Objective To explore the safety and effects of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) in patients with ischemic heart failure (IHF). Methods A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was designed (ClinicalTrial.gov registration number NCT03491969). From January 2019 to January 2023, 300 patients with IHF were enrolled in four medical centers in China, and were randomly assigned at a 1∶1 ratio to receive ALA (600 mg daily) or placebo on top of standard care for 24 months. The primary outcome was the composite outcome of hospitalization for heart failure (HF) or all-cause mortality events. The second outcome included non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), non-fatal stroke, changes of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) from baseline to 24 months after randomization. Results Finally, 138 patients of the ALA group and 139 patients of the placebo group attained the primary outcome. Hospitalization for HF or all-cause mortality events occurred in 32 patients (23.2%) of the ALA group and in 40 patients (28.8%) of the placebo group (HR＝0.753, 95%CI 0.473-1.198, P＝0.231; Figure 1A-1C). The absolute risk reduction (ARR) was 5.6%, the relative risk reduction (RRR) associated with ALA therapy was approximately 19.4% compared to placebo, corresponding to a number needed to treat (NNT) of 18 patients to prevent one event. In the secondary outcome analysis, the composite outcome of the major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) including the hospitalization for HF, all-cause mortality events, non-fatal MI or non-fatal stroke occurred in 35 patients (25.4%) in the ALA group and 47 patients (33.8%) in the placebo group (HR＝0.685, 95%CI 0.442-1.062, P＝0.091; Figure 1D). Moreover, greater improvement in LVEF (β＝3.20, 95%CI 1.14-5.23, P＝0.002) and 6MWD (β＝31.7, 95%CI 8.3-54.7, P＝0.008) from baseline to 24 months after randomization were observed in the ALA group as compared to the placebo group. There were no differences in adverse events between the study groups. Conclusions These results show potential long-term beneficial effects of adding ALA to IHF patients. ALA could significantly improve LVEF and 6MWD compared to the placebo group in IHF patients.

The study aims to elucidate the existence forms(original constituents and metabolites) of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma in rats and reveal its metabolic pathways. After Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma was administered orally once a day for seven consecutive days to rats, all urine and feces samples were collected for seven days, while the blood samples were obtained 6 h after the last administration. Using the ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) technique, this study identified 6, 73, and 156 existence forms of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma in the rat plasma, urine, and feces samples, respectively. Among them, 101 compounds were identified as new existence forms, and 13 original constituents were identified by comparing with reference compounds. The metabolic reactions of constituents from Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma were mainly deglycosylation, dehydration, hydroxylation, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, acetylation, and amino acid conjugation. Furthermore, the possible in vivo metabolic pathways of protopanaxatriol(PPT) in rats were proposed. Through comprehensive analysis of the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS) data, isomeric compounds were discriminated, and the planar chemical structures of 32 metabolites were clearly identified. According to the literature, 48 original constituents possess antitumor and cardiovascular protective bioactivities. Additionally, 32 metabolites were predicted to have similar bioactivities by SuperPred. This research lays the foundation for further exploring the in vivo effective forms of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma.
Animals ; Rats ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacokinetics* ; Rhizome/metabolism* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Panax notoginseng/chemistry* ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Feces/chemistry*

Objective To explore the current situation and experience of the development of multi-hospital areas in foreign medical institutions,and to analyze its enlightenment to the construction of"one hospital with multiple campuses"in public hospitals in China.Methods Through the combing of relevant literature,it systematically analyzes the development status of multi-hospital construction of medical institutions in typical countries such as the United States,the United Kingdom,and Germany,summarizes the relevant experience of different countries,and analyzes the current situation of the construction of"one hospital with multiple campuses"in China's public hospitals.Results At present,the orderly development of multiple hospitals of foreign medical institutions mainly depends on the homogenization of medical care,the scientific management of human resources and the improvement of information construction.China can learn from its experience and technical means to build a development pattern of"one hospital with multiple campuses"suitable for China's national conditions.Conclusion In the future,the construction of"one hospital with multiple campuses"in China's public hospitals should focus on"rationalization of human resource allocation,homogenization of medical service quality,and intelligent information system construction",improve"human resource allocation",establish and improve"information sharing mechanism",differentiate the layout of"hospital functions",and strengthen"quality supervision and patient feedback",aiming to improve the construction effect of"one hospital with multiple campuses"in China's public hospitals.

OBJECTIVE To observe the effects of laminar flow cleaning system on disinfection of bacterial colo-nies in the air of bronchoscopy room and on protection of the health care workers.METHODS The specimens were collected for laboratory test from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between Jul.2024 and Sep.2024 and were divided into four groups according to the status of personnel activity and the disinfection system:the static control group,the static study group,the dynamic control group and the dynamic study group.The bacterial colonies were collected from the air of bronchoscopy room under the static and dynamic state by planktonic bacteria method,and the bacterial colonies were collected from the body surfaces of health care workers with the use of cotton swab.RESULTS The bacterial colony counts were(19.75±9.89)CFU/0.3 m3 in the static study group at 0 h,(7.95±4.08)CFU/0.3 m3 at 1 h(P=0.012);the bacterial colony counts were(87.50±30.07)CFU/0.3 m3 in the dynamic study group at 0h,(51.05±18.94)CFU/0.3 m3 at 4h(P＜0.001);the bacterial colony counts declined in the study groups under both static and dynamic state.The bacteria colony counts of the two groups were(F=0.312,P=0.582)at 0 h under the dynamic state,(F=15.229,P=0.001)at 4 h;the bacterial colony counts were lower in the study group than in the control group at the rest of time points except for 0 h.There was no significant difference in the average bacterial colony counts on body surfaces of health care workers between the two groups at 0h;the bacterial colony counts of the control group were(1.23±1.19)CFU/cm2at 4 h,the study group(0.19±0.24)CFU/cm2(P=0.007);the difference value was(-0.77±0.99)CFU/cm2 in the control group,(-0.09±0.16)CFU/cm2(P=0.032)in the study group;the bacterial colony counts on body surfaces of the health care workers were increased less remarkably in the study group than in the control group.CONCLUSION The laminar flow cleaning system can remarkably reduce the bacterial colony counts in the air of bronchoscopy room,effectively control the increase of bacterial colonies on the body surfaces of health care workers,and offer better occupational protection of health care workers.

Objective:To quantitatively evaluate the effects of left bundle branch block（LBBB）on left ventricular structure，function and myocardial perfusion using left ventricular pressure-strain loop and single photon emission computed tomography（SPECT），and to investigate the relationship between myocardial work，myocardial perfusion and pathological changes of left ventricular remodeling in left bundle branch block induced cardiomyopathy（LBBB-CM）.Methods:Fourteen male beagle dogs were selected，and the main trunk of the left bundle branch was ablated to create an LBBB dog model. Electrocardiogram（ECG），transesophageal echocardiography and arterial blood pressure data of LBBB dogs were collected before and 12 months after the ablation of left bundle branch trunk. Global and segmental myocardial work parameters were obtained by left ventricular pressure-strain loop. The differences of above parameters between baseline and 12 months after the ablation of left bundle branch were compared. SPECT was performed in LBBB dogs 12 months after the creation of LBBB. The hearts were harvested for anatomy observation and histopathological analysis in LBBB dogs and another 7 male beagle dogs（normal control group）matched by age and weight. The correlation between myocardial perfusion（percentage of regional tracer uptake）and myocardial work parameters，myocardial fibrosis in LBBB dogs were analyzed.Results:Compared with baseline，the left ventricular end-diastolic volume of 12 months after the ablation increased［（20.78 ± 5.32）ml vs（26.71 ± 7.94）ml， P = 0.003］，left ventricular ejection fraction decreased［（59.17 ± 5.67）% vs（47.69 ± 5.45）%， P<0.001］；left ventricular global/segmental longitudinal strain，global/segmental constructive work and global/segmental work efficiency decreased（all P<0.05），left ventricular global/segmental wasted work increased（all P<0.001）. Heterogenous perfusion defect was observed in LBBB dogs by SPECT，compared with lateral wall segments，the percentage of regional tracer uptake of septum was decreased（all P<0.05）. Gross anatomical and myocardial pathological changes were manifested as cardiomegaly，flaky or focal grayish thickening of endocardium，cardiomyocyte degeneration and fibrosis. Compared with normal control group，the collagen fiber volume fraction（CVF）in all segmental endocardium and partial segmental myocardium of LBBB dogs were significantly increased（all P<0.05）. Percentage of regional tracer uptake was positively correlated with segmental myocardial work（SMW）and segmental myocardial efficiency（SWE）（ r s = 0.49，0.31；both P<0.001），and negatively correlated with CVF and segmental wasted work（SWW）（ r s = -0.51，-0.49；both P<0.001）. Conclusions:Isolated LBBB is not benign，which can result in left ventricular remodeling，decreased cardiac constructive function，abnormal myocardial perfusion，endocardial fibrosis and myocardial fibrosis.The parameters of myocardial work assecsed by echocardiograpgy and myocardial perfusion，as non-invasive examination，can to some extent reflect the degree of left ventricular remodeling in LBBB-CM.

Objective To investigate the expression changes and clinical significance of serum pepsinogen(PG)and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1(TREM-1)in patients with reflux esophagitis(RE).Methods A total of 140 patients with RE who were treated from October 2021 to October 2023 were selected as the observation group,and 140 healthy adults who underwent physical examination during the same period were selected as the control group.Serum PG(PGⅠ and PGⅡ)and TREM-1 were detected by ELISA.Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of RE.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)was used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of serum PGⅠ,PGⅡ and TREM-1 levels for RE.Results The levels of interleukin(IL)-2,IL-6,Il-1β,PGⅡ,TREM-1 and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group,while the level of PGⅠ was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.01).Serum IL-2,IL-6,IL-1β,TNF-α,PGⅡ and TREM-1 were risk factors for RE,while serum PGⅠ was a protective factor for RE(P<0.01).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve(AUC)of combined detection of PGⅠ,PGⅡ and TREM-1 in the diagnosis of RE was significantly higher than that of PGⅠ alone(Z=5.940,P<0.001)and PGⅡ alone(Z=6.764,P<0.001)and TREM-1 alone(Z=6.791,P<0.001).Conclusion The expression levels of serum PGⅡ and TREM-1 in patients with RE are increased,while the expression level of PGⅠ is decreased.The combined detection of the three can improve the diagnostic efficacy of RE.

Panax ginseng as a perennial herb of Araliaceae, exhibits pharmacological effects such as central nervous system stimulation, anti-tumor properties, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular protection. The B3 gene family plays a crucial role in growth and development, antioxidant activity, stress resistance, and secondary metabolism regulation of plants and has been extensively studied in various plants. However, the identification and analysis of the B3 gene family in P. ginseng have not been reported. In this study, a total of 145 B3 genes(PgB3s) with complete open reading frames(ORF) were identified from P. ginseng and classified into five subfamilies based on domain types. Through correlation analysis with ginsenoside content, SNP/InDels analysis, and interaction analysis with key enzyme genes, 15 PgB3 transcripts were found to be significantly correlated with ginsenoside content and exhibited a close interaction network with key enzyme genes involved in ginsenoside biosynthesis, which indicated that these genes may participate in the regulation of ginsenoside biosynthesis. Additionally, this study found that PgB3 genes exhibited induced expression in response to methyl jasmonate(MeJA) stress, which aligned with the presence of abundant stress response elements in their promoters, confirming the important role of the B3 gene family in P. ginseng in stress resistance. The results of this study revealed the potential functions of PgB3 genes in ginsenoside biosynthesis and stress response, providing a significant theoretical basis for further research on the functions of PgB3 genes and their regulatory mechanisms.
Panax/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Ginsenosides/biosynthesis* ; Multigene Family ; Phylogeny

Six compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus by using various column chromatographic methods, such as MCI Gel CHP-20, ODS, Sephadex LH-20, silica gel and semipreparative HPLC. Their structures were identified to be citrusin G (1), citrusin H (2), citrusin E (3), syringin (4), coniferin (5), methylconiferin (6) by NMR, HR-ESI-MS, UV, IR spectra. Compounds 1 and 2 were new secondary metabolism products and 3-6 were obtained from the titled material for the first time. Compound 1 showed anti-renal fibrosis activity in TGF-β1-induced kidney proximal tubular cells.

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

With the growing emphasis on maternal and child oral health, the significance of managing oral health across preconception, pregnancy, and infancy stages has become increasingly apparent. Oral health challenges extend beyond affecting maternal well-being, exerting profound influences on fetal and neonatal oral development as well as immune system maturation. This expert consensus paper, developed using a modified Delphi method, reviews current research and provides recommendations on maternal and child oral health management. It underscores the critical role of comprehensive oral assessments prior to conception, diligent oral health management throughout pregnancy, and meticulous oral hygiene practices during infancy. Effective strategies should be seamlessly integrated across the life course, encompassing preconception oral assessments, systematic dental care during pregnancy, and routine infant oral hygiene. Collaborative efforts among pediatric dentists, maternal and child health workers, and obstetricians are crucial to improving outcomes and fostering clinical research, contributing to evidence-based health management strategies.
Humans ; Pregnancy ; Female ; Infant ; Consensus ; Mouth Diseases/therapy* ; Pregnancy Complications/therapy* ; Oral Health ; Infant, Newborn ; Delphi Technique ; Oral Hygiene