Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture at acupoints distributed on conception vessel(CV)and governor vessel(GV)in treating ischemic stroke(AIS)complicated with dysphagia and explore its potential mechanism.Methods A total of 120 patients diagnosed with AIS complicated with dysphagia at Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University from December 2020 to December 2023 were enrolled and randomly divided into an observation group and a control group,with 60 patients per group.The control group received conventional swallowing training,while the observation group received additional electroacupuncture at acupoints distributed on CV and GV.The treatment lasted for 4 weeks.After 1 month of treatment,clinical efficacy was assessed,and the changes in Standardized Swallowing Assessment(SSA)scores,National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)scores,hyolaryngeal mobility(thyroid cartilage anterior/superior displacement,hyoid bone anterior/superior displacement),and KubotaWater Swallowing Test scores were observed.Cerebral microcirculation parameters and the Chinese version of the Eating/Drinking Quality of Life(EDQoL)questionnaire were also compared.Safety and adverse events were evaluated.Results(1)The total effective rate in the observation group was 95.00%(57/60),compared to 76.67%(46/60)in the control group,demonstrating statistically superior therapeutic efficacy in the observation group(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,both groups showed significant improvements in SSA scores and NIHSS scores(P＜0.05),with the observation group exhibiting markedly better enhancement in both SSA and NIHSS scores compared to the control group,showing statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).(3)After intervention,significant improvements were observed in anterior displacement of thyroid cartilage,superior displacement of thyroid cartilage,anterior displacement of hyoid bone,and superior displacement of hyoid bone in both groups(P＜0.05).The observation group outperformed the control group in all these laryngeal kinematic parameters with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).(4)Both groups demonstrated significant improvement in Kubota Water Swallowing Test scores after treatment(P＜0.05),with the observation group displaying statistically greater improvement than the control group(P＜0.05).(5)Cerebral arterial parameters including peak systolic velocity(Vs),mean velocity(Vm),and resistance index(RI)were significantly improved in both groups after treatment(P＜0.05).The observation group showed superior enhancement in these cerebrovascular hemodynamic indices compared to the control group(P＜0.05).(6)Significant improvements in EDQoL scores were observed in both groups after treatment(P＜0.05),with the observation group achieving statistically greater improvement than the control group(P＜0.05).(7)The total incidence of adverse reactions was 1.67%(1/60)in the observation group versus 11.67%(7/60)in the control group,indicating a statistically significant lower adverse event rate in the observation group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Electroacupuncture at acupoints distributed on CV and GV effectively alleviates dysphagia and neurological impairment,improves hyolaryngeal mobility and cerebral microcirculation,enhances quality of life,and reduces adverse events such as aspiration pneumonia in AIS patients complicated with dysphagia.

Objective: To explore the correlation between the expression levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS) and trophoblast apoptosis-related markers and severe preeclampsia(SPE) in placental tissues of pregnant women with early-and late-onset SPE and normal pregnancy. Methods: Placental tissues from 20 early and late haired severe preeclamptic singleton pregnant women who attended the Hospital were collected(early-onset group, late-onset group), and 20 cases pregnant women of normal blood pressure and no other pregnancy complications who delivered in our hospital during the same period were selected as the normal group. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the ultrastructure of the endoplasmic reticulum of trophoblast cells in placental tissues. Protein blotting assay was used to detect the expression levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins, including Glucose-regulated protein 78(GRP78), C/EBP homologous protein(CHOP), Phosphorylated eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α(p-eIF2α) and Phosphatidylinositol-requiring enzyme 1(p-IRE1)α. Immunohistochemistry assay was used to detect the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen(Ki67), a proliferation marker, in placental tissues, and TUNEL staining was used to detect placental tissue trophoblast apoptosis. Results: The endoplasmic reticulum of trophoblast cells in the placental tissues of the normal pregnant women group was normal in volume, with no dilatation or swelling. In contrast, the endoplasmic reticulum of placental tissues in the severe preeclampsia group showed obvious edema and significant dilatation, and the dilatation was more obvious in the early-onset group than in the late-onset group. The expression level of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins GRP78(P<0.001,P<0.05) and CHOP(P<0.01,P<0.001), the phosphorylation levels of eIF2α(P<0.000 1,P<0.01) and IRE1α(P<0.000 1,P<0.001) increased in placental tissues of both early-onset and late-onset groups compared to those of the normal group. The p-eIF2α/eIF2α(P<0.001) to p-IRE1α/IRE1α ratio(P<0.05) and GRP78(P<0.01) protein expression levels were significantly higher in the early-onset group than in the late-onset group. Compared with the normal group, the number of Ki67-positive cells per field of view was significantly reduced in the early-onset and late-onset groups(P<0.000 1,P<0.05), and the number of Ki67-positive cells was significantly lower in the early-onset group than in the late-onset group(P<0.01). There were more positive apoptotic cells per field of view in the placental tissues of the early-onset group, and the apoptosis rate of trophoblast cells was significantly higher than that in the other two groups(P<0.001,P<0.01). Conclusion Increased trophoblast apoptosis and suppressed proliferation in placental tissues of patients with severe preeclampsia may be associated with endoplasmic reticulum stress overactivation, and the activation level is higher in placental tissues of early-onset severe preeclampsia than that of late-onset group.

Objective: To determine the clinical efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection combined with warm acupuncture and moxibustion for treating patients with knee osteoarthritis and cold dampness obstruction syndrome. Methods: One hundred and twenty-eight patients with knee osteoarthritis and cold dampness obstruction syndrome who visited the Rehabilitation Department and Orthopedics Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from January 2023 to March 2024 and who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomly divided into an experimental (n=64) and control group (n=64) using the random number table method. The experimental group was treated with PRP injection combined with warm acupuncture and moxibustion, whereas the control group was treated with normal saline injection combined with warm acupuncture and moxibustion treatment. PRP and normal saline injections were administered once every two weeks, a total of four times. Patients were treated with warm acupuncture and moxibustion once a day, six times a week, for four consecutive weeks. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome, visual analog scale (VAS), and Lysholm scores were determined before treatment, at week 4 and week 8 of treatment, and week 16 of follow-up. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), osteoprotegerin (OPG), bone gla protein(BGP), and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) levels were compared between the two groups before and after 8 weeks of treatment. The clinical efficacy and safety indicators between the two groups were also compared. Results: There was no statistical difference in baseline data such as gender, age, disease duration, and body mass index between the two groups of patients. Compared with before treatment, both groups showed decreased WOMAC total and subscale, TCM syndrome total score and symptom scores, and VAS scores, and an increase in Lysholm scores at 4, 8, and 16 weeks after treatment. After treatment, serum IL-6, MMP-3, TNF-α, and COMP levels decreased, whereas serum OPG and BGP levels increased (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, patients in the experimental group showed decreased WOMAC total and subscale, TCM syndrome total score and symptom scores, and VAS scores, and an increase in Lysholm score at 4, 8, and 16 weeks after treatment. Compared with the control group, patients in the experimental group showed decreased serum IL-6, MMP-3, TNF-α, and COMP levels and an increase in serum OPG and BPG levels after treatment (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the experimental group was 91.94%, higher than that of the control group (81.97%; P<0.05). Conclusion PRP injection combined with warm acupuncture and moxibustion can improve various TCM symptoms, improve knee joint function and bone metabolism, and reduce inflammation in patients with knee osteoarthritis and cold dampness obstruction syndrome.

This study aims to investigate the ameliorating effect of Corni Fructus(CF) on the myocardial ischemic injury and the pharmacokinetic properties of characteristic components of CF. The mouse model of isoproterenol-induced myocardial ischemia was established and administrated with the aqueous extract of CF. The general efficacy of CF in ameliorating the myocardial ischemic injury was evaluated based on the cardiac histopathology and the levels of myocardial injury markers: creatine kinase isoenzyme(CK-MB) and cardiac troponin I(cTn-I). The metabolomics analysis was carried out for the heart and serum samples of mice to screen the biomarkers of CF in ameliorating the myocardial ischemic injury and then the predicted biomarkers were submitted to metabolic pathway enrichment. The pharmacokinetic analysis was performed for morroniside, loganin, and cornuside Ⅰ in mouse heart and serum samples to obtain the pharmacokinetic parameters of these components. The pharmacokinetic parameters were then integrated on the basis of self-defined weighting coefficients to simulate an integrated pharmacokinetic profile of CF iridoid glycosides in the heart and serum of the mouse model of myocardial ischemia. The results indicated that CF reduced the pathological damage to cardiac cells and tissue(hematoxylin-eosin staining) and lowered the levels of CK-MB and cTn-I in the serum of the mouse model of myocardial ischemia(P<0.01). Metabolomics analysis screed out 31 endogenous metabolites in the heart and 35 in the serum as biomarkers of CF in ameliorating the myocardial ischemic injury. These biomarkers were altered by modeling and restored by CF. Six metabolic pathways in the heart and 5 in the serum were enriched based on these metabolic markers. The main integrated pharmacokinetic parameters of CF iridoid glycosides were T_(max)=1 h, t_(1/2)=(1.52±0.05) h in the heart and T_(max)=1 h, t_(1/2)=(1.56±0.50) h in the serum. Both concentration-time curves showed a double-peak phenomenon. In conclusion, CF demonstrated the cardioprotective effect by regulating metabolic pathways such as taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, and pantothenic acid and coenzyme A biosynthesis. The integrated pharmacokinetics reflect the general pharmacokinetic properties of characteristic components in CF.
Animals ; Cornus/chemistry* ; Mice ; Metabolomics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia/metabolism* ; Humans ; Troponin I/metabolism* ; Myocardium/pathology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Biomarkers/metabolism* ; Creatine Kinase, MB Form/metabolism*

The accumulation of uremic toxins such as urea nitrogen, blood creatinine, and uric acid of patients with renal failure in vivo would lead to aggravated kidney damage. In this study, coated aldehyde oxy-starch (CAO) was used as an adsorbent to investigate its in vitro adsorption performance on renal failure indexes for urea, indoxyl sulfate (INS), monomethylamine (MMA), dimethylamine (DMA), uric acid (UA), and creatinine (Cr). The effects of variables such as pH, temperature, concentration, dosage, and time on the adsorption capacity of CAO were systematically investigated, employing analytical techniques of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC). The results revealed that CAO exhibited a strong adsorption capacity for urea, INS, and MMA, alongside a moderate adsorption capacity for DMA, UA, and Cr. The adsorption kinetics and thermodynamic studies indicated that the adsorption of urea and UA by CAO were fitted in pseudo-first-order kinetics, and the adsorption isotherm aligned with the Freundlich adsorption model. The enthalpy change ΔH of urea in adsorption was in the range of 40 to 60 kJ·mol^-1, which demonstrated the presence of strong adsorption force due to the interactions of coordinating groups. The ΔH of UA was greater than 80 kJ·mol^-1, indicating the generation of chemical bonds during the adsorption. Both of them, Gibbs free energy ΔG was less than 0, within the range of -20 to 0 kJ·mol^-1, suggested that the adsorption of urea and UA by CAO occurred spontaneously as physical adsorption process. The adsorption entropy ΔS of urea and UA was > 0, which indicated an increase in entropy throughout the adsorption. The infrared spectroscopygram showed the formation of a chemical bond, specifically the imine bond, following the adsorption of urea by CAO, thereby indicating a chemical reaction during the adsorption. This study elucidates the adsorption mechanism of CAO on various indexes of renal failure, providing a scientific basis for its clinical usage.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of thiotepa (TT)-containing conditioning regimens for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in children with inborn errors of immunity (IEI). METHODS: Clinical data of 22 children with IEI who underwent HSCT were retrospectively reviewed. Survival after HSCT was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Nine patients received a traditional conditioning regimen (fludarabine + busulfan + cyclophosphamide/etoposide) and underwent peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT). Thirteen patients received a TT-containing modified conditioning regimen (TT + fludarabine + busulfan + cyclophosphamide), including seven PBSCT and six umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) cases. Successful engraftment with complete donor chimerism was achieved in all patients. Acute graft-versus-host disease occurred in 12 patients (one with grade III and the remaining with grade I-II). Chronic graft-versus-host disease occurred in one patient. The incidence of EB viremia in UCBT patients was lower than that in PBSCT patients (P<0.05). Over a median follow-up of 36.0 months, one death occurred. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate was 100% for the modified regimen and 88.9% ± 10.5% for the traditional regimen (P=0.229). When comparing transplantation types, the 3-year OS rates were 100% for UCBT and 93.8% ± 6.1% for PBSCT (P>0.05), and the 3-year event-free survival rates were 100% and 87.1% ± 8.6%, respectively (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS TT-containing conditioning for allogeneic HSCT in children with IEI is safe and effective. Both UCBT and PBSCT may achieve high success rates.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplantation Conditioning/methods* ; Thiotepa/therapeutic use* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Infant ; Child ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Adolescent

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the effect of Huanglian-Renshen-Decoction (HRD) on ameliorating type 2 diabetes mellitus by maintaining islet β -cell identity through regulating paracrine and endocrine glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)/GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) in both islet and intestine. METHODS: The db/db mice were divided into the model (distilled water), low-dose HRD (LHRD, 3 g/kg), high-dose HRD (HHRD, 6 g/kg), and liraglutide (400 µ g/kg) groups using a random number table, 8 mice in each group. The db/m mice were used as the control group (n=8, distilled water). The entire treatment of mice lasted for 6 weeks. Blood insulin, glucose, and GLP-1 levels were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. The proliferation and apoptosis factors of islet cells were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF) staining. Then, GLP-1, GLP-1R, prohormone convertase 1/3 (PC1/3), PC2, v-maf musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homologue A (MafA), and pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (PDX1) were detected by Western blot, IHC, IF, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively. RESULTS: HRD reduced the weight and blood glucose of the db/db mice, and improved insulin sensitivity at the same time (P<0.05 or P<0.01). HRD also promoted mice to secrete more insulin and less glucagon (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Moreover, it also increased the number of islet β cell and decreased islet α cell mass (P<0.01). After HRD treatment, the levels of GLP-1, GLP-1R, PC1/3, PC2, MafA, and PDX1 in the pancreas and intestine significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION HRD can maintain the normal function and identity of islet β cell, and the underlying mechanism is related to promoting the paracrine and endocrine activation of GLP-1 in pancreas and intestine.
Animals ; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1/metabolism* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/metabolism* ; Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor/metabolism* ; Insulin-Secreting Cells/pathology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Male ; Blood Glucose/metabolism* ; Insulin/blood* ; Mice ; Intestinal Mucosa/pathology* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Islets of Langerhans/pathology*