Reasonable and standardised placebo setting for acupoint application pastes is a key factor for clinical trials to verify the safety and effectiveness of acupoint application. By sorting out the current design status of placebo in the allocation concealment and blind design， paste components， paste location， paste duration in the current clinical trials of acupoint application pastes， it is proposed that there are problems such as low application rate of blinding and non-standardised reporting， insufficient standardisation of placebo settings and lack of systematic research， and lack of uniform standards of the placebo evaluation method. Based on the action mechanism of acupoint application， the idea of setting placebo for acupoint application paste is proposed in terms of replacing the application material， controlling the physicochemical effect produced by transdermal absorption of drugs， and setting the permeability of placebo， in order to enrich the methodological content of the placebo setting for acupoint application， and providing more scientific and reliable clinical evidence of acupoint application.

This study aims to investigate the potential effect of the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix on hypercholesterolemia in mice that was induced by a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet and explore its possible mechanism from bile acid reabsorption. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned into the following groups: control, model, low-and high-dose(4 and 8 g·kg~(-1), respectively) fresh Rehmanniae Radix, and positive drug(simvastatin, 0.05 g·kg~(-1)). Other groups except the control group were fed with a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet for 6 consecutive weeks to induce hypercholesterolemia. From the 6th week, mice were administrated with corresponding drugs daily via gavage for additional 6 weeks, while continuing to be fed with a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet. Serum levels of total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-c), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-c), and total bile acid(TBA), as well as liver TC and TG levels and fecal TBA level, were determined by commercial assay kits. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, oil red O staining, and transmission electron microscopy were performed to observe the pathological changes in the liver. Three livers samples were randomly selected from each of the control, model, and high-dose fresh Rehmanniae Radix groups for high-throughput transcriptome sequencing. Differentially expressed genes were mined and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis was performed to predict the key pathways and target genes of the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. RT-qPCR was employed to measure the mRNA levels of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase(CYP7A1) and cholesterol 27α-hydroxylase(CYP27A1) in the liver. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of CYP7A1 and CYP27A1 in the liver as well as farnesoid X receptor(FXR), apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter(ASBT), and ileum bile acid-binding protein(I-BABP) in the ileum. The results showed that the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix significantly lowered the levels of TC and TG in the serum and liver, as well as the level of LDL-c in the serum. Conversely, it elevated the level of HDL-c in the serum and TBA in feces. No significant difference was observed in the level of TBA in the serum among groups. HE staining, oil red O staining, and transmission electron microscopy showed that the water extract reduced the accumulation of lipid droplets in the liver. Further mechanism studies revealed that the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix significantly down-regulated the protein levels of FXR and bile acid reabsorption-related proteins ASBT and I-BABP. Additionally, it enhanced CYP7A1 and CYP27A1, the key enzymes involved in bile acid synthesis. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix may exert an anti-hypercholesterolemic effect by regulating FXR/ASBT/I-BABP signaling, inhibiting bile acid reabsorption, and increasing bile acid excretion, thus facilitating the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids.
Animals ; Male ; Bile Acids and Salts/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects* ; Cholesterol/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Hypercholesterolemia/genetics* ; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/genetics* ; Rehmannia/chemistry* ; Liver/drug effects* ; Humans ; Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase/genetics* ; Plant Extracts

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the early effectiveness of navigation-free robot-assisted total knee arthroplasty (TKA) compared to traditional TKA in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis combined with extra-articular deformities. METHODS: The clinical data of 30 patients with knee osteoarthritis combined with extra-articular deformities who met the selection criteria between June 2019 and January 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Fifteen patients underwent CORI navigation-free robot-assisted TKA and intra-articular osteotomy (robot group) and 15 patients underwent traditional TKA and intra-articular osteotomy (traditional group). There was no significant difference in age, gender, body mass index, affected knee side, extra-articular deformity angle, deformity position, deformity type, and preoperative knee range of motion, American Knee Society (KSS) knee score and KSS function score, and lower limb alignment deviation between the two groups ( P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and complications of the two groups were recorded and compared. The knee range of motion and lower limb alignment deviation were recorded before operation and at 6 months after operation, and the knee joint function was evaluated by KSS knee score and function score. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in operation time between the two groups ( P>0.05); the intraoperative blood loss in the robot group was significantly less than that in the traditional group ( P<0.05). Patients in both groups were followed up 6-12 months, with an average of 8.7 months. The incisions of all patients healed well, and there was no postoperative complication such as thrombosis or infection. At 6 months after operation, X-ray examination showed that the position of the prosthesis was good in both groups, and there was no loosening or dislocation of the prosthesis. The knee joint range of motion, the lower limb alignment deviation, and the KSS knee score and KSS function score significantly improved in both groups ( P<0.05) compared to preoperative ones. The changes of lower limb alignment deviation and KSS function score between pre- and post-operation in the robot group were significantly better than those in the traditional group ( P<0.05), while the changes of other indicators between pre- and post-operation in the two groups were not significant ( P>0.05). CONCLUSION Compared to traditional TKA, navigation-free robot-assisted TKA for knee osteoarthritis with extra-articular deformities results in less intraoperative blood loss, more precise reconstruction of lower limb alignment, and better early effectiveness. However, long-term effectiveness require further investigation.
Humans ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/methods* ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/surgery* ; Robotic Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Osteotomy/methods* ; Knee Joint/physiopathology* ; Operative Time

Natural polyphenols are a group of components widely found in traditional Chinese medicines and have been demonstrated to delay or prevent the development of aging and age-related diseases in recent years. As far as we know, the studies of natural polyphenols in aging and aging-related diseases have never been extensively reviewed. In the present paper, we reviewed recent advances of natural polyphenols in aging and common age-related diseases and the current technological methods to improve the bioavailability of natural polyphenols. The results showed that natural polyphenols have the potential to prevent or treat aging and common age-related diseases through multiple mechanisms. Nanotechnology, structural modifications, and matrix processing could provide strong technical support for the development of natural polyphenols to prevent or treat aging and age-related diseases. In conclusion, natural polyphenols have important potential in the prevention and treatment of aging and age-related diseases.

Objectives:To observe the incidence of residual shunt post patent foramen ovale(PFO)closure and the effect of PFO closure in these migraine patients at one year after PFO. Methods:This retrospective study included patients who underwent PFO closure for migraine in the Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2019 to June 2022,patients were divided into the grade 0 shunt group(n=67),the grade Ⅰ shunt group(n=10),the grade Ⅱ shunt group(n=13)and the grade Ⅲ shunt group(n=16)according to the results of contrast transthoracic echocardiography(cTTE)at 1 year after PFO closure.The incidence of postoperative migraine attacks among different groups of patients were compared.The risk factors of residual shunt after PFO closure were explored. Results:The mean age of enrolled 106 patients with migraine was(35.80±11.70)years,of which 83 patients(78.30%)were female.One year after PFO closure,the migraine attack and rating scale were significantly decreased compared to baseline in the grade 0 shunt group,in the grade Ⅰ shunt group and in the grade Ⅱ shunt group(all P<0.05),but not in the grade Ⅲ shunt group(P>0.05).The rate of significant and complete migraine was significantly higher in the grade 0 shunt group(58.21%),in the gradeⅠ shunt group(60.00%),in the grade Ⅱ shunt group(69.23%)as compared to the grade Ⅲ shunt group(18.75%,P=0.02)at one year after PFO.The rate of grade 0 shunt after PFO closure in patients with the microvesicles appearing in≥6 cardiac cycles in resting state before operation was significantly lower than in patients with the microvesicles appearing within 6 cardiac cycles and no microvesicles in resting state(24.00%vs.83.87%vs.70.00%,P=0.04).Logistic multivariate regression analysis showed that patients with microvesicles appearing beyond 6 cardiac cycles in resting state were more likely to have residual shunts in postoperative cTTE compared to the patients with negative cTTE and microvesicles appearing within 6 cardiac cycles in the cTTE in resting state before operation(OR=0.06,95%CI:0.02-0.23,P<0.01;OR=0.014,95%CI:0.05-0.41,P<0.01). Conclusions:Migraine patients who underwent PFO closure and with grade 0 to grade Ⅱ residual shunt at one year after PFO are most likely to have significant remission of migraine,while the incidence of migraine remission is low in patients with grade Ⅲresidual shunt.The incidence of residual shunt after PFO closure is higher in patients with the microvesicles appearing in 6 cardiac cycles in resting state in the cTTE before operation than in patients with the microvesicles appearing within 6 cardiac cycles and no microvesicles.

Aim To explore the protective effect of an-thocyanin B2(PCB2)on hydrogen peroxide(H2O2)induced oxidative damage and apoptosis in human oli-godendrocytes(MO3.13)and the underlying mecha-nism.Methods The optimal concentration of H2O2 and PCB2 for action was screened,and divided into normal group,PCB2 group(100 mg·L-1 PCB2 treat-ment for 24 hours),H2 O2 model group(500 μmol·L-1 H2O2 treatment for 24 hours),and H2O2+PCB2 group(500 μmol·L-1 H2O2 and 100 mg·L-1 PCB2 co-treated for 24 hours).FRAP method was used to detect the antioxidant capacity of PCB2;CCK-8 meth-od was used to detect the survival rate of cells in each group,while LDH method was used to assess cytotoxic-ity.Microenzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and ELISA were used to examine the levels of LDH,NO,H2O2,as well as the activities of CAT and SOD in each group of cells.Immunofluorescence and Western blot were used to detect the protein expression levels of NRF2,xCT,HO-1,ferritin,and GPX4 in each group of cells.FerroOrange fluorescent probe was used to de-tect the intracellular content of ferrous ions(Fe2+).Results H2O2 could induce MO3.13 oxidative dam-age and lead to cell ferroptosis,while PCB2 could alle-viate MO3.13 oxidative damage and ferroptosis.Com-pared with the H2O2 model group,PCB2 intervention could significantly increase LDH content in MO3.13,reduce NO and H2O2 content,and improve SOD and CAT activity,and up-regulate the protein expression levels of NRF2,xCT,HO-1,ferritin,and GPX4.Conclusion PCB2 can enhance cellular antioxidant capacity and alleviate H2O2 induced MO3.13 oxidative damage through the NRF2/HO-1/xCT/GPX4 axis.

Objective:To examine the potential of combining the blood urea nitrogen(BUN)/albumin(ALB)ratio(BAR)with soluble growth stimulation expressed gene 2(sST2)as an early warning indicator for myocardial injury in elderly patients with sepsis in the emergency intensive care unit(EICU).Methods:The clinical data of elderly patients with sepsis admitted to the EICU of the Emergency Medicine Department at Harrison International Peace Hospital of Hebei Medical University from August 2018 to August 2022 were prospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of myocardial injury: the myocardial injury group and the non-myocardial injury group.The general clinical data and laboratory indexes of the two groups were compared, and the BAR was calculated.The correlation between BAR and myocardial injury in elderly patients with sepsis was analyzed.Binary Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for myocardial injury in elderly patients with sepsis in the EICU.MedCalc software was employed to determine the early warning value of the combined sST2 and BAR for myocardial injury in elderly patients with sepsis in the EICU.Results:A total of 165 cases were analyzed, with 106 cases(64.24%)showing myocardial injury.It was found that elderly sepsis patients with lung and abdominal infection were more likely to experience myocardial injury( P<0.05 for all).In comparison to the group without myocardial injury, the levels of inflammatory markers such as white blood cell count(WBC), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio(NLR), lactic acid, and procalcitonin(PCT), as well as combined markers BAR and sST2, were higher in elderly sepsis patients with myocardial injury upon admission.Correlation analysis results revealed significant positive correlations between BAR and lactic acid, PCT, and C-reactive protein(CRP)within 24 hours of admission to EICU in elderly sepsis patients with myocardial injury.Among these correlations, the strongest was observed between BAR and PCT( r=0.417, P<0.001).Additionally, BAR exhibited a positive correlation with acute physiology and chronic health evaluation scoring system(APACHEⅡ)scores( r=0.241, P=0.002).Furthermore, BAR showed positive correlations with myocardial injury markers sST2 and cTnI( r=0.327, 0.307, P<0.05 for all).Logistic regression analysis revealed that septic shock( OR=2.406, P=0.008), decreased left ventricular ejection fraction(EF)( OR=0.939, P=0.015), BAR( OR=2.205, P=0.044), lactic acid( OR=1.137, P=0.014), and sST2 elevation( OR=1.016, P=0.020)were identified as independent risk factors for predicting myocardial injury in elderly patients with sepsis.The results of ROC analysis indicated that BAR had a high early warning value for the occurrence of myocardial injury in elderly patients with EICU sepsis[area under curve(AUC)0.651, P<0.05], with an optimal cut-off value of 0.32(sensitivity 77.4%, specificity 60.2%).Furthermore, the combined detection of BAR and sST2 demonstrated a higher early warning value for the occurrence of myocardial injury in elderly patients with sepsis(AUC 0.697, P<0.05).The mortality rate of patients with myocardial injury below a cut-off value of 0.32 was 36.00%(9/25), while the mortality rate of patients with myocardial injury equal to or above 0.32 was 66.67%(54/81).The difference between the two groups was statistically significant( χ2=8.624, P=0.003). Conclusions:Both BAR and sST2 are considered independent risk factors for myocardial injury in elderly patients with sepsis.The combined detection of BAR and sST2 provides a more accurate prediction for the occurrence of myocardial injury in these patients.