BACKGROUND:Wogonin is a flavonoid extracted from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis.Previous studies have shown that baicalein has protective effects against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury,and can also reduce blood sugar and complications in diabetic mice,but its role and mechanism in diabetic cerebral infarction remain unclear. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of wogonin on nerve injury in rats with diabetic cerebral infarction and its mechanism. METHODS:Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups:control group,model group,low-dose wogonin group,medium-dose wogonin group,high-dose wogonin group,and high-dose wogonin+Ras homolog gene family member A(RhoA)activator group.Except for the control group,the other rats were established with diabetes and cerebral ischemia models using intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin and middle cerebral artery occlusion.Low,medium-and high-dose wogonin groups were intragastrically given 10,20,40 mg/kg wogonin,respectively;high-dose wogonin+RhoA activator group was intragastrically given 40 mg/kg wogonin and intraperitoneally injected 10 mg/kg lysophosphatidic acid;control group and model group were given the same amount of normal saline once a day for 7 consecutive days.Rats in each group were evaluated for neurological deficits and their blood glucose levels were measured after the last dose.TTC staining was applied to detect the volume of cerebral infarction.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was applied to observe pathological changes in brain tissue.ELISA kit was applied to detect tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin-6,malondialdehyde,and superoxide dismutase levels in brain tissue.Western blot was applied to detect the protein expression of RhoA and Rho-associated protein kinase(ROCK)2 in brain tissue. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the control group,the neuronal structure of rats in the model group was severely damaged,with cell necrosis and degeneration,the neurological deficit score,blood glucose level,and infarct volume were significantly elevated(P<0.05),the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin-6,and malondialdehyde,and the protein expression of RhoA and ROCK2 in brain tissue were significantly increased(P<0.05),and the superoxide dismutase level was decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the low-,medium-,and high-dose wogonin groups showed improved neuronal damage,reduced cell degeneration and necrosis,a significant reduction in neurological deficit score,blood glucose level,infarct volume,and the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin-6,and malondialdehyde,and the protein expression of RhoA and ROCK2 in brain tissue,and an increase in the superoxide dismutase level(P<0.05).Compared with the high-dose wogonin group,the high-dose wogonin+RhoA activator group significantly weakened the improvement in the above indexes of rats with diabetic cerebral infarction(P<0.05).To conclude,wogonin can improve the blood glucose level in rats with diabetic cerebral infarction,reduce cerebral infarction and nerve injury,and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect and mechanism of soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator sGC003F on cardiac function in mice with chronic heart failure(CHF).METHODS C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into the sham operation(sham)group,transverse aortic constriction induced CHF mouse model group,model+veliciguat(Ver,3 mg·kg-1)group(positive control)and model+sGC003F(3 and 10 mg·kg-1)group.Four weeks after modeling,drugs were ig given,once a day,for 28 d.Echocardiography was used to measure the changes in cardiac function,and the myocardial hypertrophy related indexes were calculated.The levels of serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-pro-BNP),N-terminal pro-atrial natriuretic peptide(NT-pro-ANP),soluble guanylate cyclase(sGC),cyclic guanosine monophosphate(cGMP)and inflammatory factors interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and IL-1β were detected by ELISA.The pathological changes of left heart tissue were observed with HE and Masson staining.Image was used to analyze the percentage of fibrosis in cardiac tissus stained with Masson.The activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD),content of malondialdehyde(MDA)in myocardial tissue,and level of nitric oxide(NO)in serum were detected by biochemical detection kits.The protein expression levels of p-mammalian target of rapamycin(p-mTOR),p-protein kinase B(p-Akt),TNF-α and IL-6 in cardiac tissue were detected by Western blotting.RESULTS Com-pared with the sham group,the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and left ventricular fractional shortening(LVFs)in the model group decreased significantly(P<0.01),the cardiac structure changed significantly,the percentage of myocardial fibrosis increased significantly(P<0.05),so were serum NT-pro-BNP and NT-pro-ANP levels(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the above indexes of the model+Ver group and the model+sGC003F 3 mg·kg-1 group were significantly improved(P<0.05,P<0.01).The sGC003F 10 mg·kg-1 group had a significant improvement in LVEF,LVFs,and NT-pro-BNP(P<0.01).Compared with the sham group,the serum levels of NO,sGC and cGMP in the model group decreased significantly(P<0.05,P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the serum levels of NO,sGC and cGMP were significantly increased in the model+sGC003F 3 mg·kg-1 group(P<0.01),but only serum cGMP levels were significantly increased in model+Ver and model+sGC003F 10 mg·kg-1 groups(P<0.01).Compared with the sham group,the serum levels of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 in the model group were significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the serum levels of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly decreased in the model+sGC003F 3 mg·kg-1 group(P<0.05,P<0.01),and only the TNF-α level was significantly decreased in the model+sGC003F 10 mg·kg-1 group(P<0.01).Compared with the sham group,the SOD activity of the model group was significantly decreased(P<0.01),but the MDA content significantly increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,SOD and MDA were significantly improved in the model+sGC003F 3 mg·kg-1 group(P<0.05,P<0.01),but in the model+Ver group only the SOD activity significantly increased(P<0.05).Western blotting showed that the expressions of p-mTOR,p-Akt,TNF-α and IL-6 protein in myocardial tissue of the model group were significantly higher than in the sham group(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the expressions of the above proteins in the model+sGC003F 3 mg·kg-1 group were significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01),so were the expressions of TNF-α protein in the model+sGC003F 10 mg·kg-1 group and model+Ver group(P<0.01).CONCLUSION sGC003F can improve cardiac function,and reduce myocardial fibrosis in CHF model mice,which may be related to the inhibition of myocardial oxidative stress and inflammation,and the regulation of NO/sGC/cGMP and AKT/mTOR signaling pathways.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect and mechanism of soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator sGC003F on cardiac function in mice with chronic heart failure(CHF).METHODS C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into the sham operation(sham)group,transverse aortic constriction induced CHF mouse model group,model+veliciguat(Ver,3 mg·kg-1)group(positive control)and model+sGC003F(3 and 10 mg·kg-1)group.Four weeks after modeling,drugs were ig given,once a day,for 28 d.Echocardiography was used to measure the changes in cardiac function,and the myocardial hypertrophy related indexes were calculated.The levels of serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-pro-BNP),N-terminal pro-atrial natriuretic peptide(NT-pro-ANP),soluble guanylate cyclase(sGC),cyclic guanosine monophosphate(cGMP)and inflammatory factors interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and IL-1β were detected by ELISA.The pathological changes of left heart tissue were observed with HE and Masson staining.Image was used to analyze the percentage of fibrosis in cardiac tissus stained with Masson.The activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD),content of malondialdehyde(MDA)in myocardial tissue,and level of nitric oxide(NO)in serum were detected by biochemical detection kits.The protein expression levels of p-mammalian target of rapamycin(p-mTOR),p-protein kinase B(p-Akt),TNF-α and IL-6 in cardiac tissue were detected by Western blotting.RESULTS Com-pared with the sham group,the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and left ventricular fractional shortening(LVFs)in the model group decreased significantly(P<0.01),the cardiac structure changed significantly,the percentage of myocardial fibrosis increased significantly(P<0.05),so were serum NT-pro-BNP and NT-pro-ANP levels(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the above indexes of the model+Ver group and the model+sGC003F 3 mg·kg-1 group were significantly improved(P<0.05,P<0.01).The sGC003F 10 mg·kg-1 group had a significant improvement in LVEF,LVFs,and NT-pro-BNP(P<0.01).Compared with the sham group,the serum levels of NO,sGC and cGMP in the model group decreased significantly(P<0.05,P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the serum levels of NO,sGC and cGMP were significantly increased in the model+sGC003F 3 mg·kg-1 group(P<0.01),but only serum cGMP levels were significantly increased in model+Ver and model+sGC003F 10 mg·kg-1 groups(P<0.01).Compared with the sham group,the serum levels of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 in the model group were significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the serum levels of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly decreased in the model+sGC003F 3 mg·kg-1 group(P<0.05,P<0.01),and only the TNF-α level was significantly decreased in the model+sGC003F 10 mg·kg-1 group(P<0.01).Compared with the sham group,the SOD activity of the model group was significantly decreased(P<0.01),but the MDA content significantly increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,SOD and MDA were significantly improved in the model+sGC003F 3 mg·kg-1 group(P<0.05,P<0.01),but in the model+Ver group only the SOD activity significantly increased(P<0.05).Western blotting showed that the expressions of p-mTOR,p-Akt,TNF-α and IL-6 protein in myocardial tissue of the model group were significantly higher than in the sham group(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the expressions of the above proteins in the model+sGC003F 3 mg·kg-1 group were significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01),so were the expressions of TNF-α protein in the model+sGC003F 10 mg·kg-1 group and model+Ver group(P<0.01).CONCLUSION sGC003F can improve cardiac function,and reduce myocardial fibrosis in CHF model mice,which may be related to the inhibition of myocardial oxidative stress and inflammation,and the regulation of NO/sGC/cGMP and AKT/mTOR signaling pathways.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on paroxysmal sympathetic hyperexcitation (PSH) after brain injury. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective study was conducted. Fifty-six patients with PSH who received HBO treatment from four hospitals in Henan Province from January 2021 to September 2023 were selected as the HBO group, and 36 patients with PSH who did not receive HBO treatment from Zhengzhou People's Hospital from May 2018 to December 2020 were selected as the control group. PSH assessment measure (PSH-AM) score [clinical feature scale (CFS) score+diagnostic likelihood tool (DLT) score] and Glasgow coma scale (GCS) were compared before and after HBO treatment, and between HBO group and control group to evaluate the effect of HBO treatment on prognosis of PSH patients. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in age, gender, PSH etiology, GCS score, time from onset to occurrence of PSH, CFS score, CFS+DLT score and frequency of PSH episodes between the two groups, indicating comparability. The duration of HBO treatment ranged from 3 to 11 days for 56 patients receiving HBO treatment, and the duration of HBO treatment ranged from 3 to 5 courses. Compared with before treatment, after HBO treatment, PSH symptoms in HBO patients were significantly relieved (body temperature increase: 14.29% vs. 64.29%, heart rate increase: 25.00% vs. 98.21%, shortness of breath: 14.29% vs. 76.79%, blood pressure increase: 8.93% vs. 85.71%, sweating: 10.71% vs. 85.71%, muscle tone increased: 19.64% vs. 75.00%, all P < 0.05), CFS+DLT score decreased significantly (16.90±4.81 vs. 22.12±3.12, P < 0.01), GCS score improved (12.31±5.34 vs. 5.95±2.18, P < 0.01). After 30 days of hospitalization, compared with the control group, PSH symptoms in the HBO group were improved (body temperature increase: 14.29% vs. 19.44%, heart rate increase: 19.64% vs. 25.00%, shortness of breath: 10.71% vs. 27.78%, blood pressure increase: 7.14% vs. 22.22%, sweating: 8.93% vs. 25.00%, muscle tone increased: 19.64% vs. 38.89%, all P < 0.05 except body temperature increase), CFS+DLT score decreased (16.90±3.81 vs. 19.98±4.89, P < 0.05), GCS score increased (14.12±4.12 vs. 12.31±4.14, P < 0.01), the length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay was shortened (days: 18.01±5.67 vs. 24.93±8.33, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS HBO treatment can significantly relieve the symptoms of patients with PSH after brain injury and provide a new idea for the treatment of PSH patients.
Humans ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Brain Injuries/therapy* ; Female ; Male ; Prognosis ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases/etiology*

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to update the latest data on the prevalence of hypertension (HTN) in the elderly Chinese population and to assess relationships between new anthropometric indices and HTN. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Basic Public Health Service (BPHS) survey for Jiangsu Province, China. A total of 944,760 people aged 65 years and older were included in this study. Blood pressure was measured by trained investigators. Body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WtHR), conicity index (COI), body roundness index (BRI), and a body shape index (ABSI) were included in the analysis as anthropometric indices. Logistic regression analysis and restricted cubic splines were used to evaluate the association of anthropometric indices with HTN. RESULTS: The prevalence of HTN among elderly residents of Jiangsu Province was 64.7% (95% confidence interval, 64.6 to 64.8). After adjusting for multiple covariates, all anthropometric indices except ABSI showed significant non-linear positive dose-response associations with HTN across sex (pnonlinear<0.001). Among participants with BMI <28 kg/m2, abnormal weight, WC, WtHR, BRI, COI, and ABSI were positively associated with HTN. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of HTN in the elderly in Jiangsu Province is gradually increasing. It is necessary to consider the combination of ABSI and COI with BMI for screening elderly individuals for HTN in follow-up prospective studies.

Objective:To compare the efficacy between dual stability constructs and modified Scott techniques for treatment of symptomatic spondylolysis in active adolescents.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the clinical date of 64 active adolescents who had been treated for symptomatic spondylolysis at Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The 900th Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force from January 2017 to October 2021. There were 59 males and 5 females with an age of (24.9±5.2) years. Responsible vertebral bodies were L 3 in 2 cases, L 4 in 10 cases, L 5 in 47 cases, and L 4 to L 5 in 5 cases; spondylolisthesis was accompanied in 9 cases. Depending on the surgical methods, the patients were divided into a dual stability constructs (pedicle screws and laminar screws) group (observation group, 31 cases) and a modified Scott group (control group, 33 cases). The 2 groups were compared in terms of operative time, bleeding volume, postoperative drainage volume, isthmus healing rate, rate of internal fixation failure, visual analogue scale (VAS) for low back pain, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and the good and excellent rate by JOA at postoperative 1 month, 3 months, and the last follow-up, and the incidence of complications. Results:There was no statistically significant difference in the preoperative general data between the 2 groups, indicating comparability ( P>0.05). All patients were followed up. The operation time in the observation group [(94.7±14.9) min] was significantly longer than that in the control group [(84.4±16.4) min] ( P=0.011), but there was no significant difference in intraoperative bleeding volume or postoperative drainage volume ( P>0.05). The healing rate of bilateral isthmi in the observation group was 93.5% (29/31), significantly higher than that in the control group [60.6% (20/33)], and the rate of internal fixation failure in the observation group (0) was significantly lower than that in the control group (12.1%, 4/33) ( P<0.05). At postoperative 1 month, 3 months, and the last follow-up, the VAS scores were significantly lower than the preoperative value in all patients while the JOA scores significantly higher ( P<0.05). At the last follow-up, in the observation group the VAS score [0 (0, 1.0)] was significantly lower than that in the control group [1(0, 2)], and the JOA score [(27.1±1.2) points] and the excellent and good rate by JOA [93.5% (29/31)] were significantly higher than those in the control group [(25.7±2.1) points and 75.8% (25/33)] ( P<0.05). In the control group, follow-ups revealed internal fixation failure in 4 cases due to the cable cutting out of the spinous processes, yielding a failure rate of 12.1%, while no internal fixation failure was observed in the observation group. Conclusions:Both dual stability constructs and modified Scott techniques can relieve the clinical symptoms of spondylolysis in active adolescents to various extents. However, dual stability constructs with pedicle screws and laminar screws may lead to a higher isthmus healing rate and better curative effects.

Objective:To examine the relationship between sarcopenia and DNA methylation in the promoter of the growth differentiation factor 15(GDF15)gene in elderly individuals.Methods:This cross-sectional study collected data from 865 elderly individuals aged 65 years and above who underwent physical examination at the Yuetang Town Community Medical Center in Yangzhou City between May and September 2020.The verification set included 431 males and 434 females with an age range of 65-100 years and a mean age of(76.0±5.9)years.The diagnosis of sarcopenia was based on the consensus diagnostic criteria of the Asian Sarcopenia Working Group in 2019.The study included 295 cases in the non-sarcopenia group and 470 cases in the sarcopenia group.The study selected 50 non-sarcopenia patients and 50 age-gender matched sarcopenia patients as the explore set for DNA methylation sequencing of the GDF15 gene.The sequencing results were then verified using the methylation-specific polymerase chain(PCR)method in the verification center.Additionally, serum GDF15 levels were detected using the enzyme-linked immunosoradsorption method.The study analyzed the correlation between GDF15 methylation levels, serum GDF15 levels, and sarcopenia.Results:The study found that individuals with sarcopenia had lower levels of body mass index(BMI), appendicular skeletal muscle mass(ASMI), grip strength, and gait speed in both the discovery and validation sets compared to those without sarcopenia( P<0.05). Additionally, the DNA methylation of GDF15 was found to be lower in the sarcopenic group compared to the non-sarcopenic group[93.7%(79.6%, 98.0%) vs.97.7%(95.3%, 99.0%), Z=-9.294, P<0.01]. The results of the correlation analysis indicate a positive relationship between the methylation level and appendicular skeletal muscle mass( r=0.206, P<0.01), grip strength( r=0.297, P<0.01), and gait speed( r=0.383, P<0.01). Conversely, there was a negative correlation between the methylation level and serum GDF15 level( r=-0.249, P<0.05). The study conducted ROC analysis to determine the predictive ability of GDF15 methylation for sarcopenia found that the area under the curve was 0.700 with a cut-off score of 92.7%.Furthermore, binary regression analysis revealed that low GDF15 methylation( OR=1.136, 95% CI: 1.098~1.175, P<0.01)was linked to a higher risk of sarcopenia, even after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI.The serum GDF15 level was higher in the sarcopenic group compared to the non-sarcopenic group[(0.665±0.432)pg/L vs.(0.465±0.211)pg/L( t=-2.452, P<0.05)]. Additionally, it was observed that the methylation of GDF15 was negatively correlated with the serum GDF15 level( r=-0.249, P<0.05). Conclusions:A low level of GDF15 methylation has been found to be linked with a higher risk of sarcopenia, suggesting that measuring GDF15 methylation could potentially serve as a biomarker for diagnosing sarcopenia.

Objective: To understand the possible transmission route of a family cluster of COVID-19 in Zhengzhou and the potential infectivity of COVID-19 in incubation period, and provide scientific evidence for the timely control of infectious source and curb the spread of the epidemic. Methods: Epidemiological investigation was conducted for a family cluster of COVID-19 (8 cases) with descriptive epidemiological method, and respiratory tract samples of the cases were collected for the nucleic acid detection of 2019-nCoV by RT-PCR. Results: Two primary cases, which occurred on 31 January and 1 February, 2020, respectively, had a common exposure history in Wuhan. The other six family members had onsets on 30 January, 31 January, 1 February (three cases) and 3 February, 2020. Conclusions In this family cluster of COVID-19, six family members were infected through common family exposure to the 2 primary cases. Five secondary cases had onsets earlier than or on the same day as the primary cases, indicating that COVID-19 is contagious in incubation period, and the home isolation in the early phase of the epidemic might lead to the risk of family cluster of COVID-19.

As a major factor in determining performances of the electrochemical super capacitor, electrode materials have received wide attentions recently. Bacteria, with their advantages of low cost, abundance, environmental protection and easy to get from nature, have become the promising biomaterials. The composite electrode materials based on bacteria or their related products, have the advantages of large specific surface area, good cycle stability and high capacitance, and become the research focus in the field of super capacitor electrode materials. Herein, the characteristics and related technology of different bacteria on the preparation of electrode materials for super capacitor were summarized. This review systematically elaborates the latest research progress of bacterial composite electrode materials. Moreover, the prospect of super capacitors has been discussed.

Objective · To investigate the effects of simo decoction combined with mannitol on the intestinal preparation of magnetically guided capsule endoscopy (MGCE). Methods · A total of 120 patients were enrolled in this randomized controlled trial and randomly divided into two groups according to the random number table. The observation group (n=60) was pretreated with simo decoction 20 mL each time, 3 times a day combined with mannitol 500 mL for oral administration before MGCE examination, while control group (n=60) only was done with mannitol 500 mL for oral administration. Then the intestinal cleanliness and occurrence of adverse reaction were observed. Results · The intestine bubbles in observation group were less than that of control group based on evaluation criteria (Z=-1.976, P=0.048), and the intestine juices in observation group were also less than control group (Z=-2.489,P=0.013) suggesting that the intestinal cleanliness in observation group was superior to control group. Simultaneously, the score of nausea and vomiting in observation group was lower than control group according to the evaluation criteria (Z=-2.215, P=0.027), and abdominal pain, distension and anal stenosis in observation group were less than control group (Z=-2.158, P=0.031), meanwhile, the overall incidences of adverse reaction were 8.33% and 36.67%, respectively (χ2=13.811, P=0.000) , all of which implied that the occurrence of adverse reaction was lower in observation group compared to control group. Conclusion · Simo decoction combined with mannitol could enhance intestinal cleanliness and reduce the occurrence of adverse reaction so as to improve the effect of intestinal preparation.