OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of acupuncture therapy on dysphagia in patients with Parkinson's disease. METHODS: This randomized controlled study lasted 42 days and included 112 patients with Parkinson's disease and dysphagia. Participants were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups (56 cases each group) using the completely randomized design, all under routine treatment. The experimental group was given acupuncture therapy. The primary outcome was Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS). The secondary outcomes were (1) Standardized Swallowing Assessment (SSA), and (2) nutritional status including body mass index (BMI), serum albumin, prealbumin, and hemoglobin. Adverse events were recorded as safety indicators. RESULTS: One participant quitted the study midway. There were no significant differences in baseline assessment (P>0.05). After treatment, both groups showed significant improvement in PAS, SSA and nutritional status except for BMI of the control group. There were significant differences between the two groups in the PAS for both paste and liquid, SSA (25.18±8.25 vs. 20.84±6.92), BMI (19.97±3.34 kg/m²vs. 21.26 ±2.38 kg/m²), serum albumin (35.16 ±5.29 g/L vs. 37.24 ±3.98 g/L), prealbumin (248.33 ±27.72 mg/L vs. 261.39 ±22.10 mg/L), hemoglobin (119.09±12.53 g/L vs. 126.67±13.97 g/L) (P<0.05). There were no severe adverse events during the study. CONCLUSION: The combination of routine treatment and acupuncture therapy can better improve dysphagia and nutritional status in patients with Parkinson's disease, than routine treatment solely. (registration No. CLINICALTRIAL gov NCT06199323).
Humans ; Parkinson Disease/therapy* ; Deglutition Disorders/physiopathology* ; Acupuncture Therapy/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Nutritional Status ; Body Mass Index

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a highly aggressive hematologic malignancy with a poor prognosis, despite advancements in treatment. Many patients struggle with relapse or refractory disease. Investigating the role of the super-enhancer (SE) regulated gene ubiquitin-specific protease 20 (USP20) in T-ALL could enhance targeted therapies and improve clinical outcomes. Analysis of histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) data from six T-ALL cell lines and seven pediatric samples identified USP20 as an SE-regulated driver gene. Utilizing the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and BloodSpot databases, it was found that USP20 is specifically highly expressed in T-ALL. Knocking down USP20 with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) increased apoptosis and inhibited proliferation in T-ALL cells. In vivo studies showed that USP20 knockdown reduced tumor growth and improved survival. The USP20 inhibitor GSK2643943A demonstrated similar anti-tumor effects. Mass spectrometry, RNA-Seq, and immunoprecipitation revealed that USP20 interacted with hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A) and stabilized it by deubiquitination. Cleavage under targets and tagmentation (CUT&Tag) results indicated that USP20 co-localized with HIF1A, jointly modulating target genes in T-ALL. This study identifies USP20 as a therapeutic target in T-ALL and suggests GSK2643943A as a potential treatment strategy.

Objective To investigate the relationship between daily intake of monounsaturated fatty acids(MUFAs)and polyunsaturated fatty acids(PUFAs)and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD),and to determine the threshold values of daily MUFAs and PUFAs intake for NAFLD risk.Methods Date were collected from the Dryad database.We enrolled a total of 1 068 healthy subjects aged 18 years and older(534 in the control group and 534 with NAFLD group)who had physical check-up in the Affiliated Nanping First Hospital of Fujian Medical University from April 2015 to August 2017.Comprehensive medical histories were obtained through questionnaires;information on dietary intake was collected using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and daily MUFAs and PUFAs intake were calculated.Baseline characteristics were compared between the two groups,and Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline(RCS)analyses were used to explore the relationship between daily MUFAs or PUFAs intake and NAFLD.Results Compared with the control group,the prevalence of hypertension,tea drinking,body mass index(BMI),daily energy intake,and daily MUFAs and PUFAs intakes were significant higher in patients with NAFLD(all P＜0.05),but the proportion of physical activities was significantly lower(P＜0.05).Logistic regression analysis revealed that after adjusting other confounding factors such as age,gender and BMI,for every 10 g increase in daily MUFAs or PUFAs intake,the risk of NAFLD increased by 53％(95％ CI:1.25-1.87,P＜0.001)and 3.30 times(95％ CI:2.98-6.20,P＜0.001),respectively.RCS indicated an approximately linear relationship between daily MUFAs intake and NAFLD(P for nonlinearity=0.064)and a nonlinear relationship between daily PUFAs intake and NAFLD(P for nonlinearity＜0.05).Subgroup analysis results were generally consistent,and there was statistical evidence of interactions between MUFAs and factors such as gender,hypertension and education level,with interaction between PUFAs and BMI observed(P＜0.05).Conclusion Increased daily intake of MUFAs or PUFAs is significantly associated with an increased risk of NAFLD,and further research is needed to clarify their specific roles in hepatic lipid accumulation.

Objective To investigate the relationship between daily intake of monounsaturated fatty acids(MUFAs)and polyunsaturated fatty acids(PUFAs)and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD),and to determine the threshold values of daily MUFAs and PUFAs intake for NAFLD risk.Methods Date were collected from the Dryad database.We enrolled a total of 1 068 healthy subjects aged 18 years and older(534 in the control group and 534 with NAFLD group)who had physical check-up in the Affiliated Nanping First Hospital of Fujian Medical University from April 2015 to August 2017.Comprehensive medical histories were obtained through questionnaires;information on dietary intake was collected using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and daily MUFAs and PUFAs intake were calculated.Baseline characteristics were compared between the two groups,and Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline(RCS)analyses were used to explore the relationship between daily MUFAs or PUFAs intake and NAFLD.Results Compared with the control group,the prevalence of hypertension,tea drinking,body mass index(BMI),daily energy intake,and daily MUFAs and PUFAs intakes were significant higher in patients with NAFLD(all P＜0.05),but the proportion of physical activities was significantly lower(P＜0.05).Logistic regression analysis revealed that after adjusting other confounding factors such as age,gender and BMI,for every 10 g increase in daily MUFAs or PUFAs intake,the risk of NAFLD increased by 53％(95％ CI:1.25-1.87,P＜0.001)and 3.30 times(95％ CI:2.98-6.20,P＜0.001),respectively.RCS indicated an approximately linear relationship between daily MUFAs intake and NAFLD(P for nonlinearity=0.064)and a nonlinear relationship between daily PUFAs intake and NAFLD(P for nonlinearity＜0.05).Subgroup analysis results were generally consistent,and there was statistical evidence of interactions between MUFAs and factors such as gender,hypertension and education level,with interaction between PUFAs and BMI observed(P＜0.05).Conclusion Increased daily intake of MUFAs or PUFAs is significantly associated with an increased risk of NAFLD,and further research is needed to clarify their specific roles in hepatic lipid accumulation.

Antipyretic-analgesics are currently one of the most prescribed drugs in children.The clinical application of antipyretic-analgesics for children in our country still have irrational phenomenon, which affects the therapeutic effect and even poses hidden dangers to the safety of children.In this paper, suggestions were put forward from the indications, dosage form/route, dosage suitability, pathophysiological characteristics of children with individual differences and drug interactions in the symptomatic treatment of febrile children, so as to provide reference for the general pharmacists when conducting prescription review.

Objective: Astragalus Radix (AR, Huangqi in Chinese) has been widely used as a qi (energy) restoring herb that is thought to act through reinvigorating the spleen and lung. Aconite is used to rebalance the body temperature during illness and played an irreplaceable role in disease control since ancient times, but it is limited by its strong neuro and cardiotoxicity. Since the Song Dynasty (1227), the two herbs have been commonly used as herbal pairs including in the famous Qifu Decotion, from the “Wei's Family Prescription”. However, many ancient texts also record that they are not compatible using together, suggesting they can have negative outcomes when mixed. This study investigated whether Astragali Radix had either positive or negative effects on absorption of six different active alkaloids derived from aconite. Methods: Single intestinal perfusion model was used to study the effects of Astragali Radix on aconite alkaloids absorption. Response of ABC transporters and distribution of three tight junction proteins on the surface of intestinal enothelium were assessed by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), Western blot and immunofluorescence microscopy, respectively. Results: The results showed that aconite alkaloids absorption could be inhibited, and different concentrations of Astragali Radix considerably increased the expression levels of the ABC transporters and tight junction proteins with Astragali Radix treatment. Conclusion: These results suggest that Astragali Radix can block absorption of aconite alkaloids through the upregulation expression of ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABC transporters) and tight junction proteins. It demonstrates that co-administration of Astragali Radix with other drugs might change the absorption profile of the second drug which is important to know in clinic therapy.

Hyperpolarization activated cyclic nucleotide-gated cation (HCN) channels are involved in neuronal rhythm regulation, synaptic activity, membrane resistance and dendritic integration due to their voltage-gated physiological properties. Recent studies have shown that HCN channels play an important role in central nervous system diseases, such as temporal lobe epilepsy, neuropathic pain, learning and memory disorder, substance abuse addiction and other related diseases. In this paper, we summarize the research progress of HCN channels in central nervous system diseases in recent years.

The present study carried out a phytochemical investigation of the methanol extract of the branches and leaves of Clausena lansium and afforded nine carbazole alkaloids (compounds 1-9) including two new carbazole alkaloids, claulansiums A and B (compounds 1 and 2). The new compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data (MS, NMR, IR, and UV) and the known compounds were identified by comparing spectroscopic data with those reported in literature. All the isolated compounds were tested for their cytotoxic activity against A549 and Hela cancer cell lines. Our results showed that compounds 2-6 exhibited varying degrees of cytotoxicity to cancer cells, with IC values ranging from 8.67 to 98.89 μmol·L.
A549 Cells ; Alkaloids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; toxicity ; Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; toxicity ; Carbazoles ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; toxicity ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Clausena ; chemistry ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo retrospectively study medium term follow-up outcomes of the femoral intertrochanteric with lateral femoral wall fractures using anatomic locking plate fixation.

METHODSFrom June 2010 to January 2013, 18 cases of the unstable femoral intertrochanteric with lateral femoral wall fractures were treated with the anatomic locking plate, included 8 males and 10 females with an average age of 75.5 years ranging from 19 to 83 years old. There were 8 cases of traffic accident injuries, 6 cases of falls injuries, and 4 cases of falling from high place. The time from injury to operation was ranged from 1 to 14 days with an average of 4.5 days. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss and the length of hospitalization were recorded and analyzed. The fracture union was assessed by follow-up radiographs and hip functional recovery by PPMS and Harris hip scoring.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up from 36 to 68 months with a mean of(44.8±8.8) months. The mean operative time was (61.02±38.28) min;the mean blood loss was (226.00±162.52) ml;the mean length of hospitalization was (10.8±9.2) days. During the follow-up period, no infection, deep veintllrombosis, screwed cut-out and implant failure occurred in all patients. Coxa vara with shortening deformity was noted in 2 cases. Bone union was found in all the cases. The bone healing time was ranged from 4 to 10 months with an average of 6.2 months. The mean PPMS score at the final follow-up was 7.22±2.36. The Harris score was 79.46±11.02, 5 cases were classified as excellent, 9 as good and 2 as fair.

CONCLUSIONSProximal femoral anatomic locking plate can be used in treating intertrochanteric fractures with compromised lateral wall, which has a satisfied medium term follow-up outcomes, especially for complex fractures patterns in which intramedullary nailing may be difficult, and should not emphasis on premature loading.

Objective To investigate the correlation between large platelet ratio (P-LCR) and stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. Methods 152 consecutive patients with atrial fibrillation were selected and divided into two groups according to whether accompanying stoke or not. Clinical features of patients and blood test indicator P-LCR were analyzed by Logistic regression analysis. Results In total, 152 subjects, including 47 patients with stoke and 105 patients without stoke,were included in the study. Univariate analysis showed that the difference in age, diabetes, hypertension, lipid-lowering therapy and P-LCR between two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that age, diabetes and P-LCR were independent risk factors of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. Conclusions Age, diabetes and P-LCR are independent risk factors of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.