BACKGROUND:Cervical rotation-traction manipulation is effective and safe in the treatment of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy,and has been widely used in clinical work.However,its effects on the biomechanics of cervical vertebra and intervertebral disc and the area of intervertebral foramen have not been systematically clarified. OBJECTIVE:Based on the finite element analysis technique,a relevant research and analysis were carried out to provide digital evidence for the mechanism of effect of cervical rotation-traction manipulation in the treatment of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy. METHODS:The CT image data of a volunteer with no neck diseases were selected as the finite element model material at its left-handed physiological limit position.The initial construction of the finite element model was completed by Mimics 19.0 software,Geomagic Studio 2013 software,Hypermash 14.0 software,and ANSYS Workbench 2020 R2 software,respectively.Based on the literature,the grid division of cervical structure and the assignment of elastic modulus and elastic coefficient were completed.Based on the previous work of the team,the mechanical effects of cervical rotation-traction manipulation were simulated on the model.Effects of cervical rotation-traction manipulation on the mechanical parameters of each vertebral body and intervertebral disc in C3-T1 segment and on the cervical lateral foramen area were analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)During cervical rotation-traction manipulation,the stress of bone structure was significantly higher than that of soft tissue such as intervertebral disc.(2)When operating the technique,the stress at the top of each cervical vertebra was higher,the stress at the bottom was lower,and the stress at the facet joint and transverse process was lower.The stress at the top of the intervertebral disc was lower,the stress at the bottom was higher,but the highest point of the intervertebral disc stress was outside the top.(3)In addition,after loading the lifting force,the projected area of the C6/C7 intervertebral foramen increased significantly compared with that before loading.(4)It is indicated that the cervical rotation-traction manipulation has the mechanical characteristics of changing the stress structure of the cervical spine itself,and can expand the C6/7 intervertebral cervical foramen area on the opposite side of the patient's cervical rotation,so as to achieve the purpose of treating cervical spondylotic radiculopathy.

OBJECTIVE To establish the HPLC fingerprint of Xintong granules and the quantitative analysis of multi- components by single-marker method （QAMS） to determine the contents of 7 components， so as to provide a scientific basis for their quality control. METHODS HPLC method was used to establish the fingerprints for 10 batches of Xintong granules （No. S1- S10）， and similarity evaluation， cluster analysis （CA） and partial least squares-discriminant analysis （PLS-DA） were performed. At the same time， the contents of seven components， including puerarin， daidzin， calycosin-7-O- β -D-glucoside， stilbene glycoside， naringin， icariin and tanshinone ⅡA， were determined by QAMS method， and were compared with the results of external standard method. RESULTS A total of 18 common peaks were marked and 7 peaks were identified in the HPLC fingerprints for 10 batches of Xintong granules， namely puerarin （peak 4）， daidzin （peak 7）， calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside （peak 9）， stilbene glycoside （peak 10）， naringin （peak 12）， icariin （peak 17）， and tanshinone ⅡA （peak 18）； the similarities among them were more than 0.990， and CA and PLS-DA results showed that S4-S5，S8-S10，S1-S3 and S6-S7 were clustered into three categories， respectively. Using naringin as the internal standard， the contents of puerarin， daidzin， calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside， stilbene glycoside， icariin and tanshinone ⅡA were determined to be 7.868 1-10.181 2， 1.709 2-2.374 1， 0.285 2-0.326 3， 1.024 1- 1.523 9， 0.140 2-0.290 4， and 0.077 1-0.219 4 mg/g， respectively， by the QAMS. These results showed no significant differences compared to those obtained by the external standard method. CONCLUSIONS Established HPLC fingerprint and QAMS method are convenient， stable and accurate， which can provide a basis for the quality evaluation of Xintong granules.

BACKGROUND: Disease-modifying therapies have been approved for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS). The present study aims to examine the safety of teriflunomide in Chinese patients with RMS. METHODS: This non-randomized, multi-center, 24-week, prospective study enrolled RMS patients with variant (c.421C>A) or wild type ABCG2 who received once-daily oral teriflunomide 14 mg. The primary endpoint was the relationship between ABCG2 polymorphisms and teriflunomide exposure over 24 weeks. Safety was assessed over the 24-week treatment with teriflunomide. RESULTS: Eighty-two patients were assigned to variant ( n  = 42) and wild type groups ( n  = 40), respectively. Geometric mean and geometric standard deviation (SD) of pre-dose concentration (variant, 54.9 [38.0] μg/mL; wild type, 49.1 [32.0] μg/mL) and area under plasma concentration-time curve over a dosing interval (AUC tau ) (variant, 1731.3 [769.0] μg∙h/mL; wild type, 1564.5 [1053.0] μg∙h/mL) values at steady state were approximately similar between the two groups. Safety profile was similar and well tolerated across variant and wild type groups in terms of rates of treatment emergent adverse events (TEAE), treatment-related TEAE, grade ≥3 TEAE, and serious adverse events (AEs). No new specific safety concerns or deaths were reported in the study. CONCLUSION: ABCG2 polymorphisms did not affect the steady-state exposure of teriflunomide, suggesting a similar efficacy and safety profile between variant and wild type RMS patients. REGISTRATION NCT04410965, https://clinicaltrials.gov .
Humans ; Crotonates/adverse effects* ; Toluidines/adverse effects* ; Nitriles ; Hydroxybutyrates ; Female ; Male ; Adult ; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2/genetics* ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting/genetics* ; Prospective Studies ; Young Adult ; Neoplasm Proteins/genetics* ; East Asian People

BACKGROUND: Spatiotemporal disparities exist in the disease burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) attributable to kidney dysfunction, which has been poorly assessed. The present study aimed to evaluate the spatiotemporal trends of the global burden of NCDs attributable to kidney dysfunction and to predict future trends. METHODS: Data on NCDs attributable to kidney dysfunction, quantified using deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), were extracted from the Global Burden of Diseases Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) Study in 2019. Estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) of age-standardized rate (ASR) was calculated with linear regression to assess the changing trend. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to determine the association between ASR and sociodemographic index (SDI) for 21 GBD regions. A Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model was used to predict future trends up to 2040. RESULTS: Between 1990 and 2019, the absolute number of deaths and DALYs from NCDs attributable to kidney dysfunction increased globally. The death cases increased from 1,571,720 (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 1,344,420-1,805,598) in 1990 to 3,161,552 (95% UI: 2,723,363-3,623,814) in 2019 for both sexes combined. Both the ASR of death and DALYs increased in Andean Latin America, the Caribbean, Central Latin America, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Southern Sub-Saharan Africa. In contrast, the age-standardized metrics decreased in the high-income Asia Pacific region. The relationship between SDI and ASR of death and DALYs was negatively correlated. The BAPC model indicated that there would be approximately 5,806,780 death cases and 119,013,659 DALY cases in 2040 that could be attributed to kidney dysfunction. Age-standardized death of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and CKD attributable to kidney dysfunction were predicted to decrease and increase from 2020 to 2040, respectively. CONCLUSION NCDs attributable to kidney dysfunction remain a major public health concern worldwide. Efforts are required to attenuate the death and disability burden, particularly in low and low-to-middle SDI regions.
Humans ; Noncommunicable Diseases/epidemiology* ; Global Burden of Disease ; Disability-Adjusted Life Years ; Male ; Female ; Risk Factors ; Middle Aged ; Kidney Diseases/epidemiology* ; Bayes Theorem ; Adult ; Aged ; Global Health ; Quality-Adjusted Life Years

Recent clinical trials have demonstrated a protective effect in using traditional Chinese medicine Tongxinluo (TXL) capsule to treat atherosclerosis. However, clinical evidence of the effects of TXL treatment on coronary plaque vulnerability is unavailable. In response, we developed this study to investigate the hypothesis that on the basis of statin therapy, treatment with TXL capsule may stabilize coronary lesions in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The TXL-CAP study was an investigator-initiated, randomized, double-blind clinical trial conducted across 18 medical centers in China. Patients with ACS aging from 18 to 80 years old who had a non-intervened coronary target lesion with a fibrous cap thickness (FCT) < 100 μm and lipid arc > 90° as defined by optical coherence tomography (OCT) were recruited. A total of 220 patients who met the selection criteria but did not meet the exclusion criteria will be finally recruited and randomized to receive treatment with TXL (n = 110) or placebo (n = 110) for a duration of 12 months. The primary endpoint was the difference in the minimum FCT of the coronary target lesion between TXL and placebo groups at the end of the 12-month follow-up. Secondary endpoints included: (1) changes of the maximum lipid arc and length of the target plaque, and the percentage of lipid, fibrous, and calcified plaques at the end of the 12-month period; (2) the incidence of composite cardiovascular events and coronary revascularization within the 12 months; (3) changes in the grade and scores of the angina pectoris as assessed using the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) grading system and Seattle angina questionnaire (SAQ) score, respectively; and (4) changes in hs-CRP serum levels. The results of the TXL-CAP trial will provide additional clinical data for revealing whether TXL capsules stabilizes coronary vulnerable plaques in Chinese ACS patients.

Despite therapy with potent antiviral agents, chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients remain at high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While metabolites have been rediscovered as active drivers of biological processes including carcinogenesis, the specific metabolites modulating HCC risk in CHB patients are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that baseline plasma from CHB patients who later developed HCC during follow-up exhibits growth-promoting properties in a case-control design nested within a large-scale, prospective cohort. Metabolomics analysis reveals a reduction in long-chain acylcarnitines (LCACs) in the baseline plasma of patients with HCC development. LCACs preferentially inhibit the proliferation of HCC cells in vitro at a physiological concentration and prevent the occurrence of HCC in vivo without hepatorenal toxicity. Uptake and metabolism of circulating LCACs increase the intracellular level of acetyl coenzyme A, which upregulates histone H3 Lys14 acetylation at the promoter region of KLF6 gene and thereby activates KLF6/p21 pathway. Indeed, blocking LCAC metabolism attenuates the difference in KLF6/p21 expression induced by baseline plasma of HCC/non-HCC patients. The deficiency of circulating LCACs represents a driver of HCC in CHB patients with viral control. These insights provide a promising direction for developing therapeutic strategies to reduce HCC risk further in the antiviral era.

Paclitaxel (PTX), a valuable natural product derived from Taxus species, exhibits remarkable anti-cancer properties. It penetrates nanopores in microtubule walls, interacting with tubulin on the lumen surface and disrupting microtubule dynamics, thereby inducing cytotoxic effects in cancer cells. PTX and its derivatives have gained approval for treating various diseases due to their low toxicity, high efficiency, and broad-spectrum application. The widespread success and expanding applications of PTX have led to increased demand, raising concerns about accessibility. Consequently, researchers globally have focused on developing alternative production methods and applying nanocarriers in PTX delivery systems to enhance bioavailability. This review examines the challenges and advancements in PTX sourcing, production, physicochemical properties, anti-cancer mechanisms, clinical applications, trials, and chemo-immunotherapy. It aims to provide a comprehensive reference for the rational development and effective utilization of PTX.
Humans ; Paclitaxel/pharmacology* ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology* ; Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Animals ; Taxus/chemistry*

Objective To investigate the value of a nomogram model based on contrast-enhanced CT radiomics in predicting the histological type of thymoma.Methods A total of 154 patients(101 in low-risk group and 53 in high-risk group)with thymoma confirmed by pathology were retrospectively selected.The cases were randomly divided into training set(n=107)and validation set(n=47)at a ratio of 7∶3.The three-dimensional volume of interest(VOI)of the whole lesion on the image from the arterial phase of contrast-enhanced CT was manually delineated,and the radiomics features were extracted.Based on the selected radiomics features,the radiomics model was constructed and the model Radiomics score(Radscore)was calculated.Clinical risk factors were screened to construct a clinical model,and a nomogram model was constructed by fusing Radscore and clinical risk factors.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,area under the curve(AUC),accuracy,sensitivity and specificity were compared to analyze the predictive efficacy and difference of different models for high-risk and low-risk thymoma.The decision curve and calibration curve were drawn to evaluate the clinical value and fitting performance of the nomogram model.Results Eleven radiomics features were selected to construct the radiomics model,and five clinical risk factors[myasthenia gravis(MG),morphology,border,surrounding tissue invasion and CT value in arterial phase]were used to construct the clinical model.In the training set,the AUC of the nomogram model(0.88)was higher than that of the radiomics model(0.80)and the clinical model(0.79),and the difference was statistically significant(Z=2.233,2.713,P=0.026,0.007,respectively).In the validation set,the AUC of the nomogram model was higher than that of the radiomics and clinical models,but the difference was not statistically significant.The calibration curve showed that the nomogram model had good fitting performance,and the decision curve showed that the nomogram model had high clinical benefit.Conclusion The nomogram model based on contrast-enhanced CT can effectively predict high-risk and low-risk thymoma,which is helpful to guide clinicians to make relevant decisions.