[Objective]To investigate the effect of Qifu Qiangxin Decoction on heart failure(HF)and explore its mechanism.[Methods]Forty male C57BL/6N mice were randomly divided into sham surgery(Sham)group,model(HF)group,low-dose Qifu Qiangxin Formula(HF+QL)group,high-dose Qifu Qiangxin Formula(HF+QH)group and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor(HF+ACEI)group according to the random number table method.The mouse HF model was established by ligating the left anterior descending(LAD)artery.Cell model in cardiac fibroblasts(CFs)was stimulated by Angiotensin Ⅱ(Ang Ⅱ).Ang Ⅱ-stimulated CFs were treated with drug-containing serum or blank serum,then incubated with gamma-secretase inhibitor(DAPT)and transmembrane receptor Notch1 siRNA.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to assess serum B-syndrome natriuretic peptide(BNP)levels in mice.Left ventricular end-systolic diameter(LVESD),left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDD),ejection fraction(EF)and fraction shorting(FS)were measured by ultrasound cardiogram(UCG).The histological structure was observed after hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining,while the collagen protein expression in heart muscle tissues was measured by using Picro sirius red(PSR)and Masson staining.Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR),western blot and immunofluorescence(IF)was used to determine the expression levels of collagenⅠ,collagen Ⅲ,α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA),Notch1,Notch intracellular domain-1(NICD1),transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1),Smad protein 2(Smad2),phosphorylated-Smad2(p-Smad2),Smad protein 3(Smad3),phosphorylated-Smad3(p-Smad3),Smad protein 7(Smad7)in CFs and heart tissues,and the migration of CFs was determined by examining wound healing.[Results]Compared with HF group,Qifu Qiangxin Decoction reduced histopathological changes,serum BNP levels,LVESD and LVEDD,and collagen deposition,while increasing EF and FS(P<0.01,P<0.001).Qifu Qiangxin Decoction also notably inhibited the cell viability,migration,collagen Ⅰ,collagen Ⅲ mRNA and α-SMA protein expression in Ang Ⅱ stimulated CFs(P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.001);promoted Notch1,NICD1 and Smad7 protein expression and hindered TGF-β1,p-Smad2,p-Smad3 protein expression in HF mice and Ang Ⅱ-stimulated CFs(P<0.001).siNotch1 abolished the impact of Qifu Qiangxin Decoction on Notch1,NICD1,TGF-β1,p-Smad2 and p-Smad3 protein expression,and cell viability,migration,as well as collagen Ⅰ,collagen Ⅲ mRNA and α-SMA protein expression in Ang Ⅱ-stimulated CFs(P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.001).[Conclusion]To some extent,Qifu Qiangxin Decoction showed protective properties against HF,and its mechanism may be through the regulation of the TGF-β1/Smad pathway by Notch1.

[Objective]To investigate the effect of Qifu Qiangxin Decoction on heart failure(HF)and explore its mechanism.[Methods]Forty male C57BL/6N mice were randomly divided into sham surgery(Sham)group,model(HF)group,low-dose Qifu Qiangxin Formula(HF+QL)group,high-dose Qifu Qiangxin Formula(HF+QH)group and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor(HF+ACEI)group according to the random number table method.The mouse HF model was established by ligating the left anterior descending(LAD)artery.Cell model in cardiac fibroblasts(CFs)was stimulated by Angiotensin Ⅱ(Ang Ⅱ).Ang Ⅱ-stimulated CFs were treated with drug-containing serum or blank serum,then incubated with gamma-secretase inhibitor(DAPT)and transmembrane receptor Notch1 siRNA.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to assess serum B-syndrome natriuretic peptide(BNP)levels in mice.Left ventricular end-systolic diameter(LVESD),left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDD),ejection fraction(EF)and fraction shorting(FS)were measured by ultrasound cardiogram(UCG).The histological structure was observed after hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining,while the collagen protein expression in heart muscle tissues was measured by using Picro sirius red(PSR)and Masson staining.Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR),western blot and immunofluorescence(IF)was used to determine the expression levels of collagenⅠ,collagen Ⅲ,α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA),Notch1,Notch intracellular domain-1(NICD1),transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1),Smad protein 2(Smad2),phosphorylated-Smad2(p-Smad2),Smad protein 3(Smad3),phosphorylated-Smad3(p-Smad3),Smad protein 7(Smad7)in CFs and heart tissues,and the migration of CFs was determined by examining wound healing.[Results]Compared with HF group,Qifu Qiangxin Decoction reduced histopathological changes,serum BNP levels,LVESD and LVEDD,and collagen deposition,while increasing EF and FS(P<0.01,P<0.001).Qifu Qiangxin Decoction also notably inhibited the cell viability,migration,collagen Ⅰ,collagen Ⅲ mRNA and α-SMA protein expression in Ang Ⅱ stimulated CFs(P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.001);promoted Notch1,NICD1 and Smad7 protein expression and hindered TGF-β1,p-Smad2,p-Smad3 protein expression in HF mice and Ang Ⅱ-stimulated CFs(P<0.001).siNotch1 abolished the impact of Qifu Qiangxin Decoction on Notch1,NICD1,TGF-β1,p-Smad2 and p-Smad3 protein expression,and cell viability,migration,as well as collagen Ⅰ,collagen Ⅲ mRNA and α-SMA protein expression in Ang Ⅱ-stimulated CFs(P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.001).[Conclusion]To some extent,Qifu Qiangxin Decoction showed protective properties against HF,and its mechanism may be through the regulation of the TGF-β1/Smad pathway by Notch1.

Objective:To observe and explore the clinical therapeutic effects of a self-developed novel low-temperature boric acid wet dressing on the face and neck wounds of patients with superficial burns.Methods:A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted. One hundred cases of superficial burn (sunburn) patients who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to Department of Dermatology of Chongqing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from October 2016 to June 2018, the course of sunburn was less than 15 days. According to the of random number table, the patients were divided into new dressing (ND) group (30 males and 20 females, aged (55±14) years) and conventional dressing (CD) group (28 males and 22 females, aged (59±12) years). Patients in ND group were treated with a self-developed new low-temperature boric acid wet dressing, and patients in CD group were treated with normal temperature boric acid solution wet dressing, 3 times a day. The Eczema area and severity index (EASI) score and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score of patients before and 14 days after treatment (patients discharged from hospital within 14 days were recorded on the day of discharge), the number of cured patients at 6, 8, 10, and 11 to 14 days after treatment, and the efficacy were compared between the patients in 2 groups. The nurse operators were investigated by self-made convenience questionnaire, and the time and convenience required of 2 dressings were compared. Data were statistically analyzed with independent sample t test or Mann-Whitey U test. Results:Before the treatment, the EASI and VAS score in those two groups showed no significantly difference ( t=1.576, 1.492, P>0.05). At 14 days after treatment, the EASI score (2.4±0.4) points in ND Group was significantly lower than (4.6±0.7) points in CD Group ( t=3.552, P<0.01); the VAS score (0.51±0.12) points in ND Group was significantly lower than (0.98±0.19) points in CD Group ( t=3.496, P<0.01). At 14 days after treatment, the cured time of sunburns in ND Group was significantly shorter than that in CD Group ( Z=-6.690, P<0.01); the treatment effects of ND Group showed better than that in CD Group ( Z=3.387, P<0.01). The time for nurses operating ND was significantly shorter than that in CD ( Z=-5.575, P<0.01); the nurses also believed the operation of ND was more convenient than CD ( Z=-4.304, P<0.01). Conclusions:Compared with that of CD, the application of ND can shorten the recovery time and improve the treatment efficiency. At the same time, the application of ND can significantly reduce the time of nursing operations, and the material is easy to use. This new material is worthy of clinical promotion for the treatment of superficial burns.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic efficacy of fecal calprotectin(FC) on assessing endoscopic disease activity in colonic or ileo-colonic Crohn disease (CD) and CD-related surgery patients .Methods Totally 56 colonic or ileo-colonic CD pa-tients ,25 CD-related surgery patients and 25 irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients with previously confirmed diagnosis of CD and IBS were enrolled into this study .Fecal samples were collected from 1 to 3 day before bowel preparation and FC was measured by ELISA .Endoscopic activity was determined for colonic or ileo-colonic CD with Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn′s Disease (SES-CD) and CD-related surgery patients with the Rutgeerts′ score .Results Among colonic or ileo-colonic CD patients ,the levels of FC in endoscopic active patients had significantly higher than that of endoscopic remission patients and IBS patients(P < 0 .01) ,there was significant correlation between levels of FC and the SES-CD (r= 0 .802 ,P< 0 .01) .FC threshold of 250 μg/g was tested to in-dicated active endoscopic disease with 97 .1% sensitivity and 71 .4% specificity .Among CD-related surgery patients ,FC level in IBS patients were significantly lower than that of endoscopic remission patients and endoscopic active patients ,but the FC in endoscopic remission patients and endoscopic active patients had no statistic difference(P> 0 .05) ,FC cutoff level of 250 μg /g gave a sensitivity and specificity of 50 .0% ,66 .7% ,respectively .Conclusion FC is a surrogate marker for the evaluation of colonic or ileo-colonic CD endoscopic disease activity .The FC ,however ,can not distinct remission period and active period after CD surgery .