This paper aimed to explore the effects of Duzhong Decoction(DZD)-containing serum on the proliferation and osteoblast differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells through L-type voltage-gated calcium channels(L-VGCCs). L-VGCCs inhibitors, nifedipine and verapamil, were used to block L-VGCCs in osteoblasts. MC3T3-E1 cells were divided into a control group, a low-dose DZD-containing serum(L-DZD) group, a medium-dose DZD-containing serum(M-DZD) group, a high-dose DZD-containing serum(H-DZD) group, a nifedipine group, a H-DZD + nifedipine group, verapamil group, and a H-DZD + verapamil group. The CCK-8 method was used for cell proliferation analysis, alkaline phosphatase(ALP) assay kits for intracellular ALP activity measurement, Western blot for protein expression level in cells, real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR technology for intracellular mRNA expression level determination, fluorescence spectrophotometer for free Ca~(2+) concentration determination in osteoblasts, and alizarin red staining(ARS) for mineralized nodule formation in osteoblasts. The experimental results show that compared to the control group, DZD groups can promote MC3T3-E1 cell proliferation, ALP activity, and mineralized nodule formation, increase intracellular Ca~(2+) concentrations, and upregulate the protein expression of bone morphogenetic protein 2(BMP2), collagen Ⅰ(COL1), α2 subunit protein of L-VGCCs(L-VGCCα2), and the mRNA expression of Runt-related transcription factor 2(RUNX2), and BMP2. After blocking L-VGCCs with nifedipine and verapamil, the intervention effects of DZD-containing serum were inhibited to varying degrees. Both nifedipine and verapamil could inhibit ALP activity, reduce mineralized nodule areas, and downregulate the expression of bone formation-related proteins. Moreover, the effects of DZD-containing serum on increasing MC3T3-E1 cell proliferation, osteoblast differentiation, and Ca~(2+) concentrations, upregulating the mRNA expression of osteoprotegerin(OPG) and protein expression of phosphorylated protein kinase B(p-Akt) and phosphorylated forkhead box protein O1(p-FOXO1), and upregulating phosphatase and tensin homolog(PTEN) expression were reversed by nifedipine. The results indicate that DZD-containing serum can increase the Ca~(2+) concentration in MC3T3-E1 cells to promote bone formation, which may be mediated by L-VGCCs and the PTEN/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway, providing a new perspective on the mechanism of DZD in treating osteoporosis.
Animals ; Osteoblasts/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Mice ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Calcium Channels, L-Type/genetics* ; Alkaline Phosphatase/genetics* ; Serum/chemistry* ; Cell Line ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of altitude on NIH-CPSI score in patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome(CP/CPPS) Methods: Clinical data and the results of NIH-CPSI Questionnaire of the 321 patients with CP/CPPS at different altitudes were collected from March 2021 to March 2022. And the influence of altitudes on NIH-CPSI score of CP/CPPS was analyzed. RESULT: The NIH-CPSI score of patients living at an altitude of 4 300 m was significantly higher than that of patients living at an altitude of 1 500 m and 2 200 m. The CP/CPPS patients who lived in the higher altitude had more severe symptoms of pain and urination as well as lower scores of life quality (P<0.05). CONCLUSION NIH-CPSI score increased significantly with higher altitude, indicating more severe symptoms and decreased quality of life in CP/CPPS patients. These findings highlight the need for management strategies for specific heights in patients with CP/CPPS.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatitis ; Altitude ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Pelvic Pain ; Adult ; Chronic Disease ; Middle Aged

Objective Analyzes the grouping effect and its influencing factors under DRG payment,provides reference for the reform of DRG payment.Methods Evaluates the effectiveness of DRG grouping using Coefficient of Variation(CV)and Reduction in Variance;using Value of Structure of Variation and Degree of Structure Variation,analyzes hospitalization costs structure changes of different DRG groups,and calculates the degree of correlation between average hospitalization costs through grey relational analysis;using non parametric tests and multiple regression to analyze the influencing factors of hospitalization cost.Results DRG grouping effect was not good,inter-group heterogeneity was not obvious;the structure of hospitalization expenses is unreasonable,and the proportion of consumables expenses is too high,ranking first in the grey correlation degree of hospitalization expenses,comprehensive medical service fees and treatment fees rank third and fifth respectively;the main factors affecting hospitalization costs are treatment methods,length of stay,presence of complications,and first hospitalization,the difference is statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion More grouping nodes or higher CV value standards should be added to enhance the grouping effect of gastric cancer DRG;optimize the structure of hospitalization costs to reflect the labor and technical value of medical personnel;strengthen internal management and control the unreasonable use of drugs and consumables.

Objective Analyzes the grouping effect and its influencing factors under DRG payment,provides reference for the reform of DRG payment.Methods Evaluates the effectiveness of DRG grouping using Coefficient of Variation(CV)and Reduction in Variance;using Value of Structure of Variation and Degree of Structure Variation,analyzes hospitalization costs structure changes of different DRG groups,and calculates the degree of correlation between average hospitalization costs through grey relational analysis;using non parametric tests and multiple regression to analyze the influencing factors of hospitalization cost.Results DRG grouping effect was not good,inter-group heterogeneity was not obvious;the structure of hospitalization expenses is unreasonable,and the proportion of consumables expenses is too high,ranking first in the grey correlation degree of hospitalization expenses,comprehensive medical service fees and treatment fees rank third and fifth respectively;the main factors affecting hospitalization costs are treatment methods,length of stay,presence of complications,and first hospitalization,the difference is statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion More grouping nodes or higher CV value standards should be added to enhance the grouping effect of gastric cancer DRG;optimize the structure of hospitalization costs to reflect the labor and technical value of medical personnel;strengthen internal management and control the unreasonable use of drugs and consumables.

Objective Analyzes the grouping effect and its influencing factors under DRG payment,provides reference for the reform of DRG payment.Methods Evaluates the effectiveness of DRG grouping using Coefficient of Variation(CV)and Reduction in Variance;using Value of Structure of Variation and Degree of Structure Variation,analyzes hospitalization costs structure changes of different DRG groups,and calculates the degree of correlation between average hospitalization costs through grey relational analysis;using non parametric tests and multiple regression to analyze the influencing factors of hospitalization cost.Results DRG grouping effect was not good,inter-group heterogeneity was not obvious;the structure of hospitalization expenses is unreasonable,and the proportion of consumables expenses is too high,ranking first in the grey correlation degree of hospitalization expenses,comprehensive medical service fees and treatment fees rank third and fifth respectively;the main factors affecting hospitalization costs are treatment methods,length of stay,presence of complications,and first hospitalization,the difference is statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion More grouping nodes or higher CV value standards should be added to enhance the grouping effect of gastric cancer DRG;optimize the structure of hospitalization costs to reflect the labor and technical value of medical personnel;strengthen internal management and control the unreasonable use of drugs and consumables.

Objective Analyzes the grouping effect and its influencing factors under DRG payment,provides reference for the reform of DRG payment.Methods Evaluates the effectiveness of DRG grouping using Coefficient of Variation(CV)and Reduction in Variance;using Value of Structure of Variation and Degree of Structure Variation,analyzes hospitalization costs structure changes of different DRG groups,and calculates the degree of correlation between average hospitalization costs through grey relational analysis;using non parametric tests and multiple regression to analyze the influencing factors of hospitalization cost.Results DRG grouping effect was not good,inter-group heterogeneity was not obvious;the structure of hospitalization expenses is unreasonable,and the proportion of consumables expenses is too high,ranking first in the grey correlation degree of hospitalization expenses,comprehensive medical service fees and treatment fees rank third and fifth respectively;the main factors affecting hospitalization costs are treatment methods,length of stay,presence of complications,and first hospitalization,the difference is statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion More grouping nodes or higher CV value standards should be added to enhance the grouping effect of gastric cancer DRG;optimize the structure of hospitalization costs to reflect the labor and technical value of medical personnel;strengthen internal management and control the unreasonable use of drugs and consumables.

Objective Analyzes the grouping effect and its influencing factors under DRG payment,provides reference for the reform of DRG payment.Methods Evaluates the effectiveness of DRG grouping using Coefficient of Variation(CV)and Reduction in Variance;using Value of Structure of Variation and Degree of Structure Variation,analyzes hospitalization costs structure changes of different DRG groups,and calculates the degree of correlation between average hospitalization costs through grey relational analysis;using non parametric tests and multiple regression to analyze the influencing factors of hospitalization cost.Results DRG grouping effect was not good,inter-group heterogeneity was not obvious;the structure of hospitalization expenses is unreasonable,and the proportion of consumables expenses is too high,ranking first in the grey correlation degree of hospitalization expenses,comprehensive medical service fees and treatment fees rank third and fifth respectively;the main factors affecting hospitalization costs are treatment methods,length of stay,presence of complications,and first hospitalization,the difference is statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion More grouping nodes or higher CV value standards should be added to enhance the grouping effect of gastric cancer DRG;optimize the structure of hospitalization costs to reflect the labor and technical value of medical personnel;strengthen internal management and control the unreasonable use of drugs and consumables.

Objective Analyzes the grouping effect and its influencing factors under DRG payment,provides reference for the reform of DRG payment.Methods Evaluates the effectiveness of DRG grouping using Coefficient of Variation(CV)and Reduction in Variance;using Value of Structure of Variation and Degree of Structure Variation,analyzes hospitalization costs structure changes of different DRG groups,and calculates the degree of correlation between average hospitalization costs through grey relational analysis;using non parametric tests and multiple regression to analyze the influencing factors of hospitalization cost.Results DRG grouping effect was not good,inter-group heterogeneity was not obvious;the structure of hospitalization expenses is unreasonable,and the proportion of consumables expenses is too high,ranking first in the grey correlation degree of hospitalization expenses,comprehensive medical service fees and treatment fees rank third and fifth respectively;the main factors affecting hospitalization costs are treatment methods,length of stay,presence of complications,and first hospitalization,the difference is statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion More grouping nodes or higher CV value standards should be added to enhance the grouping effect of gastric cancer DRG;optimize the structure of hospitalization costs to reflect the labor and technical value of medical personnel;strengthen internal management and control the unreasonable use of drugs and consumables.

Objective To analyze the clinical efficacy and safety of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir in the treatment of pa-tients with hepatitis C virus(HCV)and human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)co-infection,and provide scientific basis for clinical treatment.Methods 89 initially treated non-cirrhotic patients with HCV/HIV co-infection in a hospital of Butuo County of Liangshan Prefecture from January 2021 to January 2022 were selected.All patients re-ceived glecaprevir/pibrentasvir treatment for 8 weeks and were followed up for 12 weeks.Virological response rate at the end-of-treatment and sustained virological response rate after 12 weeks(SVR12)of treatment as well as oc-currence of adverse reaction were recorded.Results Among 89 initially treated non-cirrhotic patients with HCV/HIV co-infection,most were middle-aged and young married men(n=79,88.8％).HIV was mainly transmitted through sexual contact(n=62,69.7％)and intravenous drug use(n=27,30.3％).The most common HCV geno-types were genotype 1b(n=33,37.1％)and genotype 3b(n=25,28.1％).All patients completed 8 weeks of treatment successfully and HCV RNA load at the end of treatment was below the detection limit(＜25 IU/mL).Eight patients failed to complete the follow-up,and the remaining 81(100％)patients achieved a sustained virologic re-sponse.There were no serious adverse reactions during the observation period,but 11 patients had mild adverse re-actions.Conclusion The 8-week treatment regimen of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir for non-cirrhotic patients with geno-type 1,3,and 6 HCV/HIV co-infection can achieve 100％SVR12,with high safety and tolerability,which can be used as a good choice for clinical treatment of these patients.

Background::Total human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) DNA and integrated HIV DNA are widely used markers of HIV persistence. Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) can be used for absolute quantification without needing a standard curve. Here, we developed duplex ddPCR assays to detect and quantify total HIV DNA and integrated HIV DNA.Methods::The limit of detection, dynamic ranges, sensitivity, and reproducibility were evaluated by plasmid constructs containing both the HIV long terminal repeat (LTR) and human CD3 gene (for total HIV DNA) and ACH-2 cells (for integrated HIV DNA). Forty-two cases on stable suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART) were assayed in total HIV DNA and integrated HIV DNA. Correlation coefficient analysis was performed on the data related to DNA copies and cluster of differentiation 4 positive (CD4 +) T-cell counts, CD8 + T-cell counts and CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio, respectively. The assay linear dynamic range and lower limit of detection (LLOD) were also assessed. Results::The assay could detect the presence of HIV-1 copies 100% at concentrations of 6.3 copies/reaction, and the estimated LLOD of the ddPCR assay was 4.4 HIV DNA copies/reaction (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 3.6-6.5 copies/reaction) with linearity over a 5-log 10-unit range in total HIV DNA assay. For the integrated HIV DNA assay, the LLOD was 8.0 copies/reaction (95% CI: 5.8-16.6 copies/reaction) with linearity over a 3-log 10-unit range. Total HIV DNA in CD4 + T cells was positively associated with integrated HIV DNA ( r = 0.76, P <0.0001). Meanwhile, both total HIV DNA and integrated HIV DNA in CD4 + T cells were inversely correlated with the ratio of CD4/CD8 but positively correlated with the CD8 + T-cell counts. Conclusions::This ddPCR assay can quantify total HIV DNA and integrated HIV DNA efficiently with robustness and sensitivity. It can be readily adapted for measuring HIV DNA with non-B clades, and it could be beneficial for testing in clinical trials.