OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether Salvianolic acid A (SAA) can restore cartilage endplate cell degeneration of intervertebral discs and to identify the mechanism via regulation of micro-RNA. METHODS: Cartilage endplate cells were isolated from lumbar intervertebral disc surgical samples and were treated with serum containing a series of concentrations of SAA (2, 5, and 10 ?M) for 24, 48, and 72 h to identify a proper dose and treatment time of SAA. The effect SAA on interlenkin-1β (IL-1β)-induced extracellular matrix degradation of cartilage endplate cells were analyzed by Alcian blue staining and assessment of the expression levels of ADAMTS-5, MMP3 and Col2a1. Further, the potential target miRNAs were preliminarily screened by micro-RNA sequencing combining qRT-PCR and Western blot, and then, the miRNAs mimics and inhibitors were used to verify the regulatory effect of SAA on potential target miRNAs. RESULTS: The 10 μM SAA treatment for 48 h significantly enhanced the viability of cartilage endplate cells, and increased Col2a1 expression and glycosaminoglycan accumulation that were repressed by IL-1β, and reduced the effect of IL-1β on ADAMTS-5, and MMP3. Screening analysis based on micro-RNA sequencing and Venny analysis identified the downstream micro-RNAs, including miR-940 and miR-576-5p. Then, the miR-940-mimic or miR-576-5p-mimic were transfected into CEPCs. Compared with the SAA group, the expression of ADAMTS-5 and MMP3 increased significantly and the expression of COL2A1 obviously decreased after overexpression of miR-940 or miR-576-5p in CEPCs. CONCLUSION Salvianolic acid A attenuated the IL-1β-induced extracellular matrix degradation of cartilage endplate cells by targeting regulate the miR-940 and the miR-576-5p.
Humans ; Apoptosis ; Cartilage/metabolism* ; Chondrocytes/metabolism* ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism* ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 3/metabolism* ; MicroRNAs/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the safety and efficacy of reinforced radiculoplasty in the treatment of symptomatic sacral Tarlov cysts (TCs). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data and follow-up data of 71 patients with symptomatic sacral TCs who underwent reinforced radiculoplasty in the Neurosurgery Department of Peking University Third Hospital from June 2018 to March 2021. All the operations were performed under neuroelectrophysiological monitoring. Intraoperative cyst exploration, partial resection of the cyst wall, narrowing of the leak, nerve root sleeve radiculoplasty and artificial dural reinforcement were performed. The incidence of postoperative complications and new neurological dysfunction was analyzed. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess the changes of pain before and after surgery. The Japanese Orthopedics Association (JOA) low back pain score was used to evaluate the changes in nerve function before and after surgery. RESULTS: In the study, 71 patients had 101 TCs, 19 (18.8%) TCs originated from the left S1 nerve, 26 (25.7%) originated from the left S2 nerve, 3 (3.0%) originated from the left S3 nerve, 14 (13.9%) originated from the right S1 nerve, 33 (32.7%) originated from the right S2 nerve, 6 (5.9%) originated from the right S3 nerve, all the TCs underwent reinforced radiculoplasty. Deep infection (1 case), subcutaneous effusion (1 case), fat li-quefaction (1 case) and urinary tract infection (4 cases) were recorded postoperatively. The patients were followed up for 12-43 months (median, 26 months). Two cases had new urinary retention after operation, and the catheter was removed at the end of the first and second months respectively. One case had new fecal weakness, which improved after 3 months. Compared with preoperation, VAS decreased significantly at the last follow-up [median, 6 (4-9) vs. 1 (0-5), Z=-7.272, P < 0.001], JOA score increased significantly [median, 20 (16-25) vs. 27 (18-29), Z=-7.265, P < 0.001]. There were 18 cured cases (25.4%), 41 excellent cases (57.7%), 8 effective cases (11.3%), and 4 invalid cases (5.6%). The total efficiency was 94.4% (67/71). Two (1.98%) cysts recurred. CONCLUSION For patients with symptomatic sacral TCs, reinforced radiculoplasty can significantly improve the pain and nerve function, which is safe and reliable.
Humans ; Tarlov Cysts/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/complications* ; Cysts/surgery* ; Pain

OBJECTIVE: To derive the Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome classification and subgroup syndrome characteristics of ischemic stroke patients. METHODS: By extracting the CM clinical electronic medical records (EMRs) of 7,170 hospitalized patients with ischemic stroke from 2016 to 2018 at Weifang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong Province, China, a patient similarity network (PSN) was constructed based on the symptomatic phenotype of the patients. Thereafter the efficient community detection method BGLL was used to identify subgroups of patients. Finally, subgroups with a large number of cases were selected to analyze the specific manifestations of clinical symptoms and CM syndromes in each subgroup. RESULTS: Seven main subgroups of patients with specific symptom characteristics were identified, including M3, M2, M1, M5, M0, M29 and M4. M3 and M0 subgroups had prominent posterior circulatory symptoms, while M3 was associated with autonomic disorders, and M4 manifested as anxiety; M2 and M4 had motor and motor coordination disorders; M1 had sensory disorders; M5 had more obvious lung infections; M29 had a disorder of consciousness. The specificity of CM syndromes of each subgroup was as follows. M3, M2, M1, M0, M29 and M4 all had the same syndrome as wind phlegm pattern; M3 and M0 both showed hyperactivity of Gan (Liver) yang pattern; M2 and M29 had similar syndromes, which corresponded to intertwined phlegm and blood stasis pattern and phlegm-stasis obstructing meridians pattern, respectively. The manifestations of CM syndromes often appeared in a combination of 2 or more syndrome elements. The most common combination of these 7 subgroups was wind-phlegm. The 7 subgroups of CM syndrome elements were specifically manifested as pathogenic wind, pathogenic phlegm, and deficiency pathogens. CONCLUSIONS There were 7 main symptom similarity-based subgroups in ischemic stroke patients, and their specific characteristics were obvious. The main syndromes were wind phlegm pattern and hyperactivity of Gan yang pattern.
Humans ; Syndrome ; Ischemic Stroke ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Liver ; Phenotype

Aim To investigate the protective effect of hesperidin (HES) on cardiorenal damage induced by DOCA/Salt hypertension and the underlying mechanisms. Methods Eighteen male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group (Ctrl), model group (DOCA/Salt), and DOCA/Salt with hesperidin group (DOCA/Salt + HES). HES was administered for four weeks. Blood pressure, serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen were measured. The pathological changes in heart and kidney were examined by HE, Masson and Sirius red staining. The expression of α-SMA, collagen I and TGF-β were detected by Western blot. The mRNA levels of Nlrp3, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and NOXs were measured using qRT-PCR. Results Compared with the model group, HES administration significantly attenuated the occurrence of DOCA/Salt hypertension, improved renal function indicators of hypertensive rats, reduced renal and cardiac fibrosis, deduced the expression of α-SMA, collagen I and TGF-β, inhibited the expression of Nlrp3, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, and decreased the expression of NOXs in renal and cardiac tissues. Conclusions HES can delay the occurrence of hypertension and protect against hypertension-induced renal and cardiac tissue damage, which may be related to the reduction of inflammatory reaction and oxidative stress by HES.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and safety of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)-supported percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in chronic coronary total occlusion (CTO) patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Methods: The CTO patients with LVEF≤35% and undergoing CTO-PCI assisted by ECMO in the General Hospital of Northern Theater Command from December 2018 to March 2022 were enrolled in this study. The post-procedure complications, changes of LVEF from pre-procedure to post-procedure during hospitalization, and the incidence of all-cause mortality and changes of LVEF after discharge were assessed. Results: A total of 17 patients aged (59.4±11.8) years were included. There were 14 males. The pre-procedure LVEF of these patients were (29.00±4.08)%. Coronary angiography results showed that there were 29 CTO lesions in these 17 patients. There was 1 in left main coronary artery, 7 in left anterior descending artery, 11 in left circumflex artery, and 10 in right coronary artery. ECMO was implanted in all patients before procedure. Among 25 CTO lesions attempted to cross, 24 CTO were successfully implanted with stents. All patients underwent successful PCI for at least one CTO lesion. The number of drug-eluting stents implantation per patient were 4.6±1.3. After procedure, there were 8 patients with hemoglobin decreased>20 g/L, and 1 patient with ECMO-access-site related bleeding. The LVEF value at a median duration of 2.5 (2.0-5.5) days after procedure significantly increased to (38.73±7.01)% (P<0.001 vs. baseline). There were no in-hospital deaths. Patients were followed up for 360 (120, 394) days after discharge, 3 patients died (3/17). The LVEF value was (41.80±7.32)% at 155 (100, 308) days after discharge, which was significantly higher than the baseline value (P<0.001). Conclusion: The results of present study demonstrate that it is feasible, efficient and safe to perform ECMO)-supported CTO-PCI in CTO patients with reduced LVEF.
Male ; Humans ; Stroke Volume ; Ventricular Function, Left ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Heart ; Vascular Diseases

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and safety of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)-supported percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in chronic coronary total occlusion (CTO) patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Methods: The CTO patients with LVEF≤35% and undergoing CTO-PCI assisted by ECMO in the General Hospital of Northern Theater Command from December 2018 to March 2022 were enrolled in this study. The post-procedure complications, changes of LVEF from pre-procedure to post-procedure during hospitalization, and the incidence of all-cause mortality and changes of LVEF after discharge were assessed. Results: A total of 17 patients aged (59.4±11.8) years were included. There were 14 males. The pre-procedure LVEF of these patients were (29.00±4.08)%. Coronary angiography results showed that there were 29 CTO lesions in these 17 patients. There was 1 in left main coronary artery, 7 in left anterior descending artery, 11 in left circumflex artery, and 10 in right coronary artery. ECMO was implanted in all patients before procedure. Among 25 CTO lesions attempted to cross, 24 CTO were successfully implanted with stents. All patients underwent successful PCI for at least one CTO lesion. The number of drug-eluting stents implantation per patient were 4.6±1.3. After procedure, there were 8 patients with hemoglobin decreased>20 g/L, and 1 patient with ECMO-access-site related bleeding. The LVEF value at a median duration of 2.5 (2.0-5.5) days after procedure significantly increased to (38.73±7.01)% (P<0.001 vs. baseline). There were no in-hospital deaths. Patients were followed up for 360 (120, 394) days after discharge, 3 patients died (3/17). The LVEF value was (41.80±7.32)% at 155 (100, 308) days after discharge, which was significantly higher than the baseline value (P<0.001). Conclusion: The results of present study demonstrate that it is feasible, efficient and safe to perform ECMO)-supported CTO-PCI in CTO patients with reduced LVEF.
Male ; Humans ; Stroke Volume ; Ventricular Function, Left ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Heart ; Vascular Diseases

Objective: To investigate whether atrial fibrillation (AF) before transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) will affect the prognosis of patients post TAVI. Methods: This is a single center retrospective study. A total of 115 patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) who were admitted to General Hospital of Northern Theater Command from May 2016 to November 2020 and successfully received TAVI treatment were included. According to absence or accompaniment of AF pre-TAVI, they were divided into AF group (21 cases) and non-AF group (94 cases). The patients were followed up for postoperative antithrombotic treatment and the occurrence of the net adverse clinical and cerebrovascular events (NACCE) at 12 months post TAVI, including cardiogenic death, readmission to hospital for heart failure, nonfatal myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke and severe bleeding (BARC levels 3-5). Univariate logistic regression was used to analyze the related factors of NACCE. Results: Among the 115 selected patients, age was (73.8±6.9) years, there were 63 males. And 21 cases (18.2%) were diagnosed as AFbefore TAVI. In terms of postoperative antithrombotic therapy, 48.9% (46/94) of the patients in the non-AF group received monotherapy and 47.9% (45/94) received dual antiplatelet therapy. In the AF group, 47.6% (10/21) received anticoagulants and 33.3% (7/21) received dual antiplatelet therapy. The proportion of patients in the AF group taking non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOAC) was higher than that in the non-AF group (38.1% (8/21) vs. 2.1% (2/94), P<0.001). Patients in both groups were followed up to 12 months after TAVI. During the 12 months follow-up, the incidence of NACCE after TAVI was 14.3% (3/21) in the AF group, which was numerically higher than that in the non-AF group (6.4% (6/94)), but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.441). The incidence of severe bleeding was significantly higher in the AF group than in the non-AF group (9.5% (2/21) vs. 0, P=0.032). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that hypertension was associated with the risk of NACCE (OR=8.308, P=0.050), while AF was not associated with the risk of NACCE (P=0.235). Conclusion: The incidence of severe bleeding after TAVI is higher in patients with AF than in patients without AF prior TAVI, and there is a trend of increased risk of NACCE post TAVI in AF patients.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anticoagulants ; Aortic Valve ; Aortic Valve Stenosis/surgery* ; Atrial Fibrillation/drug therapy* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of Bushen Huoxue Formula (BSHXF) for the treatment of discogenic low-back pain (DLBP). METHODS: This was a parallel, double-blind, randomized, clinical trial performed between May 2019 and June 2020. Seventy patients were assigned by computerized random number table to the treatment group (lumbar traction and BSHXF, 35 cases) or the control group (lumbar traction and placebo, 35 cases). The patients received intervention for 3 weeks. Assessment was conducted before treatment and at week 1, 2, 3 during treatment. Primary outcome was the self-reported score of Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Secondary outcomes included Visual Analog Scale (VAS), clinical efficacy rate by minimal clinically important difference (MCID) as well as lumbar tenderness, muscle tone and lumbar spine mobility. Adverse reactions were recorded. Follow-up was performed at 1 and 3 months after the end of treatment. RESULTS: In the treatment group, ODI score was significantly decreased compared with baseline (P<0.05) and the control group at 2- and 3- week treatment. Similarly, VAS score decreased compared with the baseline (P<0.05) and was lower than that in the control group at 2- and 3- week treatment (P<0.05). The clinical efficacy rate of the treatment group was higher than that of the control group after treatment [32.35% (11/34) vs. 3.13% (1/32), P<0.05). Moreover, the tenderness, and muscle tone, as well as the back extension and left flexion in lumbar spine mobility in the treatment group at 3-week treatment were significantly improved compared with the control group (P<0.05). Follow-up showed that at 1-month after treatment, the treatment group had better outcomes than the control group with regard to a total score of ODI and VAS scores, as well as clinical efficacy rate (all P<0.05). Moreover, VAS score was still significantly lower than the control group at 3-month follow-up (P<0.05). No adverse reactions were reported during the study. CONCLUSION BSXHF combined with lumbar traction can significantly improve the clinical symptoms including pain intensity, functionality, muscle tone, and lumbar spine mobility in DLBP patients. (Registration No. ChiCTR1900027777).
Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration/therapy* ; Low Back Pain/drug therapy* ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Pain Measurement ; Treatment Outcome

Objective - To investigate the effect of lung flora dysbiosis on the process of pulmonary fibrosis and lung epithelial （ ） Methods - mesenchymal transition EMT in mice with silicosis. Male C57BL/6 mice of specific pathogen free grade were ， ， ， （ ） randomly divided into the blank control group silicosis model group solvent control group vancomycin VM + ampicillin （ ） ， （ ） （ ） ， AMP group metronidazole MNZ + neomycin NEO group and mixed treatment group 12 mice in each group. Except for ， ， the blank control group which was given 20.0 µL of 0.9% NaCl solution the other five groups of mice were dosed with 20.0 µL of silica dust suspension at a mass concentration of 250.0 g/L using a single tracheal drip to establish the silicosis mouse model. ： The intranasal drip method was used to treat silicosis mice in each group as following mice in the solvent control group were - ； ； given double distilled water mice in the VM+AMP group were given VM at a mass concentration of 0.5 g/L and AMP at 1.0 g/L ； mice in the MNZ+NEO group were given MNZ at a mass concentration of 1.0 g/L and NEO at 1.0 g/L mice in the mixed ， treatment group were given the same doses of the four antibiotics mentioned above all in a drip volume of 50.0 µL. Silicosis ， ， mice were treated seven days and half an hour before silica dusting and 7 14 and 21 days after silica dusting. Mouse lungtissue was collected aseptically 28 days after silica dusting. Hematoxylin eosin and Masson trichrome staining methods were - used to observe the pathological changes. Western blotting was used to detect the relative protein expression of α smooth muscle （ - ）， - （ - ） （ ） actin α SMA E cadherin E CAD and vimentin VIM . Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the relative expression of - - E CAD and VIM. Real time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression levels of （Col1a2） Results collagen type Ⅰ alpha 2 mRNA in lung tissues. The histopathological results showed that the alveoli of the ， blank control group were thin and structurally intact with few surrounding infiltrating inflammatory cells and no abnormal ， distribution of collagen fibers. The alveoli of the silicosis model group were structurally disorganized with a large number of ， ， infiltrating inflammatory cells thickened alveolar walls and cellular fibrous nodules with abundant blue collagen deposit. In the ， ， VM+AMP group MNZ+NEO group and the mixed treatment group the inflammation and fibrosis were reduced with diferent degrees in the lung tissues compared to the silicosis model group and the solvent control group. The relative expression levels of - ， Col1a2 α SMA VIM protein and mRNA in lung tissues of mice in the silicosis model group were higher than those in the blank （ P ）， -CAD control group all <0.05 and the relative expression levels of E protein were lower than those in the blank control （P ） - ， Col1a2 group <0.05 . The relative expression levels of α SMA VIM protein and mRNA in lung tissues of mice in the MNZ+ （ P ）， -CAD NEO group and the mixed treatment group were lower all <0.05 and the relative expression levels of E protein were （P ）， Conclusion higher <0.05 when compared with the silicosis model group and the solvent control group. Pulmonary fibrosis ， - was reduced in silicosis mice with interventions in lung flora where anaerobic and gram negative bacteria affected pulmonary fibrosis and dysbiosis of the lung flora affected pulmonary EMT.