Chinese medicine therapy for removing gallstones is one of the methods for the treatment of cholelithiasis.In the view of Professor Liu Fengbin,attacking of external pathogens,improper diet and emotional disorders contribute to the main causes of cholelithiasis,and the pathogenesis of cholelithiasis is due to qi stagnation of both liver and gallbladder,and internal obstruction of damp-heat.The occurrence of cholelithiasis is closely related to deficiency of spleen and stomach,and is correlated with the pathological factors of turbid phlegm and blood stasis.For the Chinese medicine treatment of cholelithiasis,Professor Liu follows the principle of"treatment in accordance with three categories of etiological factors"(i.e,seasons,environment and body constitution).He advocates the integration of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine,and is good at utilizing Lingnan herbs and distinctive herbs that can dissolve stones and remove stones.The treatment for cholelithiasis is mainly through the therapies of soothing liver and alleviating depression,clearing heat and removing dampness,and normalizing gallbladder function to remove stones,and is also supplemented by the therapies of invigorating spleen and replenishing qi,regulating qi to resolve phlegm,and activiting qi movement and blood circulation.Modified Da Chaihu Decoction plus Sijin Decoction is often used as a basic formula for treating cholelithiasis,which is mainly composed of Desmodii Styracifolii Herba,Galli Gigerii Endothelium Corneum,Bupleuri Radix,Curcumae Radix,Scutellariae Radix,Aucklandiae Radix,Aurantii Fructus Immaturus stir-fried with bran,Paeoniae Radix Rubra,Linderae Radix,and Rhei Radix et Rhizoma.

Objective:To explore the cardioprotective effects of icariin (ICA) against radiation-induced cardiac disease (RICD) in C57BL/6 mice.Methods:A total of 48 female C57BL/6J mice aged 6-8 weeks were randomly divided into three groups: the control group (CON), the irradiation group (IR), and the irradiation combined with icariin group (IR+ ICA), with 16 mice in each group. The IR and IR+ ICA groups received a single cardiac irradiation at a dose of 30 Gy, while the CON group received no radiation treatment. The IR+ ICA group was treated with ICA (70 mg·kg -1·d -1) two weeks before irradiation until the end of the experiment through intragastric administration. In contrast, the CON and IR groups were treated with an equal volume of vehicle solution (0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, NaCMC) via intragastric administration. The mice′s mental status, food intake, body weight, and survival rates were monitored during the experiment. At two weeks post-irradiation, the venous blood of the mice was collected and serum was separated for the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) of creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT/TNNT2). At 12 weeks post-irradiation, the cardiac function of the mice was assessed using echocardiography. After the mice were euthanized under anesthesia, the histopathological changes and fibrosis degree of their myocardial tissues were assessed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson′s trichrome staining, followed by the calculation of collagen volume fraction (CVF). The differential gene expression of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the cardiac tissues of the mice was detected using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Apoptosis-related proteins and proteins associated with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathway were determined using Western blotting. The survival curves of the mice were plotted using Kaplan-Meier, and the survival differences of the mice among various groups were compared using the log-rank test. Results:After irradiation, the mice in the IR group showed lethargy, as well as decreased food intake and activity, while these symptoms in the IR+ ICA group were significantly alleviated. At two weeks post-irradiation, the CK-MB and cTnT levels of the IR group were significantly elevated compared with the CON group ( t = 5.28, 8.89, P < 0.01). At 12 weeks post-irradiation, the mice in the IR group exhibited significantly decreased body weight ( t = 2.47, P < 0.05) and decreased survival rates ( HR = 8.25, 95% CI: 1.157-58.770, P < 0.05) compared with the CON group. Echocardiography revealed that the IR group featured decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), decreased fractional shortening (FS), and increased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVDD) compared with the CON group ( t = 7.02, 4.45, P < 0.05). Histopathological examination revealed that the IR group suffered from cardiomyocyte edema, disordered arrangement, and increased fibrosis, with an elevated CVF. The IR group exhibited significantly upregulated gene expression of BNP, TGF-β, and IL-6 in cardiac tissues compared with the CON group ( t = 4.23, 6.39, 4.61, P < 0.05). After-irradiation, the IR group exhibited upregulated apoptosis-related proteins Cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax ( t = 6.29, 9.54, P < 0.05), decreased Bcl-2 expression ( t = 8.20, P < 0.001), and decreased phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt ( t = 6.47, 3.42, P < 0.001). The symptoms of the mice were partially ameliorated after treatment with ICA. Specifically, the mice in the IR+ ICA group exhibited higher body weight ( t = 5.13, P < 0.001) and significantly higher survival rates ( HR = 0.121, 95% CI: 0.017-0.864, P < 0.05) than the IR group. Compared to the IR group, the IR+ ICA group showed elevated cardiac function indicators EF and FS( t = 3.23, 3.05, P < 0.05), and reduced LVDD ( t = 3.02, P < 0.05). The histopathological analysis revealed mitigated edema and disordered arrangement of cardiomyocytes in the IR+ ICA group. Furthermore, the IR+ ICA group exhibited significantly lower BNP, TGF-β, and IL-6 expression levels than the IR group ( t = 2.83, 4.15, 2.96, P < 0.05). The expression of apoptosis-related proteins Cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax was lower ( t = 3.23, 3.24, P < 0.05), Bcl-2 expression was higher ( t = 5.92, P < 0.001), and restored phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt ( t = 2.89, 8.35, P < 0.001). Conclusions:Icariin has protective effects against the RICD. It alleviates cardiomyocyte apoptosis possibly by upregulating the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt.

Objective:To explore the cardioprotective effects of icariin (ICA) against radiation-induced cardiac disease (RICD) in C57BL/6 mice.Methods:A total of 48 female C57BL/6J mice aged 6-8 weeks were randomly divided into three groups: the control group (CON), the irradiation group (IR), and the irradiation combined with icariin group (IR+ ICA), with 16 mice in each group. The IR and IR+ ICA groups received a single cardiac irradiation at a dose of 30 Gy, while the CON group received no radiation treatment. The IR+ ICA group was treated with ICA (70 mg·kg -1·d -1) two weeks before irradiation until the end of the experiment through intragastric administration. In contrast, the CON and IR groups were treated with an equal volume of vehicle solution (0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, NaCMC) via intragastric administration. The mice′s mental status, food intake, body weight, and survival rates were monitored during the experiment. At two weeks post-irradiation, the venous blood of the mice was collected and serum was separated for the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) of creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT/TNNT2). At 12 weeks post-irradiation, the cardiac function of the mice was assessed using echocardiography. After the mice were euthanized under anesthesia, the histopathological changes and fibrosis degree of their myocardial tissues were assessed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson′s trichrome staining, followed by the calculation of collagen volume fraction (CVF). The differential gene expression of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the cardiac tissues of the mice was detected using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Apoptosis-related proteins and proteins associated with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathway were determined using Western blotting. The survival curves of the mice were plotted using Kaplan-Meier, and the survival differences of the mice among various groups were compared using the log-rank test. Results:After irradiation, the mice in the IR group showed lethargy, as well as decreased food intake and activity, while these symptoms in the IR+ ICA group were significantly alleviated. At two weeks post-irradiation, the CK-MB and cTnT levels of the IR group were significantly elevated compared with the CON group ( t = 5.28, 8.89, P < 0.01). At 12 weeks post-irradiation, the mice in the IR group exhibited significantly decreased body weight ( t = 2.47, P < 0.05) and decreased survival rates ( HR = 8.25, 95% CI: 1.157-58.770, P < 0.05) compared with the CON group. Echocardiography revealed that the IR group featured decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), decreased fractional shortening (FS), and increased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVDD) compared with the CON group ( t = 7.02, 4.45, P < 0.05). Histopathological examination revealed that the IR group suffered from cardiomyocyte edema, disordered arrangement, and increased fibrosis, with an elevated CVF. The IR group exhibited significantly upregulated gene expression of BNP, TGF-β, and IL-6 in cardiac tissues compared with the CON group ( t = 4.23, 6.39, 4.61, P < 0.05). After-irradiation, the IR group exhibited upregulated apoptosis-related proteins Cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax ( t = 6.29, 9.54, P < 0.05), decreased Bcl-2 expression ( t = 8.20, P < 0.001), and decreased phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt ( t = 6.47, 3.42, P < 0.001). The symptoms of the mice were partially ameliorated after treatment with ICA. Specifically, the mice in the IR+ ICA group exhibited higher body weight ( t = 5.13, P < 0.001) and significantly higher survival rates ( HR = 0.121, 95% CI: 0.017-0.864, P < 0.05) than the IR group. Compared to the IR group, the IR+ ICA group showed elevated cardiac function indicators EF and FS( t = 3.23, 3.05, P < 0.05), and reduced LVDD ( t = 3.02, P < 0.05). The histopathological analysis revealed mitigated edema and disordered arrangement of cardiomyocytes in the IR+ ICA group. Furthermore, the IR+ ICA group exhibited significantly lower BNP, TGF-β, and IL-6 expression levels than the IR group ( t = 2.83, 4.15, 2.96, P < 0.05). The expression of apoptosis-related proteins Cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax was lower ( t = 3.23, 3.24, P < 0.05), Bcl-2 expression was higher ( t = 5.92, P < 0.001), and restored phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt ( t = 2.89, 8.35, P < 0.001). Conclusions:Icariin has protective effects against the RICD. It alleviates cardiomyocyte apoptosis possibly by upregulating the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt.

Objective To compare the effects of 2 vascular accesses via arteriovenous fistula(AVF)and tunnel-cuffed catheter(TCC)in elderly patients with maintenance hemodialysis(MHD).Methods A total of 103 elderly MHD patients were selected and divided into the AVF group(43 cases)and the TCC group(60 cases)according to different vascular pathways.Laboratory indexes of serum creatinine,uric acid,parathyroid hormone(PTH),serum calcium,blood phosphorus,hemoglobin,triglyceride and total cholesterol were compared between the two groups on dialysis day after receiving regular hemodialysis treatment for 1 year.Blood flow and urea clearance in vascular pathway were also compared between the two groups.The left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDd),the left ventricular posterior end-diastolic thickness(LVPWT),the ventricular septal end-diastolic thickness(IVSTd),ejection fraction(EF),the maximum flow velocity ratio(E/A)of the left atrial ventricle at the early and late diastolic stages and pulmonary artery pressure were examined by echocardiography after regular hemodialysis treatment for 1 year.The occurrence rates of left ventricular systolic dysfunction and diastolic dysfunction were recorded.Hemodialysis access associated infection,mechanical injury and heart failure during dialysis were also recorded.Results There were no significant differences in laboratory indexes between the two groups(P＞0.05).LVEDd,IVSTd,LVPWT,incidence rates of left ventricular systolic dysfunction,diastolic dysfunction,blood flow through vascular channels,Kt/V and mechanical injury were higher in the AVF group than those in the TCC group,while the ratio of hemodialysis access associated infection,E/A and EF values were lower in the AVF group than those in the TCC group(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in incidence rates of pulmonary arterial pressure and heart failure between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion For elderly MHD patients,the appropriate dialysis access should be determined after evaluating underlying diseases and vascular conditions.

Background/Aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has become an increasingly important health challenge, with a substantial rise linked to changing lifestyles and global obesity. Ursolic acid, a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, has been explored for its potential therapeutic effects. Given its multifunctional bioactive properties, this research further revealed the pharmacological mechanisms of ursolic acid on MASLD. Methods: Drug target chips and bioinformatics analysis were combined in this study to explore the potential therapeutic effects of ursolic acid on MASLD. Molecular docking simulations, surface plasmon resonance analyses, pull-down experiments, and co-immunoprecipitation assays were used to verify the direct interactions. Gene knockdown mice were generated, and high-fat diets were used to validate drug efficacy. Furthermore, initial CD4+ T cells were isolated and stimulated to demonstrate our findings. Results: In this study, the multifunctional extracellular matrix phosphorylated glycoprotein secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) was investigated, highlighting its capability to induce Th17 cell differentiation, amplifying inflammatory cascades, and subsequently promoting the evolution of MASLD. In addition, this study revealed that in addition to the canonical TGF-β/IL-6 cytokine pathway, SPP1 can directly interact with ITGB1 and CD44, orchestrating Th17 cell differentiation via their joint downstream ERK signaling pathway. Remarkably, ursolic acid intervention notably suppressed the protein activity of SPP1, suggesting a promising avenue for ameliorating the immunoinflammatory trajectory in MASLD progression. Conclusions Ursolic acid could improve immune inflammation in MASLD by modulating SPP1-mediated Th17 cell differentiation via the ERK signaling pathway, which is orchestrated jointly by ITGB1 and CD44, emerging as a linchpin in this molecular cascade.

目的：探讨miRNA-490-3p调控Smad2/TGF-β对结直肠癌奥沙利铂化疗敏感性的影响。方法：选取100例结直肠癌（colorectal cancer，CRC）根治性手术后奥沙利铂（oxaliplatin，OXA）同种联合化疗患者作为研究对象，根据化疗情况分为耐药组（n=40）和非耐药组（n=60），用qPCR检测两组外周血miRNA-490-3p水平；选取人CRC细胞株SW480和CRC奥沙利铂（OXA）耐药型细胞株OXA-SW480进行研究，先用qPCR检测两种细胞株中miRNA-490-3p表达水平；后将miRNA-490-3p过表达载体转染OXA-SW480（过表达组），并设立空载体组（空载体转染OXA-SW480）和空白对照组（OXA-SW480未经任何处理）。用CCK-8检测各组细胞增殖能力，同时用不同浓度OXA处理各组细胞，计算其半数抑制浓度（IC50）；用Annexin-V-FITC/PI染色流式细胞术检测各组细胞凋亡率；用WB检测各组Smad2和TGF-β蛋白表达水平。结果：在CRC患者中，耐药组外周血miR-490-3p水平显著低于非耐药组，在CRC细胞株中，OXA-SW480耐药株细胞miR-490-3p水平显著低于正常株SW480细胞（P<0.05）。与空载体组和空白对照组相比，过表达组miR-490-3p水平显著降低（均P<0.05），增殖抑制率显著升高（均P<0.05），细胞凋亡率显著升高（均P<0.01），Smad2蛋白水平显著降低（均P<0.05），TGF-β蛋白水平显著升高（均P<0.05）。经OXA处理后，过表达组的IC50显著低于空载体组和空白对照组（均P<0.05）。经Pearson相关法分析，miR-490-3p与Smad2的表达呈负相关（r=–0.943，P<0.01），miR-490-3p与TGF-β的表达呈正相关（r=0.961，P<0.01）。结论：过表达miRNA-490-3p可增加CRC SW480细胞的OXA敏感性，此作用Smad2/TGF-β信号通路有关。

Objective To investigate the approaches,techniques and efficacies ofmicrosurgical resection ofpetroclival meningiomas.Methods A total of 59 patients with petroclival meningiomas,admitted to our hospital from January 2003 to January 2016,were chosen in our study;single microscopic resection was performed in 55 patients (93.2％) and re-operation was performed in 4 patients (6.8％);29 times (46.0％) via retrosigmoid approach,17 times (27.0％) via tranpetrosal approach,and 17 time via subtemporal approach (27.0％) were chosen.The clinical data,radiological findings,surgical records and outcomes of patients were retrospectively analyzed,and the prognostic factors was analyzed.Results Complete resection was achieved in 31 patients (52.5％),subtotal resection in 19 (21.7％) and partial resection in 9 (15.3％).There was no death in perioperative period.Follow-up were obtained in 55 patients,and median follow-up was 42.6 months (ranged 3-131 months).Permanent neurological damage occurred in 16 patients (27％).Tumor recurred in 11 patients:6 had gamma knife radiosurgery,one had routine radiotherapy,and 4 required re-operation.Two patients died of tumor recurrence/progression reoperation.In these 55 patients,42 enjoyed good prognosis and 13 had poor prognosis.The tumor sizes,brainstem edema and preoperative Kamofsky performance scale scores were unfavorable prognostic factors.Conclusion By using appropriate approaches,surgical strategies and techniques,the petroclival meningiomas can be removed with relatively favorable outcome.

Bone-like apatite formation on the surface of calcium phosphate ceramics has been believed to be necessary for new bone to grow on the ceramics and to be related to the osteoinductivity of the material. The research of bone-like apatite formation is a great help to understanding the mechanism of osteoinduction. Synthetic porous calcium phosphate ceramics (HA/TCP = 70/30) were implanted intramuscularly in pigs, dogs, rabbits and rats to make a comparative study of the bone-like apatite formation onto the porous HA/TCP ceramics in different animals. Specimens were harvested at 14 days after implantation. Samples were detected for the surface morphology with SEM. The chemical composition of the sample surface after implantation was analyzed with reflection infrared (R-IR). Obvious bone-like apatite formation could be detected in the sections of porous specimens harvested from all animals after 14 days intramuscular implantation. Crystal deposition could be only observed on the surface of the concave regions of the samples collected from dogs, rabbits and rat. On the contrary, evenly distributed flake-shaped crystal could be found on the pore surface and also on the outer surface of the materials implanted in pigs. The morphology of bone-like apatite in pigs was different from that in the others animals. Bone-like apatite was not observed in dense specimen implanted intramuscularly. Bone-like apatite formed faster on specimens implanted in rabbit than that in other animals. This formation sequence is different from the sequence of osteoinductivity of biphasic calcium phosphate ceramics implanted in these animals. The results demonstrated that the formation of bone-like apatite on materials is a prerequisite condition to their osteoinduction but other factors also play important roles in osteoinduction.
Animals ; Apatites ; chemical synthesis ; Body Fluids ; chemistry ; Bone Substitutes ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Calcium Phosphates ; chemistry ; Ceramics ; chemistry ; Dogs ; Male ; Materials Testing ; Prostheses and Implants ; Rabbits ; Rats ; Swine

This study aimed at investigating the influence of the flow rate of simulated body fluid (SBF) (2 ml/100 ml.min) of body fluid in skeletal muscle upon the formation of bone-like apatite on porous calcium phosphate ceramics. The in vitro immersion experiment in SBF flowing at normal physiological rate is referred to as dynamic SBF. The results showed that bone-like apatite could only formed in the pores of porous calcium phosphate when SBF flow at physiological rate (2 ml/100 ml.min) of body fluid in skeletal muscle. At the same time, bone-like apatite could form both in the pores and on the surface of the samples if the flowing physiological solution is 1.5 SBF. When the flowing speed of SBF is higher than normal physiological speed (10 ml/100 ml.min), no bone-like apatite could be detected both on the surface and in the pores of the materials. This result is in concordance with animal experiments. The dynamic SBF simulates the biological environment of bone-like apatite formation in body better than static SBF (SBF does not flow). This method is very useful for the research of the mechanism of bonelike apatite formation, which is the key step of bone growth on biomaterials, and can be used as an effective approach to investigate mechanism of the osteoinduction of calcium phosphate in nonosseous tissues in vivo.
Apatites ; chemistry ; Body Fluids ; chemistry ; Bone Substitutes ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Calcium Phosphates ; chemistry ; Ceramics ; chemistry ; In Vitro Techniques ; Materials Testing ; Surface Properties

Bone-like apatite formation on the surface of calcium phosphate ceramics has been believed to be the prerequisite of new bone growth on ceramics and to be related to the osteoinductivity of the material. The research of the factors effecting bone-like apatite formation is a great help in understanding the mechanism of osteoinduction. This paper is aimed to a comparative study of in vitro formation of bone-like apatite on the surface of dense and rough calcium phosphate ceramics with SBF flowing at different rates. The results showed that the rough surface was beneficial to the formation of bone-like apatite, and the apatite formed faster in 1.5 SBF than in SBF. Rough surface, namely, larger surface area, increased the dissolution of Ca2+ and HPO4(2-) and higher concentration of Ca2+ and HPO4(2-) ions of SBF and was in turn advantageous to the accumulation of Ca2+, HPO4(2-), PO4(3-) near the ceramic surface. Local supersaturating concentration of Ca2+, HPO4(2-), PO4(3-) near sample surface was essential to nucleation of apatite on the surface of sample.
Apatites ; Biocompatible Materials ; Calcium Phosphates ; Ceramics ; Materials Testing ; Surface Properties