Objective To investigate the value of CT perfusion imaging(CTP)and CT angiography(CTA)combined with serum neuron-specific enolase(NSE)in assessing the status and prognosis of collateral circulation(CC)in hemiplegic patients with stroke.Methods A total of 106 patients with stroke hemiplegia were selected in this study.All patients underwent CTA and CTP,and patients were classified into the good CC group(n=67)and the poor CC group(n=39)based on CTA images.Patients were also classified into the good prognostic group(n=56)and the poor prognostic group(n=50)based on modified Rankin Scale(mRS)scores after 3 months of treatment.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect serum NSE levels.Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyse the correlation between CC scores and CTP parameters and serum NSE levels.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the evaluation value of serum NSE for the prognosis of hemiplegic patients after stroke.Kappa test was used to analyse the consistency of the prognosis and follow-up results of hemiplegic stroke patients assessed by CTP and CTA alone and in combination with serum NSE.Results The CTP parameters rCBF and rCBV were lower in the poor CC group than those in the good CC group(P＜0.05),and levels of rTTP,rMTT and serum NSE were higher than those in the good CC group(P＜0.01).CC score was positively correlated with rCBF and rCBV,and negatively correlated with rTTP,rMTT and serum NSE levels(P＜0.05).The rCBF and rCBV were lower in the poor prognosis group than those in the good prognosis group,and the proportion of poor CC,rTTP,rMTT,serum NSE level and mRS score were higher than those in the good prognosis group(P＜0.01).The area under the curve of serum NSE alone for predicting poor prognosis in hemiplegic patients with stroke was 0.878(95%CI:0.800-0.934),with a sensitivity of 74.00%and a specificity of 91.07%,which was in good agreement with the results of the follow-up(Kappa value=0.654,P＜0.001).Conclusion CTP,CTA combined with serum NSE have a relatively high evaluation value for the assessment of the CC status and prognosis of stroke patients with hemiplegia.

AIM:To investigate the therapeutic effect of Qingre sanzhuo decoction on rats with hyperuri-caemia combined with gouty arthritis and its effect on TLR4/Myd88/NF-κB signalling pathway.METHODS:Forty-eight SD male rats were randomly divided into blank,model,and colchicine groups(0.3 mg·kg-1·d-1),and Origre sanzhou decotion low,medium and high-dosage groups(7.42,14.85,29.70 g·kg-1·d-1),which were treated with the modified Coderre method for hyperuricemia combined with acute gouty arthritis via gavage of yeast paste combined with potassium oxa-late,which was used for the treatment of acute gouty arthritis combined with hyperuricemia.A composite rat model of acute gouty arthritis was constructed by combining yeast paste with potassium oxalate gavage to cause hyperuricaemia,combined with the modified Coderre method.After 7 days of intervention,the circumference of the right ankle joint of rats was measured and the swelling of the ankle joint was calculated,the blood uric acid(HUA)level of rats was determined by biochemical method,the histopatho-logical and morphological changes of the synovial membrane of the ankle joint of rats were examined by HE staining,and the serum levels of inflammatory factors,tumour necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α),inter-leukin-6(IL-6),and IL-1β were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),and Western blotting was performed to determine the levels of inflammatory factors,TNF-α,and IL-1β.The protein expression levels of Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4),myeloid differentiation factor 88(Myd88),and nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)in the synovial tissues of the ankle joints of the rats were determined by Western blot method,and the mRNA expression of TLR4,Myd88,and NF-κB in the rat was determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(Real-time PCR).RESULTS:Compared with the blank group,rats in the model group showed significantly lower ankle joint swelling(P<0.01),increased levels of HUA,dis-organised synovial tissue structure,large number of inflammatory cells infiltration,and significantly higher serum levels of TNF-α,IL-6,and IL-1β(P<0.01),and the protein and mRNA expression levels of TLR4,Myd88,and NF-κB in the synovial membrane of the ankle joints of the model group were significantly increased(P<0.01).levels were significantly increased(P<0.01);compared with the model group,joint swelling was significantly reduced in the colchicine group,and the medium-and high-dose groups of Qingre sanzhuo decoction(P<0.05);synovial hyperplasia and inflam-matory cell infiltration were improved in the colchicine group and the medium-and high-dose groups of Qingre sanzhuo decoction,and the HUA and the levels of TNF-α,IL-6,and IL-1β were significantly decreased in the dosing groups(P<0.05,P<0.01),and compared with the model group,the medium-and high-dose groups of Qingre sanzhuo decoction could significantly reduce the expression of TLR4,Myd88,and NF-κB protein and mRNA(P<0.01).CONCLUSION:Qingre sanzhuo decoction reduces the release of inflamma-tory factors by inhibiting the TLR4/Myd88/NF-κB pathway,and plays a role in the treatment of hyper-uricaemia combined with gouty arthritis.

AIM:To investigate the therapeutic effect of Qingre sanzhuo decoction on rats with hyperuri-caemia combined with gouty arthritis and its effect on TLR4/Myd88/NF-κB signalling pathway.METHODS:Forty-eight SD male rats were randomly divided into blank,model,and colchicine groups(0.3 mg·kg-1·d-1),and Origre sanzhou decotion low,medium and high-dosage groups(7.42,14.85,29.70 g·kg-1·d-1),which were treated with the modified Coderre method for hyperuricemia combined with acute gouty arthritis via gavage of yeast paste combined with potassium oxa-late,which was used for the treatment of acute gouty arthritis combined with hyperuricemia.A composite rat model of acute gouty arthritis was constructed by combining yeast paste with potassium oxalate gavage to cause hyperuricaemia,combined with the modified Coderre method.After 7 days of intervention,the circumference of the right ankle joint of rats was measured and the swelling of the ankle joint was calculated,the blood uric acid(HUA)level of rats was determined by biochemical method,the histopatho-logical and morphological changes of the synovial membrane of the ankle joint of rats were examined by HE staining,and the serum levels of inflammatory factors,tumour necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α),inter-leukin-6(IL-6),and IL-1β were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),and Western blotting was performed to determine the levels of inflammatory factors,TNF-α,and IL-1β.The protein expression levels of Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4),myeloid differentiation factor 88(Myd88),and nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)in the synovial tissues of the ankle joints of the rats were determined by Western blot method,and the mRNA expression of TLR4,Myd88,and NF-κB in the rat was determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(Real-time PCR).RESULTS:Compared with the blank group,rats in the model group showed significantly lower ankle joint swelling(P<0.01),increased levels of HUA,dis-organised synovial tissue structure,large number of inflammatory cells infiltration,and significantly higher serum levels of TNF-α,IL-6,and IL-1β(P<0.01),and the protein and mRNA expression levels of TLR4,Myd88,and NF-κB in the synovial membrane of the ankle joints of the model group were significantly increased(P<0.01).levels were significantly increased(P<0.01);compared with the model group,joint swelling was significantly reduced in the colchicine group,and the medium-and high-dose groups of Qingre sanzhuo decoction(P<0.05);synovial hyperplasia and inflam-matory cell infiltration were improved in the colchicine group and the medium-and high-dose groups of Qingre sanzhuo decoction,and the HUA and the levels of TNF-α,IL-6,and IL-1β were significantly decreased in the dosing groups(P<0.05,P<0.01),and compared with the model group,the medium-and high-dose groups of Qingre sanzhuo decoction could significantly reduce the expression of TLR4,Myd88,and NF-κB protein and mRNA(P<0.01).CONCLUSION:Qingre sanzhuo decoction reduces the release of inflamma-tory factors by inhibiting the TLR4/Myd88/NF-κB pathway,and plays a role in the treatment of hyper-uricaemia combined with gouty arthritis.

Objective To investigate the value of CT perfusion imaging(CTP)and CT angiography(CTA)combined with serum neuron-specific enolase(NSE)in assessing the status and prognosis of collateral circulation(CC)in hemiplegic patients with stroke.Methods A total of 106 patients with stroke hemiplegia were selected in this study.All patients underwent CTA and CTP,and patients were classified into the good CC group(n=67)and the poor CC group(n=39)based on CTA images.Patients were also classified into the good prognostic group(n=56)and the poor prognostic group(n=50)based on modified Rankin Scale(mRS)scores after 3 months of treatment.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect serum NSE levels.Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyse the correlation between CC scores and CTP parameters and serum NSE levels.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the evaluation value of serum NSE for the prognosis of hemiplegic patients after stroke.Kappa test was used to analyse the consistency of the prognosis and follow-up results of hemiplegic stroke patients assessed by CTP and CTA alone and in combination with serum NSE.Results The CTP parameters rCBF and rCBV were lower in the poor CC group than those in the good CC group(P＜0.05),and levels of rTTP,rMTT and serum NSE were higher than those in the good CC group(P＜0.01).CC score was positively correlated with rCBF and rCBV,and negatively correlated with rTTP,rMTT and serum NSE levels(P＜0.05).The rCBF and rCBV were lower in the poor prognosis group than those in the good prognosis group,and the proportion of poor CC,rTTP,rMTT,serum NSE level and mRS score were higher than those in the good prognosis group(P＜0.01).The area under the curve of serum NSE alone for predicting poor prognosis in hemiplegic patients with stroke was 0.878(95%CI:0.800-0.934),with a sensitivity of 74.00%and a specificity of 91.07%,which was in good agreement with the results of the follow-up(Kappa value=0.654,P＜0.001).Conclusion CTP,CTA combined with serum NSE have a relatively high evaluation value for the assessment of the CC status and prognosis of stroke patients with hemiplegia.

Objective To screen the secretory factor-related, mechanoresponsive microRNAs (miRNA) of osteocytes. Methods Cyclic mechanical tensile strain (ε=2.5,f=0.5 Hz) was applied to osteocytes and osteoblasts cultured in vitro respectively, and the differentially expressed miRNAs only in the osteocytes were screened out by using miRNA chip. Through bioinformatics technology, in these differentially expressed miRNAs, the target genes of secretory factors including insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1), nitric oxide synthesase (NOS), fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and sclerostin (SOST) were further screened out. Then the selected miRNAs were compared with the biochip detected, differentially expressed miRNAs in femur bone of the mice which were trained on treadmill, and four of these miRNAs were randomly selected for quantitative PCR verification. Results For the 77 differentially expressed miRNAs only in the mechanically strained osteocytes in vitro, 22 miRNAs whose target genes were the 4 secreted factors (IGF-1, NOS, FGF23 and SOST), were screened out. Moreover, a total of 11 miRNAs in the 22 miRNAs were differentially expressed in femur bone of the treadmill trained mice with the same trend as those in osteocytes in vitro, and the randomly selected miR-361-3p, miR-3082-5p, miR-6348 and miR-706 were confirmed to be differentially expressed with the same trend in femur bone and osteocytes. Conclusions These mechanoresponsive miRNAs differentially expressed only in osteocytes, such as miR-361-3p, miR-3082-5p, miR-6348 and miR-706, probably influence osteoblastic differentiation or bone metabolism through regulating the secretory factors.