ObjectiveTo explore the potential mechanism of Xiaoqinglongtang（XQL） in the prevention and treatment of high altitude pulmonary edema（HAPE） by network pharmacology， molecular docking， and molecular dynamics simulation， and to verify it by in vivo animal model. MethodsIn this study， the active ingredients， drug targets， and HAPE-related targets of XQL were collected from BATMAN-TCM， GeneCards， and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man（OMIM） databases. The protein-protein interaction（PPI） network was constructed by using intersection targets， and the core targets were screened and visualized by Cytoscape software. Functional annotation and pathway analysis of the intersection targets were performed by gene ontology （GO） and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes （KEGG） functional enrichment. AutoDock and GROMACS were used to evaluate the binding ability of active ingredients to key targets. In the experimental verification part， a mouse model of HAPE induced by hypobaric hypoxia（simulated 6 000 m altitude for 48 h） was established. The control effect was evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining， lung tissue water content， lung tissue wet/dry weight ratio， real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） detection of gene expression levels， and immunohistochemistry and Western blot detection of key protein expression. ResultsA total of 355 active ingredients of XQL， 2 142 targets， 716 HAPE-related targets， and 236 intersection targets were obtained by network pharmacology analysis. Key core targets such as interleukin （IL）-6， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）， protein kinase B1 （Akt1）， and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α） were screened. The results of GO analysis of common targets involved 738 biological processes（BP）， 72 cellular components（CC）， and 135 molecular functions（MF）. KEGG analysis effectively enriched two important signaling pathways： Phosphoinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/Akt and HIF-1α. The results of molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation showed that the screened active ingredients had good binding ability with key targets. In the HAPE model induced by hypobaric hypoxia（6 000 m， 48 h）， the lung tissue water content， lung tissue wet/dry weight ratio， and pathological injury score of the model group were significantly increased（P<0.01）， accompanied by exudation of a large number of red blood cells in the alveoli and alveolar interstitium， a significant increase in inflammatory cells， a significant widening of the alveolar septum， and mutual fusion between the alveoli. The XQL administration group significantly improved the above pathological changes（P<0.01）. The results of inflammatory factor expression showed that compared with the control group， the model group showed significantly up-regulated expression of TNF-α， IL-6， and IL-1β in the lung tissue（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the XQL administration group had significantly decreased expression of inflammatory factors（P<0.05， P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of key pathway related genes PI3K， Akt1， mammalian target of rapamycin（mTOR）， and HIF-1α was significantly increased in the model group（P<0.01）， and decreased in a concentration-dependent manner after XQL administration（P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expression levels of key proteins PI3K， phosphorylation（p）-PI3K， Akt1， p-Akt1， mTOR， p-mTOR， and HIF-1α in lung tissue were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Compared with the blank group， the model group showed increased expression of key proteins（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the XQL administration group exhibited decreased expression of key proteins（P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionXQL can reduce lung inflammation and improve HAPE. The mechanism may be related to the regulation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR and HIF-1α pathways. This study provides a new idea and a theoretical basis for the treatment of HAPE with XQL.

ObjectiveTo explore the potential mechanism of Xiaoqinglongtang（XQL） in the prevention and treatment of high altitude pulmonary edema（HAPE） by network pharmacology， molecular docking， and molecular dynamics simulation， and to verify it by in vivo animal model. MethodsIn this study， the active ingredients， drug targets， and HAPE-related targets of XQL were collected from BATMAN-TCM， GeneCards， and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man（OMIM） databases. The protein-protein interaction（PPI） network was constructed by using intersection targets， and the core targets were screened and visualized by Cytoscape software. Functional annotation and pathway analysis of the intersection targets were performed by gene ontology （GO） and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes （KEGG） functional enrichment. AutoDock and GROMACS were used to evaluate the binding ability of active ingredients to key targets. In the experimental verification part， a mouse model of HAPE induced by hypobaric hypoxia（simulated 6 000 m altitude for 48 h） was established. The control effect was evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining， lung tissue water content， lung tissue wet/dry weight ratio， real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） detection of gene expression levels， and immunohistochemistry and Western blot detection of key protein expression. ResultsA total of 355 active ingredients of XQL， 2 142 targets， 716 HAPE-related targets， and 236 intersection targets were obtained by network pharmacology analysis. Key core targets such as interleukin （IL）-6， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）， protein kinase B1 （Akt1）， and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α） were screened. The results of GO analysis of common targets involved 738 biological processes（BP）， 72 cellular components（CC）， and 135 molecular functions（MF）. KEGG analysis effectively enriched two important signaling pathways： Phosphoinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/Akt and HIF-1α. The results of molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation showed that the screened active ingredients had good binding ability with key targets. In the HAPE model induced by hypobaric hypoxia（6 000 m， 48 h）， the lung tissue water content， lung tissue wet/dry weight ratio， and pathological injury score of the model group were significantly increased（P<0.01）， accompanied by exudation of a large number of red blood cells in the alveoli and alveolar interstitium， a significant increase in inflammatory cells， a significant widening of the alveolar septum， and mutual fusion between the alveoli. The XQL administration group significantly improved the above pathological changes（P<0.01）. The results of inflammatory factor expression showed that compared with the control group， the model group showed significantly up-regulated expression of TNF-α， IL-6， and IL-1β in the lung tissue（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the XQL administration group had significantly decreased expression of inflammatory factors（P<0.05， P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of key pathway related genes PI3K， Akt1， mammalian target of rapamycin（mTOR）， and HIF-1α was significantly increased in the model group（P<0.01）， and decreased in a concentration-dependent manner after XQL administration（P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expression levels of key proteins PI3K， phosphorylation（p）-PI3K， Akt1， p-Akt1， mTOR， p-mTOR， and HIF-1α in lung tissue were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Compared with the blank group， the model group showed increased expression of key proteins（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the XQL administration group exhibited decreased expression of key proteins（P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionXQL can reduce lung inflammation and improve HAPE. The mechanism may be related to the regulation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR and HIF-1α pathways. This study provides a new idea and a theoretical basis for the treatment of HAPE with XQL.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an intelligent handheld ultrasound (US) device for assisting non-expert general practitioners (GPs) in detecting carotid plaques (CPs) in community populations. Methods: This prospective parallel controlled trial recruited 111 consecutive community residents. All of them underwent examinations by non-expert GPs and specialist doctors using handheld US devices (setting A, setting B, and setting C). The results of setting C with specialist doctors were considered the gold standard. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the features of CPs were measured and recorded. The diagnostic performance of GPs in distinguishing CPs was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Inter-observer agreement was compared using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were completed to evaluate clinical benefits. Results: Among the 111 community residents, 80, 96, and 112 CPs were detected in settings A, B, and C, respectively. Setting B exhibited better diagnostic performance than setting A for detecting CPs (area under the curve, 0.856 vs. 0.749; P<0.01). Setting B had better consistency with setting C than setting A in CIMT measurement and the assessment of CPs (ICC, 0.731 to 0.923). Moreover, measurements in setting B required less time than the other two settings (44.59 seconds vs. 108.87 seconds vs. 126.13 seconds, both P<0.01). Conclusion Using an intelligent handheld US device, GPs can perform CP screening and achieve a diagnostic capability comparable to that of specialist doctors.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an intelligent handheld ultrasound (US) device for assisting non-expert general practitioners (GPs) in detecting carotid plaques (CPs) in community populations. Methods: This prospective parallel controlled trial recruited 111 consecutive community residents. All of them underwent examinations by non-expert GPs and specialist doctors using handheld US devices (setting A, setting B, and setting C). The results of setting C with specialist doctors were considered the gold standard. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the features of CPs were measured and recorded. The diagnostic performance of GPs in distinguishing CPs was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Inter-observer agreement was compared using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were completed to evaluate clinical benefits. Results: Among the 111 community residents, 80, 96, and 112 CPs were detected in settings A, B, and C, respectively. Setting B exhibited better diagnostic performance than setting A for detecting CPs (area under the curve, 0.856 vs. 0.749; P<0.01). Setting B had better consistency with setting C than setting A in CIMT measurement and the assessment of CPs (ICC, 0.731 to 0.923). Moreover, measurements in setting B required less time than the other two settings (44.59 seconds vs. 108.87 seconds vs. 126.13 seconds, both P<0.01). Conclusion Using an intelligent handheld US device, GPs can perform CP screening and achieve a diagnostic capability comparable to that of specialist doctors.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an intelligent handheld ultrasound (US) device for assisting non-expert general practitioners (GPs) in detecting carotid plaques (CPs) in community populations. Methods: This prospective parallel controlled trial recruited 111 consecutive community residents. All of them underwent examinations by non-expert GPs and specialist doctors using handheld US devices (setting A, setting B, and setting C). The results of setting C with specialist doctors were considered the gold standard. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the features of CPs were measured and recorded. The diagnostic performance of GPs in distinguishing CPs was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Inter-observer agreement was compared using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were completed to evaluate clinical benefits. Results: Among the 111 community residents, 80, 96, and 112 CPs were detected in settings A, B, and C, respectively. Setting B exhibited better diagnostic performance than setting A for detecting CPs (area under the curve, 0.856 vs. 0.749; P<0.01). Setting B had better consistency with setting C than setting A in CIMT measurement and the assessment of CPs (ICC, 0.731 to 0.923). Moreover, measurements in setting B required less time than the other two settings (44.59 seconds vs. 108.87 seconds vs. 126.13 seconds, both P<0.01). Conclusion Using an intelligent handheld US device, GPs can perform CP screening and achieve a diagnostic capability comparable to that of specialist doctors.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an intelligent handheld ultrasound (US) device for assisting non-expert general practitioners (GPs) in detecting carotid plaques (CPs) in community populations. Methods: This prospective parallel controlled trial recruited 111 consecutive community residents. All of them underwent examinations by non-expert GPs and specialist doctors using handheld US devices (setting A, setting B, and setting C). The results of setting C with specialist doctors were considered the gold standard. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the features of CPs were measured and recorded. The diagnostic performance of GPs in distinguishing CPs was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Inter-observer agreement was compared using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were completed to evaluate clinical benefits. Results: Among the 111 community residents, 80, 96, and 112 CPs were detected in settings A, B, and C, respectively. Setting B exhibited better diagnostic performance than setting A for detecting CPs (area under the curve, 0.856 vs. 0.749; P<0.01). Setting B had better consistency with setting C than setting A in CIMT measurement and the assessment of CPs (ICC, 0.731 to 0.923). Moreover, measurements in setting B required less time than the other two settings (44.59 seconds vs. 108.87 seconds vs. 126.13 seconds, both P<0.01). Conclusion Using an intelligent handheld US device, GPs can perform CP screening and achieve a diagnostic capability comparable to that of specialist doctors.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an intelligent handheld ultrasound (US) device for assisting non-expert general practitioners (GPs) in detecting carotid plaques (CPs) in community populations. Methods: This prospective parallel controlled trial recruited 111 consecutive community residents. All of them underwent examinations by non-expert GPs and specialist doctors using handheld US devices (setting A, setting B, and setting C). The results of setting C with specialist doctors were considered the gold standard. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the features of CPs were measured and recorded. The diagnostic performance of GPs in distinguishing CPs was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Inter-observer agreement was compared using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were completed to evaluate clinical benefits. Results: Among the 111 community residents, 80, 96, and 112 CPs were detected in settings A, B, and C, respectively. Setting B exhibited better diagnostic performance than setting A for detecting CPs (area under the curve, 0.856 vs. 0.749; P<0.01). Setting B had better consistency with setting C than setting A in CIMT measurement and the assessment of CPs (ICC, 0.731 to 0.923). Moreover, measurements in setting B required less time than the other two settings (44.59 seconds vs. 108.87 seconds vs. 126.13 seconds, both P<0.01). Conclusion Using an intelligent handheld US device, GPs can perform CP screening and achieve a diagnostic capability comparable to that of specialist doctors.

Objective To establish an animal model of lung adenoma in BALB/c mice based on dynamic characterization by micro-computed tomography(CT).Methods Eighty female SPF-grade BALB/c mice were divided randomly into four groups:model low dose group(1 mg/g urethane,iP,once),model medium dose group(1 mg/g urethane,ip,once a week,followed by 2 weeks),model high dose group(1 mg/g urethane,ip,once a week,followed by 4 weeks),and blank group(equal volume of saline).Growth of lung nodules in the mice was monitored regularly using Micro-CT.Three-dimensional images of the lungs were drawn using the Analyze 12.0 system,and lung tissues were taken for histopathological examination(hematoxylin and eosin).Results Lung nodules with round high-density shadows were observed at week 11 in all model groups compared with the findings in the blank group.The rate of nodule formation increased with increasing modeling weeks,with rates of nodule formation in the model high,medium,and low dose groups of 93.8%,93.8%,and 87.5%,respectively,at week 21.Most mice had two to four,followed by one,and one to two nodules,respectively.The average maximum diameter of the lung nodules in the low dose group was significantly higher than the diameters in the medium-and high-dose groups(P＜0.05),but there was no significant difference in lung nodule volume among the three groups.Regarding pathological type,hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed that the tumors in all the model groups were lung adenomas.Conclusions Lung adenomas were successfully induced in all urethane dose groups of mice and growth of the lung nodules could be characterized by micro-CT.The rate of nodule formation was highest in the medium dose group,which developed a moderate number of lung adenomas and provided a stable model,and was thus considered the most suitable model for the study of lung adenomas in mice.

Objective To investigate the differences in blood pressure phenotypes,renal pathological changes,and related pathogenic pathways in genetically diverse hypertensive mice obtained from 13 strains.Methods The genotypes of Cckbr+/+,Cckbr+/-and Cckbr-/-were obtained by hybridization of 13 strains of genetically diverse mice with Cckbr-/-mice.Blood pressure was measured with a noninvasive blood pressure analysis system(BP-2000).The expression of CCKBR protein in mouse kidney tissue was detected by Western Blot,and the pathological changes in mouse kidney tissue were detected by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and immunohistochemistry(IHC).The pathogenic pathways related to essential hypertension were screened by RNA sequencing.Results In three specific mouse strains(A/J,LOT,and FIM),the systolic blood pressure(SBP)was significantly different between the Cckbr-/-and Cckbr+/+groups.HE staining and IHC showed that hypertension caused a certain degree of renal injury in the mice.Gene Ontology(GO)and pathway enrichment analysis showed that differentially expressed genes were enriched in metabolic processes and circadian rhythm regulation.Conclusions Genetically diverse mice can effectively simulate the genetic background of the population and provide a new resource for studying the pathogenic genes related to essential hypertension.