ObjectiveTo explore the dose-effect relationship and safety of high， medium， and low doses of raw Astragali Radix in the modified Huangqi Chifengtang （MHCD） for treating proteinuria in immunoglobulin A （IgA） nephropathy， and to provide scientific evidence for the clinical use of high-dose Astragali Radix in the treatment of proteinuria in IgA nephropathy. MethodsA total of 120 patients with IgA nephropathy， diagnosed with Qi deficiency and blood stasis combined with wind pathogen and heat toxicity， were randomly divided into a control group and three treatment groups. The control group received telmisartan combined with a Chinese medicine placebo， while the treatment groups were given telmisartan combined with MHCD containing different doses of raw Astragali Radix （60， 30， 15 g）. Each group contained 30 patients， and the treatment period was 12 weeks. Changes in 24-hour urinary protein （24 hUTP）， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores， effective rate， and renal function were observed before and after treatment. Safety was assessed by monitoring liver function and blood routine. ResultsAfter 12 weeks of treatment， 24 hUTP significantly decreased in the high， medium， and low-dose groups， as well as the control group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The TCM syndrome scores in the high， medium， and low-dose groups also significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Comparisons between groups showed that the 24 hUTP in the high-dose group was significantly lower than in the medium， low-dose， and control groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the 24 hUTP in the medium-dose group was significantly lower than in the control group （P<0.05）. The TCM syndrome scores in the high and medium-dose groups were significantly lower than in the low-dose and control groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The total effective rates for proteinuria in the high， medium， low-dose， and control groups were 92.59% （25/27）， 85.19% （23/27）， 60.71% （17/28）， and 57.14% （16/28）， respectively. The effective rates in the high and medium-dose groups were significantly higher than in the low-dose and control groups （χ²=13.185， P<0.05， P<0.01）. The effective rates for TCM syndrome scores in the high， medium， low-dose， and control groups were 88.89% （24/27）， 81.48% （22/27）， 71.43% （20/28）， and 46.43% （13/28）， respectively. The efficacy of TCM syndrome scores in the high and medium-dose groups was significantly higher than in the control group （χ²=14.053， P<0.01）. Compared with pre-treatment values， there was no statistically significant difference in eGFR and serum creatinine in the high and medium-dose groups. However， eGFR significantly decreased in the low-dose and control groups after treatment （P<0.05）， and serum creatinine levels increased significantly in the control group （P<0.05）. No statistically significant differences were observed in urea nitrogen， uric acid， albumin， total cholesterol， triglycerides， liver function， and blood routine before and after treatment in any group. ConclusionThere is a dose-effect relationship in the treatment of IgA nephropathy with high， medium， and low doses of raw Astragali Radix in MHCD. The high-dose group exhibited the best therapeutic effect and good safety profile.

Purpose: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common male sexual dysfunction. Gut microbiota plays an important role in various diseases. To investigate the effects and mechanisms of intestinal flora dysregulation induced by high-fat diet (HFD) on erectile function. Materials and Methods: Male Sprague–Dawley rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into the normal diet (ND) and HFD groups. After 24 weeks, a measurement of erectile function was performed. We performed 16S rRNA sequencing of stool samples. Then, we established fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) rat models by transplanting fecal microbiota from rats of ND group and HFD group to two new groups of rats respectively. After 24 weeks, erectile function of the rats was evaluated and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed, and serum samples were collected for the untargeted metabolomics detection. Results: The erectile function of rats and the species diversity of intestinal microbiota in the HFD group was significantly lower, and the characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were also significantly different between the two groups. The erectile function of rats in the HFD-FMT group was significantly lower than that of rats in the ND-FMT group. The characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were significantly different. In the HFD-FMT group, 27 metabolites were significantly different and they were mainly involved in the several inflammation-related pathways. Conclusions Intestinal microbiota disorders induced by HFD can damage the intestinal barrier of rats, change the serum metabolic profile, induce low-grade inflammation and apoptosis in the corpus cavernosum of the penis, and lead to ED.

Purpose: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common male sexual dysfunction. Gut microbiota plays an important role in various diseases. To investigate the effects and mechanisms of intestinal flora dysregulation induced by high-fat diet (HFD) on erectile function. Materials and Methods: Male Sprague–Dawley rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into the normal diet (ND) and HFD groups. After 24 weeks, a measurement of erectile function was performed. We performed 16S rRNA sequencing of stool samples. Then, we established fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) rat models by transplanting fecal microbiota from rats of ND group and HFD group to two new groups of rats respectively. After 24 weeks, erectile function of the rats was evaluated and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed, and serum samples were collected for the untargeted metabolomics detection. Results: The erectile function of rats and the species diversity of intestinal microbiota in the HFD group was significantly lower, and the characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were also significantly different between the two groups. The erectile function of rats in the HFD-FMT group was significantly lower than that of rats in the ND-FMT group. The characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were significantly different. In the HFD-FMT group, 27 metabolites were significantly different and they were mainly involved in the several inflammation-related pathways. Conclusions Intestinal microbiota disorders induced by HFD can damage the intestinal barrier of rats, change the serum metabolic profile, induce low-grade inflammation and apoptosis in the corpus cavernosum of the penis, and lead to ED.

Purpose: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common male sexual dysfunction. Gut microbiota plays an important role in various diseases. To investigate the effects and mechanisms of intestinal flora dysregulation induced by high-fat diet (HFD) on erectile function. Materials and Methods: Male Sprague–Dawley rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into the normal diet (ND) and HFD groups. After 24 weeks, a measurement of erectile function was performed. We performed 16S rRNA sequencing of stool samples. Then, we established fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) rat models by transplanting fecal microbiota from rats of ND group and HFD group to two new groups of rats respectively. After 24 weeks, erectile function of the rats was evaluated and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed, and serum samples were collected for the untargeted metabolomics detection. Results: The erectile function of rats and the species diversity of intestinal microbiota in the HFD group was significantly lower, and the characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were also significantly different between the two groups. The erectile function of rats in the HFD-FMT group was significantly lower than that of rats in the ND-FMT group. The characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were significantly different. In the HFD-FMT group, 27 metabolites were significantly different and they were mainly involved in the several inflammation-related pathways. Conclusions Intestinal microbiota disorders induced by HFD can damage the intestinal barrier of rats, change the serum metabolic profile, induce low-grade inflammation and apoptosis in the corpus cavernosum of the penis, and lead to ED.

Purpose: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common male sexual dysfunction. Gut microbiota plays an important role in various diseases. To investigate the effects and mechanisms of intestinal flora dysregulation induced by high-fat diet (HFD) on erectile function. Materials and Methods: Male Sprague–Dawley rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into the normal diet (ND) and HFD groups. After 24 weeks, a measurement of erectile function was performed. We performed 16S rRNA sequencing of stool samples. Then, we established fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) rat models by transplanting fecal microbiota from rats of ND group and HFD group to two new groups of rats respectively. After 24 weeks, erectile function of the rats was evaluated and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed, and serum samples were collected for the untargeted metabolomics detection. Results: The erectile function of rats and the species diversity of intestinal microbiota in the HFD group was significantly lower, and the characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were also significantly different between the two groups. The erectile function of rats in the HFD-FMT group was significantly lower than that of rats in the ND-FMT group. The characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were significantly different. In the HFD-FMT group, 27 metabolites were significantly different and they were mainly involved in the several inflammation-related pathways. Conclusions Intestinal microbiota disorders induced by HFD can damage the intestinal barrier of rats, change the serum metabolic profile, induce low-grade inflammation and apoptosis in the corpus cavernosum of the penis, and lead to ED.

Purpose: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common male sexual dysfunction. Gut microbiota plays an important role in various diseases. To investigate the effects and mechanisms of intestinal flora dysregulation induced by high-fat diet (HFD) on erectile function. Materials and Methods: Male Sprague–Dawley rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into the normal diet (ND) and HFD groups. After 24 weeks, a measurement of erectile function was performed. We performed 16S rRNA sequencing of stool samples. Then, we established fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) rat models by transplanting fecal microbiota from rats of ND group and HFD group to two new groups of rats respectively. After 24 weeks, erectile function of the rats was evaluated and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed, and serum samples were collected for the untargeted metabolomics detection. Results: The erectile function of rats and the species diversity of intestinal microbiota in the HFD group was significantly lower, and the characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were also significantly different between the two groups. The erectile function of rats in the HFD-FMT group was significantly lower than that of rats in the ND-FMT group. The characteristics of the intestinal microbiota community structure were significantly different. In the HFD-FMT group, 27 metabolites were significantly different and they were mainly involved in the several inflammation-related pathways. Conclusions Intestinal microbiota disorders induced by HFD can damage the intestinal barrier of rats, change the serum metabolic profile, induce low-grade inflammation and apoptosis in the corpus cavernosum of the penis, and lead to ED.

OBJECTIVE To observe the clinical efficacy of donafenib combined with programmed death-1 （PD-1） inhibitors and vascular intervention therapy in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. METHODS This retrospective study included 165 patients with unresectable HCC who were treated at the Fourth and First Affiliated Hospitals of Soochow University between June 2022 and March 2023. Among them， 89 patients received PD-1 inhibitors （tislelizumab or sintilimab， similarly hereinafter） plus vascular intervention （control group） and 76 patients received donafenib in combination with PD-1 inhibitors and vascular intervention （observation group）. Short-term efficacy （3 months after treatment）， long-term efficacy （2 years after treatment）， the levels of liver function indexes [serum alanine amino-transferase （ALT）， aspartate transferase （AST）， and total bilirubin （TBil）] and tumor biomarkers [alpha fetoprotein （AFP）， carcinoembryonic antigen （CEA）， carbohydrate antigen 19-9 （CA19-9）， and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin （DCP）] before treatment and after 3 months of treatment， as well as the occurrence of adverse drug reaction （ADR） during treatment， were compared between the two groups. In addition， overall response rate （ORR） stratified by PD-1 inhibitor type was analyzed. RESULTS After treatment， the ORR was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group （P＜0.05）； although the disease control rate was higher in the observation group compared to the control group， the difference was not statistically significant （P＞0.05）. The median overall survival of patients in the observation group was 16.9 months [95% confidence interval （CI）： 14.2 to 19.1 months]， which was significantly longer than that in the control group （12.4 months， 95%CI： 10.1 to 15.3 months） （P＜0.05）. Subgroup analysis result indicated that therapeutic advantage was consistent across both sintilimab and tislelizumab subgroups， with no significant heterogeneity （P＞0.1， I 2＜0.001%）. Before treatment， there were no significant differences in liver function indexes or tumor marker levels between 2 groups （P＞0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed significant declines in these indicators compared with baseline （P＜0.05）， with greater reductions observed in the observation group （P＜0.05）. There were no statistically significant differences in overall incidence of ADR and grade ≥3 ADRs between the two groups （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS For patients with unresectable HCC， the combination of donafenib， PD-1 inhibitors and vascular intervention therapy may achieve superior clinical outcomes without increasing the risk of treatment-related ADR.

Objective To explore the correlation of glucose and lipid metabolism indicators combined with antiphospholipid antibodies with the prognosis of patients with atherosclerosis.Methods A total of 128 patients with atherosclerosis treated in our hospital from April 2021 to March 2023 were selected as study group,and 48 healthy individuals as control group.Glycolipid metabolism indexes and antiphospholipid antibody level of the two groups were compared,and the predictive value of glycolipid metabolism indexes,antiphospholipid antibodies and combined detection for the prognosis of patients with atherosclerosis were analyzed by ROC.Results TC,TG,ACL,and anti-β2-GP1 in the study group was higher than that in the control group(P＜0.05).The study group was divided into two sub-groups according to the prognosis.The expression level of TC,TG,ACL,and anti-β 2-GP1 in poor prognosis group was higher than that in good prognosis group(P＜0.05).TC,TG,ACL,and anti-β 2-GP1 was positively correlated with the poor prognosis of patients with atherosclerosis(P＜0.05).ROC curve showed that the predictive value of six combined tests for the prognosis of patients with atherosclerosis was higher than that of single test of TC,TG,ACL,and anti-β2-GP1(P＜0.05).Conclusion The combined detection of TC,TG,ACL,and anti-β2-GP1 has high predictive value for the prognosis of patients with atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND:The treatment of distal tibial fractures with soft tissue injury has always been challenging,and the new retrograde tibial nailing is a new choice.Up to now,there were few reports on the biomechanical properties between the new retrograde tibial nailing,anterograde intramedullary nailing and supercutaneous locking plate. OBJECTIVE:To explore the biomechanical stability of new retrograde tibial nailing,antegrade intramedullary nailing and supercutaneous locking plate in the treatment of distal tibial fractures with soft tissue injury using finite element analysis so as to offer a scientific foundation for clinical application. METHODS:The finite element model of transverse distal tibia fracture was established by relevant software utilizing the CT data of the tibia from a 42-year-old healthy male.Retrograde tibial nailing,antegrade intramedullary nailing and supercutaneous locking plate finite element models were assembled under the principle of fracture fixation.Finally,meshing,applying loads,and data processing were accomplished with the ANSYS 2019 software.Moreover,the stress distribution and displacement of the tibia and internal fixation of each model were compared. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The displacement of fracture end in the three groups increased with the increase of load.In all mode loads,the average displacement of the fracture end was the least in the retrograde tibial nailing group,followed by the supercutaneous locking plate group,and the highest in the antegrade intramedullary nailing group.At 800 N vertical load,the displacement difference of the fracture end was statistically significant(P<0.05).There was no statistical significance in other load modes.(2)Under different loads,the tibial stress in the three groups was the highest in the middle of the tibia,and gradually decreased to the proximal and distal ends.The stress distribution of the tibial shaft was the highest in the retrograde tibial nailing group,followed by the supercutaneous locking plate group,and the least in the antegrade intramedullary nailing group.(3)Under different loads,the stress of the tibial stress raiser in the three groups was significantly higher in the supercutaneous locking plate group than in the other two groups,with statistical significance(P<0.05).(4)Under different loads,the stress of the fixators in the three groups was the largest in the supercutaneous locking plate group,followed by the retrograde tibial nailing group,and the minimum in the antegrade intramedullary nailing group.There were significant differences in the stress of fixator stress raiser among the three groups under different loading modes(P<0.05).(5)It is indicated that all three fixation methods have the good anti-rotation ability and axial stability.Retrograde tibial nail shows better biomechanical stability.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the distribution characteristics of warfarin drug-gene polymorphism in Han children from Beijing area. METHODS Data of nine warfarin drug-gene loci about VKORC1 rs9923231， CYP2C9 rs1799853*2 and rs1057910*3， CYP4F2 rs2108622， APOE rs429358 and rs7412， ABCB1 rs1045642， EPHX1 rs1051740 and rs2234922 were collected from dept. of cardiovascular medicine， Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics from March 2019 to March 2023， and the population data reported in domestic and foreign literature were compared. RESULTS In Beijing area， the frequency of APOE rs429358 mutant genotype was higher in males （19.8%） than in females （13.5%）（P＜0.05）. VKORC1 rs9923231 was dominated by homozygous mutant genotype （83.3%）， which was consistent with children in Japan （82.2%）， and higher than that of predominantly Caucasian children in the UK， Sweden， the United States， and Germany （10.4%-18.3%）（P＜ 0.05）； CYP2C9 was dominated by *1/*1 type （91.9%）， which was consistent with children in Japan （94.6%）， and higher than that of predominantly Caucasian children in the UK， Sweden， the United States， and Germany （66.1%-73.4%）（P＜0.05）. The frequency of EPHX1 rs1051740 mutant genotype was higher in adults （78.5%） than in children （63.5%）（P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS More mutations of VKORC1 rs9923231 and ABCB1 rs1045642 are found in Han children from Beijing area. The distribution of warfarin drug-gene polymorphisms in Han children from Beijing area is different among different genders， as well as compared with other countries， and Chinese Han adults. Therefore， caution should be exercised when using the reported data.