the activation of microglia. The secretion of mesenchymal stem cells could not only improve neuroinflammation, but also exert a multi-target comprehensive therapeutic effect, making it potentially more suitable for the treatment of AD. Enhancing the level of TREM2 in microglial cells using gene editing technologies, or application of TREM2 antibodies such as Ab-T1, hT2AB could improve microglial cell function and reduce the level of neuroinflammation, which might be a potential treatment for AD. Probiotic therapy, fecal flora transplantation, antibiotic therapy, and dietary intervention could reshape the composition of the gut microbiota and alleviate neuroinflammation through the gut-brain axis. However, the drugs of sodium oligomannose remain controversial. Both exercise intervention and electromagnetic intervention had the potential to attenuate neuroinflammation, thereby delaying AD process. This article focuses on the role of drug therapy, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, gut microbiota therapy, exercise intervention, and brain stimulation in improving neuroinflammation in recent years, aiming to provide a novel insight for the treatment of AD by intervening neuroinflammation in the future.

ObjectiveINF2 is a member of the formins family. Abnormal expression and regulation of INF2 have been associated with the progression of various tumors, but the expression and role of INF2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. HCC is a highly lethal malignant tumor. Given the limitations of traditional treatments, this study explored the expression level, clinical value and potential mechanism of INF2 in HCC in order to seek new therapeutic targets. MethodsIn this study, we used public databases to analyze the expression of INF2 in pan-cancer and HCC, as well as the impact of INF2 expression levels on HCC prognosis. Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), Western blot, and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression level of INF2 in liver cancer cells and human HCC tissues. The correlation between INF2 expression and clinical pathological features was analyzed using public databases and clinical data of human HCC samples. Subsequently, the effects of INF2 expression on the biological function and Drp1 phosphorylation of liver cancer cells were elucidated through in vitro and in vivo experiments. Finally, the predictive value and potential mechanism of INF2 in HCC were further analyzed through database and immunohistochemical experiments. ResultsINF2 is aberrantly high expression in HCC samples and the high expression of INF2 is correlated with overall survival, liver cirrhosis and pathological differentiation of HCC patients. The expression level of INF2 has certain diagnostic value in predicting the prognosis and pathological differentiation of HCC. In vivo and in vitro HCC models, upregulated expression of INF2 triggers the proliferation and migration of the HCC cell, while knockdown of INF2 could counteract this effect. INF2 in liver cancer cells may affect mitochondrial division by inducing Drp1 phosphorylation and mediate immune escape by up-regulating PD-L1 expression, thus promoting tumor progression. ConclusionINF2 is highly expressed in HCC and is associated with poor prognosis. High expression of INF2 may promote HCC progression by inducing Drp1 phosphorylation and up-regulation of PD-L1 expression, and targeting INF2 may be beneficial for HCC patients with high expression of INF2.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the differences in audiological characteristics and speech recognition rates between vestibular schwannoma(VS)patients presenting with sudden sensorineural hearing loss(SSNHL)as first symptom and patients with idiopathic sudden deafness(ISD),in order to provide a reference for clinical diagnosis and differential diagnosis.METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted on 60 patients with VS presenting as SSNHL(VS group),and 60 patients with unilateral ISD(SD group).Pure-tone thresholds,audiogram configurations,and speech recognition scores were compared between the two groups.Statistical analyses were performed using t-test,Mann-Whitney U test,and chi-square test.RESULTS Hearing loss in the VS group was mainly distributed in the moderate to profound range,and the proportion of descending-type audiograms was significantly higher than that in the SD group(χ2=13.97,P=0.002 9).In contrast,the SD group was predominantly characterized by mild to moderate hearing loss and flat-type audiograms.Regarding speech recognition,the VS group showed significantly poorer monosyllabic recognition(38.6%±40.4%)and sentence recognition(53.4%±42.0%)compared with the SD group(59.0%±37.8%,75.8%±36.0%,P<0.01).Notably,some VS patients exhibited complete loss of speech recognition even before the pure-tone average reached the level of total deafness.CONCLUSION VS patients presenting with SSNHL showed significant differences in audiogram configurations and speech recognition compared with those with ISD.A marked decline in speech recognition,combined with a typical descending-type audiogram,may serve as important clinical indicators,suggesting that early imaging examinations should be performed to confirm the diagnosis.

Objective To explore the application value of ultrasound combined with elastography in grading inflammation in patients with chronic liver disease at S2 stage of liver fibrosis.Methods Totally 51 patients who were hospitalized at Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from Jan.2022 to Mar.2024 and underwent liver biopsy with pathological results indicating a stage of S2 liver fibrosis in chronic liver disease were enrolled.All patients underwent ultrasound-guided liver biopsy to obtain the stage of pathological liver fibrosis(S1 to S4)and the grade of liver inflammation(G0 to G4).In addition,all the patients were examined by ultrasound combined with elastography;and shear wave velocity(Vs),acoustic attenuation coefficient(ATT),liver fibrosis index(LFI),fibrosis-related index(F index),and inflammatory activity index(A index)were obtained.The correlation between ultrasound combined with elastography parameters and pathological inflammation grading was analyzed.Results According to the pathological inflammation grading,there were 15 cases in group G1,28 cases in group G2,and 8 cases in group G3.There were significant differences in F index,A index,Vs and ATT among the 3 groups(all P＜0.05).Among them,F index,A index and Vs in group G1 were significantly lower than those in group G3(P=0.007,0.006,0.040),while ATT was significantly higher than that in group G3(P=0.005);and there was no significant difference in LFI among the 3 groups(P=0.373).Vs,ATT,F index and A index were correlated with pathological inflammation grade(r=0.404,-0.417,0.379,0.383;P=0.003,0.002,0.006,0.006).The mean plot showed that with the increase of pathological inflammation grade,the age of patients showed a linear upward trend,ATT showed a linear downward trend,and A index showed a linear upward trend.Vs was positively correlated with alanine transaminase(ALT),aspartate transaminase(AST),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),γ-glutamyltransferase(GGT),total bilirubin,and direct bilirubin(DBil)(all P＜0.05).ATT was negatively correlated with ALT,AST,GGT,and DBil(all P＜0.05);and both F index and A index were positively correlated with ALT,AST,ALP,GGT,and DBil(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Ultrasound combined with elastography can be used to evaluate the degree of inflammation in patients with chronic liver disease at S2 stage of liver fibrosis.

Objective:To analyze changes of donor corneal endothelial cell density (ECD) and morphology from eye bank before and after keratolasty and the influencing factors.Methods:An observational case series study was performed.A total of 118 donor corneas, retrieved by the Shandong Province Eye Bank between July 2020 and June 2021 for penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) and endothelial keratoplasty (EK) were included.Among them, 99 corneas (83.90%) were used for PKP, and 19(16.10%) for EK.The basic information of donors and the results of corneal quality tests were analyzed and compared with ECD measured by endothelial microscopy one month after keratolasty.Morphological changes in endothelial cells before and after surgery were observed, and factors influencing corneal ECD and morphology were analyzed.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shandong Eye Hospital (No.SDSYKYY20170319).Written informed consent was obtained from each subject.Results:Among the 99 donor corneas for PKP, there were statistically significant differences in preoperative donor corneal ECD and 1-month postoperative ECD of implant among different age groups ( F=18.136, 5.936; both P<0.01), which were lower in the 31-60-year-old group and the >60-year-old group than in the 0-30-year-old group and higher in the 31-60-year-old group than in the >60-year-old group, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.01).There were statistically significant differences in the preoperative donor corneal ECD among different donor cause of death groups ( F=4.524, P<0.01), which was higher in the traumatic accident group compared to the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease group, chronic organ failure group and malignant tumor group (all P<0.01).The preoperative donor ECD in the death-tissue retrieval time ≤6 hours group was (2 577.66±284.63)cells/mm 2, which was higher than (2 372.46±399.75)cells/mm 2 in the death-tissue retrieval time >6 hours group, with a statistically significant difference ( t=2.289, P<0.05).There were statistically significant differences in 1-month postoperative ECD among the preservation-surgery time ≤3 days, 3-6 days, and >6 days groups ( F=6.201, P<0.01), with higher ECD in preservation-surgery time ≤3 days groups than in 3-6 days and >6 days groups (both P<0.01).The preoperative donor corneal ECD applied to EK was significantly higher than that applied to PKP ( t=-2.660, P<0.01).ECD at 1 month after surgery applied to PKP was significantly higher than that applied to EK ( t=4.286, P<0.01).The ECD reduction rate was 7.14% (0.01%, 17.69%) and 31.07% (22.11%, 45.86%) in PKP group and EK group, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( Z=4.969, P<0.01).The ECD was lower in the group with dark area than in the non-dark area group before PKP, with a statistically significant difference ( t=6.789, P=0.011).There was no significant difference in ECD at 1 month after keratoplasty between the two groups ( t=0.005, P=0.945).Multivariate logistic regression model results showed that preservation-surgery time >6 days and the cause of donor death being malignant tumor were risk factors for the appearance of dark areas in donor corneal endothelium ( OR=9.038, P=0.030; OR=6.577, P=0.018). Conclusions:The older the donor, the lower the ECD.Prolonged preservation-surgery time (>6 days) is the main factor contributing to the decline in ECD after keratolasty.Compared to PKP, there is a higher endothelial cell loss after EK.The tissue preservation-surgery time >6 days and the cause of donor death being malignant tumor are the main risk factors affecting the appearance of dark areas in the donor corneal endothelium.But the presence of physiological dark areas does not significantly influence the ECD after surgery.

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological dynamics and spatiotemporal diffusion trend of brucellosis in China from 2010 to 2024.Methods:Data on reported human brucellosis cases in mainland China from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2024, were collected via the"China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention", including detailed information on the date of onset, gender, age, occupation, and residential address of the cases. The Joinpoint regression and spatial interpolation techniques were used to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics and population distribution characteristics of human brucellosis in pastoral/semi-pastoral areas and other regions, as well as urban and rural areas, and explore the epidemic trends of the disease.Results:From 2010 to 2024, pastoral/semi-pastoral regions reported 252 094 brucellosis cases, with a mean annual incidence rate of 36.57±7.28 per 100 000. In contrast, other regions cumulatively recorded 519 748 cases during the same period, demonstrating a significantly lower mean annual incidence rate of 2.54±0.74 per 100 000. The incidence rate of human brucellosis in pastoral/semi-pastoral regions exhibited a declining-rebounding-declining trend. Specifically, the incidence rate decreased significantly from 2010 to 2017 (APC=-7.20; P<0.001) and increased notably from 2017 to 2021 (APC=18.00; P=0.015) with a decline again from 2021 to 2024 (APC=-7.53; P=0.027). In other regions, the incidence rate showed a fluctuating upward trend. Specifically, the incidence rate increased significantly from 2010 to 2015 (APC=20.37; P<0.001) and decreased notably from 2015 to 2018 (APC=-21.78; P<0.001), followed by an increase again from 2018 to 2024, a significant upward trend in incidence rate from 2018 to 2021 (APC=26.73; P<0.001) and a non-significant decline from 2021 to 2024 (APC=-0.99; P=0.735), resulting in the maintenance of a relatively high incidence level. Rural areas demonstrated significantly higher brucellosis incidence rates than urban settings (all P<0.001). Brucellosis exhibited a diffusion trend from the northern epidemic areas of China to neighboring regions, along with sporadic diffusion in southern regions between 2010 and 2024. The age structure of patients in pastoral/semi-pastoral areas differed significantly from that in other regions. Specifically, in pastoral/semi-pastoral areas, the incidence rate was higher among the 35-49 age groups, while in other regions, the incidence rate was higher among those aged 55-64. Conclusion:There are notable disparities in the incidence of human brucellosis between pastoral/semi-pastoral areas and other regions in China. Human brucellosis exhibits a diffusion trend from the northern epidemic areas of China to neighboring regions, along with sporadic diffusion in southern regions.

Objective:To analyze changes of donor corneal endothelial cell density (ECD) and morphology from eye bank before and after keratolasty and the influencing factors.Methods:An observational case series study was performed.A total of 118 donor corneas, retrieved by the Shandong Province Eye Bank between July 2020 and June 2021 for penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) and endothelial keratoplasty (EK) were included.Among them, 99 corneas (83.90%) were used for PKP, and 19(16.10%) for EK.The basic information of donors and the results of corneal quality tests were analyzed and compared with ECD measured by endothelial microscopy one month after keratolasty.Morphological changes in endothelial cells before and after surgery were observed, and factors influencing corneal ECD and morphology were analyzed.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shandong Eye Hospital (No.SDSYKYY20170319).Written informed consent was obtained from each subject.Results:Among the 99 donor corneas for PKP, there were statistically significant differences in preoperative donor corneal ECD and 1-month postoperative ECD of implant among different age groups ( F=18.136, 5.936; both P<0.01), which were lower in the 31-60-year-old group and the >60-year-old group than in the 0-30-year-old group and higher in the 31-60-year-old group than in the >60-year-old group, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.01).There were statistically significant differences in the preoperative donor corneal ECD among different donor cause of death groups ( F=4.524, P<0.01), which was higher in the traumatic accident group compared to the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease group, chronic organ failure group and malignant tumor group (all P<0.01).The preoperative donor ECD in the death-tissue retrieval time ≤6 hours group was (2 577.66±284.63)cells/mm 2, which was higher than (2 372.46±399.75)cells/mm 2 in the death-tissue retrieval time >6 hours group, with a statistically significant difference ( t=2.289, P<0.05).There were statistically significant differences in 1-month postoperative ECD among the preservation-surgery time ≤3 days, 3-6 days, and >6 days groups ( F=6.201, P<0.01), with higher ECD in preservation-surgery time ≤3 days groups than in 3-6 days and >6 days groups (both P<0.01).The preoperative donor corneal ECD applied to EK was significantly higher than that applied to PKP ( t=-2.660, P<0.01).ECD at 1 month after surgery applied to PKP was significantly higher than that applied to EK ( t=4.286, P<0.01).The ECD reduction rate was 7.14% (0.01%, 17.69%) and 31.07% (22.11%, 45.86%) in PKP group and EK group, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( Z=4.969, P<0.01).The ECD was lower in the group with dark area than in the non-dark area group before PKP, with a statistically significant difference ( t=6.789, P=0.011).There was no significant difference in ECD at 1 month after keratoplasty between the two groups ( t=0.005, P=0.945).Multivariate logistic regression model results showed that preservation-surgery time >6 days and the cause of donor death being malignant tumor were risk factors for the appearance of dark areas in donor corneal endothelium ( OR=9.038, P=0.030; OR=6.577, P=0.018). Conclusions:The older the donor, the lower the ECD.Prolonged preservation-surgery time (>6 days) is the main factor contributing to the decline in ECD after keratolasty.Compared to PKP, there is a higher endothelial cell loss after EK.The tissue preservation-surgery time >6 days and the cause of donor death being malignant tumor are the main risk factors affecting the appearance of dark areas in the donor corneal endothelium.But the presence of physiological dark areas does not significantly influence the ECD after surgery.