ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Yifei Tongluo prescription on the NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）/Caspase-1/gasdermin D （GSDMD） pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） in rats with pulmonary fibrosis. MethodsTracheal instillation of bleomycin was conducted to establish a rat model of pulmonary fibrosis. Thirty Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a blank group， a model group， a prednisone acetate group （1.17 mg·kg^-1）， and low- and high-dose Yifei Tongluo prescription groups （10.62 and 21.24 g·kg^-1， respectively）. Administration started on the 7th day after modeling， once a day for 28 consecutive days. The lung coefficient of each group was calculated. The pathological changes of lung tissues in each group were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Masson staining. The expression of α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA） and vimentin in rat lung tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. The expression of NLRP3 inflammasome， E-cadherin （E-cad）， and typeⅠ collagen （ColⅠ） in lung tissues was detected by immunofluorescence. The content of hydroxyproline （HYP）， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， interleukin （IL）-18， and IL-1β in rat serum was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The mRNA expression levels of NLRP3， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD （ASC）， IL-1β， and transforming growth factor （TGF）-β₁ in rat lung tissues were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. The protein expression levels of NLRP3， GSDMD， ASC， and Caspase-1 in rat lung tissues were determined by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group exhibited a significantly increased lung coefficient （P<0.01） and significantly increased range of pulmonary interstitial inflammation and collagen deposition. In addition， the levels of α-SMA， Vimentin， E-cad， and ColⅠ in lung tissues were significantly increased （P<0.01）. The levels of fibrosis- and inflammation-related factors HYP， TNF-α， IL-18， and IL-1β in serum were significantly upregulated （P<0.01）. The levels of factors related to the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in lung tissues， including NLRP3， GSDMD， ASC， Caspase-1， IL-1β， and TGF-β₁， were significantly upregulated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Yifei Tongluo prescription groups showed improved lung coefficients. Additionally， the extent of lung inflammation and collagen deposition was significantly reduced. The expression of α-SMA， Vimentin， E-cad， and ColⅠ in lung tissue was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The levels of HYP， TNF-α， IL-18， and IL-1β in serum were significantly reduced （P<0.01）. The expression levels of NLRP3， GSDMD， ASC， Caspase-1， IL-1β， and TGF-β₁ in lung tissue were also significantly decreased （P<0.01）. ConclusionYifei Tongluo prescription can regulate the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pathway， down-regulate release of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic cytokines， alleviate NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis and EMT， and thereby improve pulmonary fibrosis in rats.

The comparison between traditional Chinese medicine Jinzhen oral liquid (JZOL) and Western medicine in treating children with acute bronchitis (AB) showed encouraging outcomes. This trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of the JZOL for improving cough and expectoration in children with AB. 480 children were randomly assigned to take JZOL or ambroxol hydrochloride and clenbuterol hydrochloride oral solution for 7 days. The primary outcome was time-to-cough resolution. The median time-to-cough resolution in both groups was 5.0 days and the antitussive onset median time was only 1 day. This randomized controlled trial showed that JZOL was not inferior to cough suppressant and phlegm resolving western medicine in treating cough and sputum and could comprehensively treat respiratory and systemic discomfort symptoms. Combined with clinical trials, the mechanism of JZOL against AB was uncovered by network target analysis, it was found that the pathways in TRP channels like IL-1β/IL1R/TRPV1/TRPA1, NGF/TrkA/TRPV1/TRPA1, and PGE2/EP/PKA/TRPV1/TRPA1 might play important roles. Animal experiments further confirmed that inflammation and the immune regulatory effect of JZOL in the treatment of AB were of vital importance and TRP channels were the key mechanism of action.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of conbercept combined with whole retina laser photocoagulation in the treatment of ischemic central retinal vein occlusion (iCRVO) with macular edema (ME) and its effect on visual prognosis and retinal blood flow.Methods:A prospective study was conducted on 80 patients (80 eyes) with iCRVO and ME admitted to the Chongqing Aier Eye Hospital from January 2019 to November 2020. They were randomly divided into two groups using a random number table method, with 40 patients in each group. Among them, the observation group was treated with conbercept combined with whole retina laser photocoagulation, while the control group was treated with whole retina laser photocoagulation alone. We compared the clinical efficacy and safety between two groups. Before and after treatment, the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), and retinal blood flow parameters [retinal superficial capillary plexus (SCP) blood flow density, and macular foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area] were examined in both groups of patients. The Low Vision Quality of Life Scale (CLVQOL) was used to evaluate the quality of life of patients before and after treatment.Results:The total effective rate of the observation group was 95.00%(38/40), which was higher than 77.50%(31/40) of the control group ( P<0.05). The BCVA at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after treatment in both groups was significantly higher than that before treatment in this group, while the CMT was significantly lower than that before treatment in this group (all P<0.05). The BCVA of the observation group at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after treatment was significantly higher than that of the control group at the same time point (all P<0.05), while the CMT of the observation group at 3 months after treatment was significantly lower than that of the control group at the same time point (all P<0.05). There were no significant changes in SCP blood flow density and macular FAZ area before and after treatment in both groups (all P>0.05). The CLVQOL scale scores and total scores at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after treatment in the observation group were significantly higher than before treatment (all P<0.05). After 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months of treatment, the scores and total scores of the CLVQOL scale for distant vision, movement and light perception, and regulatory ability in the control group were significantly higher than those before treatment (all P<0.05); At 1 and 3 months after treatment, the scores of reading, fine work, and daily living ability on the CLVQOL scale were significantly higher than those before treatment (all P<0.05). The CLVQOL scale scores and total scores of distant vision, movement and light perception, reading and fine work in the observation group at 1 and 3 months after treatment were significantly higher than those in the control group at the same time point (all P<0.05); The regulatory ability dimension score of the CLVQOL scale at 3 months after treatment was significantly higher than that of the control group at the same time point (all P<0.05). There was no serious adverse event in both groups during the treatment. Conclusions:Conbercept combined with whole retina laser photocoagulation for iCRVO with ME can safely and effectively improve patients′ vision, promote ME regression, and improve their quality of life. Although the impact on retinal blood flow is not significant, it is beneficial for delaying the progression of the disease.

Objective: To investigate the burden of caregivers of elderly patients with chronic diseases and its influencing factors, so as to provide the evidence for reducing the burden of caregivers. Methods: The caregivers of patients with chronic diseases at ages of 65 years and older were selected using convenience sampling method from Jinqiu Hospital during 2020 and 2021. The burden of caregivers was estimated using Chinese version of Caregiver Burden Scale (CBI), the basic information of patients and caregivers was collected, and the influencing factors of caregivers' burden were identified using multivariable linear regression analysis. Results: Totally 276 questionnaires were distributed, and 261 were valid, with an effective rate of 94.57%. There were 48 men (18.39%) and 213 women (81.16%), 166 (63.60%) subjects aged 45 to 59 years and 354 (82.38%) subjects participating in training on COVID-19 prevention. The mean score of caregivers' burden was 26.27±14.93, and the mean scores of social burden and emotional burden were 11.08±5.23 and 7.81±6.24, respectively. The patients with chronic diseases included 183 men (70.11%), had a mean age of (89.97±8.26) years, had a mean score of activities of daily living of 20.00 (interquartile range, 50.00) and had a mean geriatric syndrome number of 4.10±1.57. Multivariable linear regression analysis identified caregivers' participating in training on COVID-19 prevention (β'=0.175), patients' activities of daily living (β'=-0.144), patients' geriatric syndrome number (β'=0.138) and patients' age (β'=0.162) as factors affecting the burden of caregivers. Conclusions The social and mental burden of the caregivers of elderly patients with chronic diseases is heavy, and patients' activities of daily living, number of geriatric syndromes and age, as well as caregivers' training on COVID-19 prevention may be associated.

Creating new germplasms and breeding new cultivars in peanut by radiation mutagenesis and tissue culture were conducted in this study, aiming to develop new breeding method of peanut. Mature seeds from Luhua 11, the most commonly grown peanut cultivar in Northern China, were treated by fast neutron irradiation. Then the embryo leaflets were separated from the irradiated seeds and inoculated on the media, and the regenerated seedlings were obtained through somatic embryogenesis pathway. The regenerated seedlings were grafted, acclimated and then transplanted into field and the selfed pods were harvested from 83 regenerated plants. The progenies were selected by the pedigree method, and 107 mutants were obtained from the progenies of the 83 regenerated plants. Different mutants showed obvious variation in many agronomic traits, including main stem height, branch number, pod shape and size, seed coat color, inner seed coat color, oil content and protein content etc. Yuhua 7, a new peanut variety with low oil content, early maturity and waterlogging tolerance was obtained. The yield of Yuhua 7 was over 14% higher than that of the mutagenic parent Luhua 11, and the oil content of kernels was 47.0%, lower than that of parent Luhua 11 with 52.1% oil content. Yuhua 7 had passed peanut variety regional multi-location trials in Liaoning Province in 2016 and its average yield was 13.8% higher than that of the control variety Baisha 1017. It had also passed national peanut variety registration, and the registration ID is "GPD peanut (2018) 370105". The results show that irradiation mutagenesis combined with tissue culture is an effective method for creating new germplasm and breeding new varieties of peanut.
Arachis ; Breeding ; China ; Fast Neutrons ; Plant Breeding ; Seeds