OBJECTIVE: To explore the functional roles and underlying mechanisms of neferine in the context of angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension and vascular dysfunction. METHODS: Male mice were infused with Ang II to induce hypertension and randomly divided into treatment groups receiving neferine or a control vehicle based on baseline blood pressure using a random number table method. The hypertensive mouse model was constructed by infusing Ang II via a micro-osmotic pump (500 ng/kg per minute), and neferine (0.1, 1, or 10 mg/kg), valsartan (10 mg/kg), or double distilled water was administered intragastrically once daily for 6 weeks. A non-invasive blood pressure system, ultrasound, and hematoxylin and eosin staining were performed to assess blood pressure and vascular changes. RNA sequencing and network pharmacology were employed to identify differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) and pathways. Vascular ring tension assay was used to test vascular function. A7R5 cells were incubated with neferine for 24 h and then treated with Ang II to record the real-time Ca²⁺ concentration by confocal microscope. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot were used to evaluate vasorelaxation, calcium, and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 pathway. RESULTS: Neferine treatment effectively mitigated the elevation in blood pressure, pulse wave velocity, aortic thickening in the abdominal aorta of Ang II-infused mice (P<0.05). RNA sequencing and network pharmacology analysis identified 355 DETs that were significantly reversed by neferine treatment, along with 25 potential target genes, which were further enriched in multiple pathways and biological processes, such as ERK1 and ERK2 cascade regulation, calcium pathway, and vascular smooth muscle contraction. Further investigation revealed that neferine treatment enhanced vasorelaxation and reduced Ca²⁺-dependent contraction of abdominal aortic rings, independent of endothelium function (P<0.05). The underlying mechanisms were mediated, at least in part, via suppression of receptor-operated channels, store-operated channels, or voltage-operated calcium channels. Neferine pre-treatment demonstrated a reduction in intracellular Ca²⁺ release in Ang II stimulated A7R5 cells. IHC staining and Western blot confirmed that neferine treatment effectively attenuated the upregulation of p-ERK1/2 both in vivo and in vitro, which was similar with treatment of ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Neferine remarkably alleviates Ang II-induced elevation of blood pressure, vascular dysfunction, and pathological changes in the abdominal aorta. This beneficial effect is mediated by the modulation of multiple pathways, including calcium and ERK1/2 pathways.
Animals ; Angiotensin II ; Male ; Benzylisoquinolines/therapeutic use* ; Network Pharmacology ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Sequence Analysis, RNA ; Mice ; Hypertension/chemically induced* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Calcium/metabolism*

Objective To explore the current status of H.pylori infection in the natural population of Sanya City,analyze its influencing factors,and provide a reference basis for the prevention and control of H.pylori infection.Methods A total of 677 residents from four districts of Sanya City were selected by overall stratified random sampling method,and were subjected to urea 14C breath test and questionnaire survey to calculate the positive rate of H.pylori in the natural population and analyze the influencing factors of H.pylori infection.Results A total of 606 residents were included,and the number of H.pylori positive detections was 261,with a positive detection rate of 38.5％.Among them,different ethnicity,marital status,smoking,eating vegetables and fruits,and literacy level were associated with H.pylori infection(P＜0.05);gender,age,BMI,alcohol consumption,drinking water source,betel quid chewing,and the number of cohabitants were not significantly associated with H.pylori infection(P＞0.05).Family infection was an independent risk factor for H.pylori infection in the natural population of Sanya City,and Li ethnicity,frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables,and college and higher education level were independent protective factors for H.pylori infection in the natural population of Sanya City.Conclusion The rate of H.pylori infection in the natural population of Sanya City is lower than the national average.Consuming more fruits and vegetables and improving the awareness of hygiene protection are conducive to the prevention of H.pylori infection;and the promotion of the family and related members with the same examination and treatment is important to avoid aggregation of infection within the family.

Aim To investigate the effect of long non- coding RNA p21 (LncRNA p21) regulating Hippo- Yes-associated protein (Hippo-YAP) signaling pathway on the formation of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in mice. Methods C57BL/6 ApoE

Objective To explore the risk factors for bile leakage after laparoscopic common bile duct exploration(LCBDE)with primary closure.Methods The clinical data of 560 patients with choledocholithiasis who underwent LCBDE with primary closure in Tianjin Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine from September 2021 to September 2023 were retrospectively analyzed,and the patients were divided into the bile leak group and the non-bile leak group according to the occurrence of postoperative bile leakage.The risk factors affecting the occurrence of postoperative bile leakage were analyzed by multivariate analysis.Results A total of 64 cases(11.4% )experienced varying degrees of bile leakage,including 55 cases of grade A bile leakage,7 cases of grade B,and 2 cases of grade C.The thin common bile duct(OR=0.07,P<0.001),history of hypertension(OR=4.56,P<0.001),and high BMI(OR=1.17,P=0.002)were the risk factors for postoperative bile leakage in patients with choledocholithiasis.Conclusion Patients with thin common bile duct,hypertension and obesity are more likely to occur postoperative bile leakage.Patients with choledocholithiasis who have the above high-risk factors should be cautious in choosing LCBDE with primary closure.

This study explored the growth-promoting effect and mechanism of the endophytic bacterium Kocuria rosea on Rehmannia glutinosa, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the development of green bacterial fertilizer. R. glutinosa 'Jinjiu' was treated with K. rosea, and the shoot parameters including leaf length, leaf width, plant width, and stem diameter were measured every 15 days. After 120 days, the shoots and roots were harvested. The root indicators(root number, root length, root diameter, root fresh weight, root dry weight, root volume, and root vitality) and secondary metabolites(catalpol, rehmannioside A, rehmannioside D, verbascoside, and leonuride) were determined. The R. glutinosa growth-promoting mechanism of K. rosea was discussed from the effect of K. rosea on the nutrient element content in R. glutinosa and rhizosphere soil and the genome information of this plant. After application of K. rosea, the maximum increases in leaf length, leaf width, plant width, and stem diameter were 35.67%(60 d), 25.39%(45 d), 40.17%(60 d), and 113.85%(45 d), respectively. The root number, root length, root diameter, root volume, root fresh weight, root dry weight, and root viability increased by 41.71%, 45.10%, 48.61%, 94.34%, 101.55%, 147.61%, and 42.08%, respectively. In addition, the content of rehmannioside A and verbascoside in the root of R. glutinosa increased by 76.67% and 69.54%, respectively. K. rosea promoted the transformation of nitrogen(N), phosphorus(P), and potassium(K) in the rhizosphere soil into the available state. Compared with that in the control, the content of available N(54.60 mg·kg~(-1)), available P(1.83 μmol·g~(-1)), and available K(83.75 mg·kg~(-1)) in the treatment with K. rosea increased by 138.78%, 44.89%, and 14.34%, respectively. The content of N, P, and K in the treatment group increased by 293.22%, 202.63%, and 23.80% in the roots and by 23.60%, 107.23%, and 134.53% in the leaves of R. glutinosa, respectively. K. rosea carried the genes related to colonization(rbsB, efp, bcsA, and gmhC), N, P, and K metabolism(narG, narH, narI, nasA, nasB, GDH2, pyk, aceB, ackA, CS, ppa, ppk, ppk2, pstS, pstA, pstB, and pstC), and indole-3-acetic acid and zeatin synthesis(iaaH and miaA). Further studies showed that K. rosea could colonize the roots of R. glutinosa and secrete indole-3-acetic acid(3.85 μg·mL~(-1)) and zeatin(0.10 μg·mL~(-1)). In summary, K. rosea promotes the growth of R.ehmannia glutinosa by enhancing the nutrient uptake, which provides a theoretical basis for the development of plant growth-promoting microbial products.
Rehmannia/metabolism* ; Endophytes/metabolism* ; Plant Roots/growth & development* ; Micrococcaceae/genetics* ; Data Mining ; Plant Leaves/metabolism* ; Genomics ; Rhizosphere

Objective: To investigate the lifespan of erythrocytes in megaloblastic anemia (MA) patients. Methods: A prospective cohort study analysis. Clinical data from 42 MA patients who were newly diagnosed at the Department of Hematology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital from January 2021 to August 2021 were analyzed, as were control data from 24 healthy volunteers acquired during the same period. The carbon monoxide breath test was used to measure erythrocyte lifespan, and correlations between erythrocyte lifespan and laboratory test indexes before and after treatment were calculated. Statistical analysis included the t-test and Pearson correlation. Results: The mean erythrocyte lifespan in the 42 newly diagnosed MA patients was (49.05±41.60) d, which was significantly shorter than that in the healthy control group [(104.13±42.62) d; t=5.13,P=0.001]. In a vitamin B₁₂-deficient subset of MA patients the mean erythrocyte lifespan was (30.09±15.14) d, and in a folic acid-deficient subgroup it was (72.00±51.44) d, and the difference between these two MA subsets was significant (t=3.73, P=0.001). The mean erythrocyte lifespan after MA treatment was (101.28±33.02) d, which differed significantly from that before MA treatment (t=4.72, P=0.001). In MA patients erythrocyte lifespan was positively correlated with hemoglobin concentration (r=0.373), and negatively correlated with total bilirubin level (r=-0.425), indirect bilirubin level (r=-0.431), and lactate dehydrogenase level (r=-0.504) (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Erythrocyte lifespan was shortened in MA patients, and there was a significant difference between a vitamin B₁₂-deficient group and a folic acid-deficient group. After treatment the erythrocyte lifespan can return to normal. Erythrocyte lifespan is expected to become an informative index for the diagnosis and treatment of MA.
Humans ; Longevity ; Clinical Relevance ; Prospective Studies ; Erythrocytes ; Anemia, Megaloblastic ; Folic Acid ; Bilirubin ; Vitamins

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the safety and the short-term efficacy of venetoclax combined with azacitidine followed by cladribine (VAC regimen) in children with refractory/ relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS: The clinical data, treatment outcomes, complications, and blood product consumption of 6 children with refractory/relapsed AML treated with VAC regimen in the Children's Hospital of Soochow University from August 2021 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 6 children, there were 1 male and 5 females. 5 cases were refractory AML, and 1 case was relapsed AML, which recurred again 16 months after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. 4 children were accompanied by chromosomes or genes that predicted poor prognosis, such as RUNX1, FLT3-ITD, KMT2A exon 2-exon 8 dup, MLL-AF6, 7q-, KMT2A exon 2-exon 10 dup, etc. After received VAC regimen, 4 cases achieved CR+CRi, 1 case achieved PR (only MRD did not relieve, MRD was 0.59%), and 1 case was NR (but the proportion of bone marrow blasts decreased). All 6 patients had grade Ⅳ neutropenia, and 4 patients had grade Ⅳ thrombocytopenia. During the period of neutropenia, none of the 6 children developed symptoms of infection such as fever, cough, and diarrhea. No treatment-related death occurred. CONCLUSION Venetoclax combined with azacitidine followed by cladribine provides a new treatment option for patients with relapsed/refractory AML who have poor efficacy in early induction remission theragy, showing good efficacy and safety.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Azacitidine/therapeutic use* ; Cladribine/therapeutic use* ; Retrospective Studies ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics* ; Neutropenia ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use*

This study aims to provide evidence for clinical practice by systematically reviewing the efficacy and safety of Gusongbao preparation in the treatment of primary osteoporosis(POP). The relevant papers were retrieved from four Chinese academic journal databases and four English academic journal databases(from inception to May 31, 2022). The randomized controlled trial(RCT) of Gusongbao preparation in the treatment of POP was included after screening according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality of articles was evaluated using risk assessment tools, and the extracted data were subjected to Meta-analysis in RevMan 5.3. A total of 657 articles were retrieved, in which 15 articles were included in this study, which involved 16 RCTs. A total of 3 292 patients(1 071 in the observation group and 2 221 in the control group) were included in this study. In the treatment of POP, Gusongbao preparation+conventional treatment was superior to conventional treatment alone in terms of increasing lumbar spine(L2-L4) bone mineral density(MD=0.03, 95%CI[0.02, 0.04], P<0.000 01) and femoral neck bone mineral density, reducing low back pain(MD=-1.69, 95%CI[-2.46,-0.92], P<0.000 1) and improving clinical efficacy(RR=1.36, 95%CI[1.21, 1.53], P<0.000 01). Gusongbao preparation was comparable to similar Chinese patent medicines in terms of improving clinical efficacy(RR=0.95, 95%CI[0.86, 1.04], P=0.23). Gusongbao preparation was inferior to similar Chinese patent medicines in reducing traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores(MD=1.08, 95%CI[0.44, 1.71], P=0.000 9) and improving Chinese medicine syndrome efficacy(RR=0.89, 95%CI[0.83, 0.95], P=0.000 4). The incidence of adverse reactions of Gusongbao preparation alone or combined with conventio-nal treatment was comparable to that of similar Chinese patent medicines(RR=0.98, 95%CI[0.57, 1.69], P=0.94) or conventio-nal treatment(RR=0.73, 95%CI[0.38, 1.42], P=0.35), and the adverse reactions were mainly gastrointestinal discomforts. According to the available data, Gusongbao preparation combined with conventional treatment is more effective than conventional treatment alone in increasing lumbar spine(L2-L4) bone mineral density and femoral neck bone mineral density, reducing low back pain, and improving clinical efficacy. The adverse reactions of Gusongbao preparation were mainly gastrointestinal discomforts, which were mild.
Humans ; Bone Density ; Low Back Pain ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Osteoporosis/drug therapy*

Humans ; Heart Atria ; Biopsy ; Surgical Instruments ; Catheters ; Lymphoma/pathology*

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Wutou Chishizhi Wan in regulating autophagy and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/glycogen synthase kinase-3β （GSK-3β） signaling pathway in rats with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury （MIRI）. MethodSixty male SD rats were randomly assigned into the normal group （normal saline）， model group （normal saline）， positive control （trimetazidine， 5.4 mg·kg^-1） group， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （1.63， 4.9， 14.7 g·kg^-1， respectively） Wutou Chishizhi Wan groups， with 10 rats in each group. The rats in other groups except the normal group underwent left anterior descending coronary artery ligation for modeling. Electrocardiogram was employed to detect the ST-segment elevation to evaluate the modeling. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to reveal the damage of myocardial tissue. The levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST） and creatine kinase （CK） were determined by colorimetry， and those of cardiac troponin T （cTnT） and myoglobin （MYO） by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Western blot was carried out to determine the protein levels of microtubule-associated proteins 1 light chain 3 （LC3）， autophagy-related gene Beclin-1， PI3K， Akt， GSK-3β， p-GSK-3β， and p-Akt. ResultCompared with the normal group， the modeling elevated the serum levels of AST， CK， cTnT， and MYO （P<0.01）， destroyed the arrangement of myocardial cells abd nucle， twisted and broken myocardial fibers， up-regulated the protein levels of LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ and Beclin-1 （P<0.01）， and down-regulated the protein levels of PI3K， p-Akt， and p-GSK-3β （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， trimetazidine and Wutou Chishizhi Wan （all the doses） lowered the levels of AST， CK， cTnT， and MYO in serum （P<0.01）， restored the arrangement of myocardial cells and muscle fibers， reduced necrosis， down-regulated the protein level of Beclin-1 （P<0.01）， and up-regulated the protein levels of PI3K， p-Akt， and p-GSK-3β （P<0.01）. Additionally， Wutou Chishizhi Wan （all the doses） down-regulated the protein level of LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with those in the trimetazidine group， the serum AST level rose in the low-dose Wutou Chishizhi Wan group （P<0.05） and declined in the high-dose group （P<0.01）， and the protein level of Beclin-1 was down-regulated in the medium-dose group （P<0.01）. Additionally， the trimetazidine group had higher protein level of LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ than medium- and high-dose Wutou Chishizhi Wan groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）， higher protein level of PI3K than low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （P<0.01）， lower protein level of p-Akt than low- and medium-dose groups （P<0.01）， and higher p-GSK-3β protein level than the medium-dose group （P<0.01）. ConclusionDifferent doses of Wutou Chishizhi Wan can ameliorate MIRI， and the high dose has the best effect. Wutou Chishizhi Wan can reduce the activity of myocardial injury markers AST， CK， cTnT， and MYO， and alleviate the pathological damage of myocardial tissue. It can down-regulate the protein levels of beclin-1， LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ， and up-regulate those of PI3K， p-Akt， and p-GSK-3β. In summary， Wutou Chishizhi Wan may inhibit excessive autophagy and regulate the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway to exert protective effect on MIRI rats.