OBJECTIVE: To explore decompression strategies for lateral lumbar spinal stenosis under unilateral biportal endoscopy (UBE) assistance. METHODS: A clinical data of 86 patients with lateral lumbar stenosis treated with UBE-assisted intervertebral decompression between September 2022 and December 2023 was retrospectively analyzed. There were 42 males and 44 females with an average age of 63.6 years (range, 45-79 years). The disease duration ranged from 6 to 14 months (mean, 8.5 months). Surgical levels included L _{2, 3} in 3 cases, L _{3, 4} in 26 cases, L _{4, 5} in 42 cases, and L ₅, S ₁ in 15 cases. According to Lee's grading system, there were 21 cases of grade 1, 37 cases of grade 2, and 28 cases of grade 3 for lumbar spinal stenosis. Based on the location of stenosis and clinical symptoms, the 33 cases underwent interlaminar approach, 7 cases underwent interlaminar approach with auxiliary third incision, 26 cases underwent contralateral inclinatory approach, and 20 cases underwent paraspinal approach; then, the corresponding decompression procedures were performed. Visual analogue scale (VAS) score was used to evaluate lower back/leg pain before operation and at 1 and 3 months after operation, while Oswestry disability index (ODI) was used to evaluate spinal function. At 3 months after operation, the effectiveness was evaluated using the modified MacNab evaluation criteria. The spinal stenosis and decompression were evaluated based on Lee's grading system using lumbar MRI before operation and at 3 months after operation. RESULTS: All procedures were successfully completed with mean operation time of 95.1 minutes (range, 57-166 minutes). Dural tears occurred in 2 cases treated with interlaminar approach with auxiliary third incision. All incisions healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 3-10 months (mean, 5.9 months). The clinical symptoms of the patients relieved to varying degrees. The VAS scores and ODI of lower back and leg pain at 1 and 3 months after operation significantly improved compared to preoperative levels ( P<0.05), and the indicators at 3 months significantly improved than that at 1 month ( P<0.05). According to the modified MacNab evaluation criteria, the effectiveness at 3 months after operation was rated as excellent in 52 cases, good in 21 cases, and poor in 13 cases, with an excellent and good rate of 84.9%. No lumbar instability was detected on flexion-extension X-ray films during follow-up. The Lee's grading of lateral lumbar stenosis at 2 days after operation showed significant improvement compared to preoperative grading ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION For lateral lumbar spinal stenosis, UBE-assisted decompression of the spinal canal requires the selection of interlaminar approach, interlaminar approach with auxiliary third incision, contralateral inclinatory approach, and paraspinal approach based on preoperative imaging findings and clinical symptoms to achieve better effectiveness.
Humans ; Spinal Stenosis/diagnostic imaging* ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Decompression, Surgical/methods* ; Aged ; Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery* ; Endoscopy/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND: Early control of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is crucial for reducing the progress of cardiovascular disease. However, its additional role to the risk of primary osteoporosis in men with coronary heart disease was inconclusive. Our study aims to determine the association of LDL-C and its trajectories for osteoporosis risk in the middle-aged and aged men of China. METHODS: The retrospective cohort study of 1546 men aged 69.74 ± 11.30 years conducted in Beijing, China from 2015 to 2022. And the incidence of primary osteoporosis was annually recorded. LDL-C trajectories were further identified by latent class growth model using repeated measurements of LDL-C. The association of baseline LDL-C for osteoporosis was estimated using hazard ratio (HR) with 95% CI in Cox proportional hazard model, while mean level and trajectories of LDL-C for osteoporosis were evaluated using odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI in logistic regression model. RESULTS: During the median 6.2-year follow-up period, 70 men developed primary osteoporosis. The higher level of baseline LDL-C (HR = 1.539, 95% CI: 1.012-2.342) and mean LDL-C (OR = 2.190, 95% CI: 1.443-3.324) were associated with higher risk of osteoporosis in men with coronary heart disease after adjusted for covariates. Compared with those in the LDL-C trajectory of low-stable decrease, participants with medium-fluctuant trajectory, whose longitudinal LDL-C started with a medium LDL-C level and appeared an increase and then decrease, were negatively associated with osteoporosis risk (OR = 2.451, 95% CI: 1.152-5.216). And participants with initially high LDL-C level and then a rapid decrease demonstrated a tendency towards reduced risk (OR = 0.718, 95% CI: 0.212-2.437). CONCLUSIONS Elevated LDL-C level and its long-term fluctuation may increase the risk of primary osteoporosis in men. Early controlling a stable level of LDL-C is also essential for bone health.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute infectious respiratory disease that has been prevalent since December 2019. Chinese medicine (CM) has demonstrated its unique advantages in the fight against COVID-19 in the areas of disease prevention, improvement of clinical symptoms, and control of disease progression. This review summarized the relevant material components of CM in the treatment of COVID-19 by searching the relevant literature and reports on CM in the treatment of COVID-19 and combining with the physiological and pathological characteristics of the novel coronavirus. On the basis of sorting out experimental methods in vivo and in vitro, the mechanism of herb action was further clarified in terms of inhibiting virus invasion and replication and improving related complications. The aim of the article is to explore the strengths and characteristics of CM in the treatment of COVID-19, and to provide a basis for the research and scientific, standardized treatment of COVID-19 with CM.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment ; SARS-CoV-2/drug effects* ; COVID-19/therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Antiviral Agents/pharmacology* ; Animals

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN) is a severe dose-limiting adverse event of chemotherapy. Presently, the mechanism underlying the induction of CIPN remains unclear, and no effective treatment is available. In this study, through metabolomics analyses, we found that nab-paclitaxel therapy markedly increased serum serotonin [5-hydroxtryptamine (5-HT)] levels in both cancer patients and mice compared to the respective controls. Furthermore, nab-paclitaxel-treated enterochromaffin (EC) cells showed increased 5-HT synthesis, and serotonin-treated Schwann cells showed damage, as indicated by the activation of CREB3L3/MMP3/FAS signaling. Venlafaxine, an inhibitor of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake, was found to protect against nerve injury by suppressing the activation of CREB3L3/MMP3/FAS signaling in Schwann cells. Remarkably, venlafaxine was found to significantly alleviate nab-paclitaxel-induced CIPN in patients without affecting the clinical efficacy of chemotherapy. In summary, our study reveals that EC cell-derived 5-HT plays a critical role in nab-paclitaxel-related neurotoxic lesions, and venlafaxine co-administration represents a novel approach to treating chronic cumulative neurotoxicity commonly reported in nab-paclitaxel-based chemotherapy.
Paclitaxel/toxicity* ; Animals ; Albumins/adverse effects* ; Serotonin/metabolism* ; Mice ; Humans ; Male ; Female ; Venlafaxine Hydrochloride/therapeutic use* ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes/metabolism* ; Middle Aged ; Schwann Cells/metabolism* ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/drug therapy* ; Antineoplastic Agents

This study investigates the pharmacokinetics and metabolic characteristics of three marine-derived piericidins as potential drug leads for kidney disease: piericidin A (PA) and its two glycosides (GPAs), glucopiericidin A (GPA) and 13-hydroxyglucopiericidin A (13-OH-GPA). The research aims to facilitate lead selection and optimization for developing a viable preclinical candidate. Rapid absorption of PA and GPAs in mice was observed, characterized by short half-lives and low bioavailability. Glycosides and hydroxyl groups significantly enhanced the absorption rate (13-OH-GPA > GPA > PA). PA and GPAs exhibited metabolic instability in liver microsomes due to Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) and uridine diphosphoglucuronosyl transferases (UGTs). Glucuronidation emerged as the primary metabolic pathway, with UGT1A7, UGT1A8, UGT1A9, and UGT1A10 demonstrating high elimination rates (30%-70%) for PA and GPAs. This rapid glucuronidation may contribute to the low bioavailability of GPAs. Despite its low bioavailability (2.69%), 13-OH-GPA showed higher kidney distribution (19.8%) compared to PA (10.0%) and GPA (7.3%), suggesting enhanced biological efficacy in kidney diseases. Modifying the C-13 hydroxyl group appears to be a promising approach to improve bioavailability. In conclusion, this study provides valuable metabolic insights for the development and optimization of marine-derived piericidins as potential drug leads for kidney disease.
Animals ; Male ; Mice ; Aquatic Organisms/chemistry* ; Biological Availability ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System/metabolism* ; Glucuronosyltransferase/metabolism* ; Microsomes, Liver/metabolism* ; Molecular Structure ; Biological Products/pharmacokinetics* ; Pyridines/pharmacokinetics*

Objective:To collect registered clinical research plans on TCM characteristic therapies for treating cervical spondylosis; To explore their research registration status; To provide references for future clinical trial registration and implementation.Methods:Clinical research on TCM characteristic therapies for treating cervical spondylosis was retrieved from ChiCTR, ITMCTR and Clinical Trials. gov from the establishment of the databases to July 1, 2024. Excel 2019 was used to conduct descriptive statistics on registration time, registration area and institution, funding source, research type and design scheme, research participation center and sample size, cervical spondylosis type, intervention measures, outcome indicators, reporting quality, research openness and methodological application.Results:A total of 138 clinical trials for the TCM treatment of cervical spondylosis were included, of which 136 were registered by domestic researchers in 22 provincial-level administrative regions. The top three in terms of registration numbers were Shanghai, Guangdong Province, and Beijing. Additionally, 2 were registered by foreign researchers in Egypt and Malaysia. The main sources of funding were 50 local finances, followed by 26 hospital subsidies and 18 national finances. The intervention research accounted for the largest proportion of research types, with 123 items (89.13%). The research center mainly focused on single center studies (98 projects). Most randomized controlled trials (115 trials) described randomization methods, while a small number of randomized controlled trials (50 trials) indicated blinding. The intervention measures were mostly combined with TCM therapy, and the outcome indicators were mainly efficacy indicators, with fewer safety indicators.Conclusions:At present, clinical trial registrations for TCM treatment of cervical spondylosis are increasing, but issues remain, such as poor study design, uneven distribution, and incomplete information. It is recommended to refine registration details, optimize study protocols, and promote high-quality clinical research.

Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate(DEHP)is an environmental pollutant commonly found in plastic products and has toxic effects on female reproductive system.DEHP can interfere with the synthesis of progesterone,testosterone and estradiol through female hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis,aggravate insulin resistance and obesity by affecting glucose and lipid metabolism,and cause ovarian damage through inducing oxidative stress,excessive autophagy and pyroptosis of oocyte or granulosa cells.It can also alter epigenetic genes relating to follicular development and prevent follicles from mature.These factors are closely contribute to the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome.We systematically summarizes the mechanism of DEHP interfering with ovarian function and inducing polycystic ovary syndrome,in order to provide help for the prevention and treatment of female reproductive injury from environmental pollutant.

Objective To investigate the health status of workers exposed to noise in a brewery in Beijing and to analyze the relationship between hearing loss and blood pressure. Methods A total of 949 noise-exposed workers in a brewery who participated in occupational health examination were selected as the investigation subjects. A survey was conducted to investigate the pure tone hearing threshold and abnormal blood pressure of the workers with different characteristics, and to analyze the relationship between the two. Results Among the noise-exposed workers, the detection rates of hearing abnormality, hypertension, and increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure were 73.55%, 52.37%, 43.84% and 46.47%, respectively. The detection rates of hearing abnormality, indicators of hypertension, high frequency hearing threshold abnormality and increased binaural high frequency hearing threshold on average in males were higher than those in females (P < 0.05). Except that there was no statistically significant difference in weighted values of the better ear’s hearing thresholds among different working age groups (P> 0.05), the detection rates of other hearing abnormality, indicators of hypertension, speech frequency hearing threshold abnormality, high frequency hearing threshold abnormality，increased binaural high frequency hearing threshold on average and the weighted value of the better ear's hearing threshold all increased or had an increasing trend with the increase of age or working years (P< 0.05). The detection rates of hypertension in the groups with high frequency hearing threshold abnormality and increased binaural high frequency hearing threshold on average were higher than those in the normal group (P＜0.05). Conclusion The noise-exposed workers in the brewery have hearing impairment, which is related to the occurrence of hypertension. It is recommended to strengthen the publicity and education on noise protection and take protective measures to reduce the occurrence of occupational noise injury.

Objective:Operational efficiency and influencing factors of China's basic medical insurance system from 2020 to 2021 is conducted to provide reference for improving the operational efficiency and optimizing the input-output relationship.Methods:The super-efficiency SBM model based on unexpected output and the Malmquist index are used to measure the static and dynamic efficiency of resident medical insurance in 31 provinces in China,and Tobit regression analysis is employed to analyze the influencing factors.Results:The overall operational efficiency of resident medical insurance still needs improvement.The operational efficiency of resident medical insurance in the central and western regions is lower than that in the eastern region,and the gap is significant.Different levels and regions have differentiated main constraints on the operational efficiency of resident medical insurance.In terms of dynamic efficiency,the total factor productivity of resident medical insurance operation shows an increasing trend,mainly due to technological progress.In terms of influencing factors,the degree of aging,the level of medical expenses and the level of medical insurance supervision have a significant impact on the operational efficiency.Suggestions:Efforts should be made to bridge regional disparities,promote the equitable development of medical insurance,reasonably control the level of medical expenses,strengthen the supervision of medical insurance funds,and implement active aging policies.

Objective:To explore the survival prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients over 60 years old with comorbidities treated with microwave ablation.Methods:A retrospective analysis of 267 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma aged 60 years or older admitted to the PLA General Hospital from April 2012 to September 2022 were analyzed, including 179 patients with preoperative comorbidities and 88 patients without comorbidities. The overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of the two groups were compared by the Log-rank test, and the Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to evaluate ablation-related risk factors.Results:A total of 267 patients were included (comorbidity group, n=179; no comorbidity group, n=88). There were no statistical differences in OS and PFS between the two groups (all P>0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that comorbidities were not risk factors that affected the survival prognosis (OS and PFS) of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after microwave ablation ( P>0.05). Total bilirubin (hazard ratio 0.356, 95% CI=0.174-0.731, P=0.005) was a risk factor affecting OS; tumor number (hazard ratio 0.538, 95% CI=0.365-0.793, P=0.002) and international coagulation normalized ratio (hazard ratio 1.022, 95% CI=1.001-1.043, P=0.040) were risk factors affecting PFS. Subgroup analysis showed that patients with a maximum diameter of >3 cm and female patients, the OS of the comorbidity group was significantly lower than that of the non-comorbidity group( P<0.05). Conclusions:Microwave ablation therapy remains an effective treatment modality in hepatocellular carcinoma patients over 60 years of age with comorbidities, and its survival prognosis is not inferior to patients with hepatocellular carcinoma without comorbidities.