Objective To evaluate the feasibility of establishing a portal vein thrombosis(PVT)model in cirrhotic rats.Methods Fifty male SD rats aged 10～12 weeks and body mass about 300～350 g were divided randomly into a model group and a blank group.Cirrhosis was initially established in the model group.PVT was then established by intermittent portal vein ligation with clamping,and was confirmed by hepatic color Doppler ultrasonography 1 week after modeling.The model group was then divided randomly into a model control group and a model recovery group.Liver and portal vein tissues were extracted from the model control and blank groups after laparotomy,and from the model recovery group after continued feeding for 2 weeks.Liver and portal vein samples in each group were stained with hematoxylin eosin(HE)and Masson stain and portal vein samples were stained with Elastica van Gieson(EVG)stain.Results Ultrasound examination showed stable thrombus formation in the portal vein in the model group 1 week after surgery,with a modeling success rate of 68％.HE and Masson staining showed false lobules and PVT,media edema and thickening,and collagen fiber adhesion,and EVG staining showed portal vein intimal injury in the model and model recovery groups.In contrast,there was no PVT and the vascular structure was intact in the blank group.Transmission electron microscopy showed collagen fiber bundles in the hepatic sinuses of cirrhotic rats,and hepatocyte mitochondria were heterogeneous in size,with focal aggregation.Portal vein endothelium exfoliation,apoptosis,phenotypic migration of smooth muscle cells to the protoendothelium,and subintimal fibrous tissue proliferation were also detected.No rats in the model recovery group had died 3 weeks after surgery and PVT remained stable.Conclusions Shedding of the portal vein endothelium,intimal fibrosis,phenotypic smooth muscle cells and migration to the intima are important pathologic findings of PVT in cirrhosis.Intermittent ligation combined with clamping can be used to establish a stable model of PVT in rats with liver cirrhosis,and the pathological changes,including vascular endothelial injury,intima thickening and fibrosis,and slow blood flow,are consistent with the formation mechanism of PVT in liver cirrhosis.Model rats can survive for at least 3 weeks,thus providing a suitable model and survival time for further studies of PVT in liver cirrhosis.

Objective:To investigate the effects of golden cicada anti-itch capsules combined with tacrolimus ointment on clinical symptoms and T helper cell type 1/T helper cell type 2 (Th1/Th2) cytokine balance in older adult patients with itchy skin.Methods:This prospective study included 80 older adult patients with itchy skin who attended No. 215 Hospital of Shaanxi Nuclear Industry from January 2022 to January 2024. The patients were randomly divided into two groups ( n = 40 per group) using a random number table method. The ointment group received tacrolimus ointment, while the combination group was treated with golden cicada anti-itch capsules plus tacrolimus ointment. Both groups were treated for 4 weeks. Clinical symptom scores, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, and the cytokine profiles of Th1 [interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)]/Th2 [interleukin-5 (IL-5), interleukin-13 (IL-13)] and skin barrier function were compared before and after 4 weeks of treatment. The incidence of adverse reactions and recurrence rates were recorded. Results:Before treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in clinical symptom scores, DLQI scores, or TCM syndrome scores between the ointment and combination groups ( t = -0.76, 0.76, -0.54, 0.33,-0.16, -0.36, all P > 0.0.5). After treatment, both groups showed reductions in severity of itching, duration, frequency of episodes, and area of skin lesions, as well as DLQI scores and TCM syndrome scores ( t = 16.14, 24.18, 14.65, 19.98, 18.21, 25.03, 15.42, 19.55, 12.36, 18.14, 15.65, 22.05, all P < 0.05). After treatment, the combination group had lower scores for severity of itching [(0.88 ± 0.24) points], duration [(0.91 ± 0.22) points], frequency of episodes [(1.06 ± 0.21) points], area of skin lesions [(1.18 ± 0.31) points], DLQI [(7.93 ± 2.17) points], and TCM syndrome scores [(8.89 ± 1.47) points] compared with the ointment group [(1.17 ± 0.33) points, (1.44 ± 0.26) points, (1.43 ± 0.25) points, (1.72 ± 0.44) points, (11.41 ± 3.05) points, (13.32 ± 2.06) points, t = 4.50, 9.84, 7.17, 6.35, 5.88, 11.07, all P < 0.05]. Before treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in Th1/Th2 cytokine level between the ointment and combination groups ( t = -0.15, -0.07, 0.21, -0.23, all P > 0.05). Both groups showed significant decreases in IL-2 and IFN-γ levels, and increases in IL-5 and IL-13 levels after treatment compared with their pre-treatment levels ( t = 4.56, 9.02, 11.11, 15.20, -5.63, -9.14, -6.01, -8.88, all P < 0.05). After treatment, the combination group had significantly lower IL-2 and IFN-γ levels and significantly higher IL-5 and IL-13 levels compared with the ointment group ( t = 7.25, 7.13, -6.69, -7.67, all P < 0.05). Before treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in skin barrier function between the two groups ( t = -0.16, 0.25, P > 0.05). After treatment, both groups exhibited significant reductions in transepidermal water loss and significant increases in stratum corneum hydration compared with their pre-treatment levels ( t = 6.25, 11.04, -4.82, -9.77, all P < 0.05). After treatment, the combination group demonstrated significantly lower transepidermal water loss and significantly greater stratum corneum hydration than the ointment group ( t = 4.13, 7.73, both P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in incidence of adverse reactions between the ointment group [7.50% (3/40)] and the combination group [12.50% (5/40), χ2 = 0.56, P = 0.456]. The recurrence rate was 27.50% (11/40) in the ointment group and 10.00% (4/40) in the combination group. Six months after treatment, the difference in recurrence rate between the ointment and combination groups was statistically significant ( χ2 = 4.02, P = 0.045). Conclusions:The use of Golden Cicada anti-itch capsules combined with tacrolimus ointment for treating itchy skin in older adult patients can help relieve clinical symptoms, improve skin barrier function, promote Th1/Th2 cytokine balance, and decrease the recurrence rate.

Objective:To investigate the effects of golden cicada anti-itch capsules combined with tacrolimus ointment on clinical symptoms and T helper cell type 1/T helper cell type 2 (Th1/Th2) cytokine balance in older adult patients with itchy skin.Methods:This prospective study included 80 older adult patients with itchy skin who attended No. 215 Hospital of Shaanxi Nuclear Industry from January 2022 to January 2024. The patients were randomly divided into two groups ( n = 40 per group) using a random number table method. The ointment group received tacrolimus ointment, while the combination group was treated with golden cicada anti-itch capsules plus tacrolimus ointment. Both groups were treated for 4 weeks. Clinical symptom scores, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, and the cytokine profiles of Th1 [interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)]/Th2 [interleukin-5 (IL-5), interleukin-13 (IL-13)] and skin barrier function were compared before and after 4 weeks of treatment. The incidence of adverse reactions and recurrence rates were recorded. Results:Before treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in clinical symptom scores, DLQI scores, or TCM syndrome scores between the ointment and combination groups ( t = -0.76, 0.76, -0.54, 0.33,-0.16, -0.36, all P > 0.0.5). After treatment, both groups showed reductions in severity of itching, duration, frequency of episodes, and area of skin lesions, as well as DLQI scores and TCM syndrome scores ( t = 16.14, 24.18, 14.65, 19.98, 18.21, 25.03, 15.42, 19.55, 12.36, 18.14, 15.65, 22.05, all P < 0.05). After treatment, the combination group had lower scores for severity of itching [(0.88 ± 0.24) points], duration [(0.91 ± 0.22) points], frequency of episodes [(1.06 ± 0.21) points], area of skin lesions [(1.18 ± 0.31) points], DLQI [(7.93 ± 2.17) points], and TCM syndrome scores [(8.89 ± 1.47) points] compared with the ointment group [(1.17 ± 0.33) points, (1.44 ± 0.26) points, (1.43 ± 0.25) points, (1.72 ± 0.44) points, (11.41 ± 3.05) points, (13.32 ± 2.06) points, t = 4.50, 9.84, 7.17, 6.35, 5.88, 11.07, all P < 0.05]. Before treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in Th1/Th2 cytokine level between the ointment and combination groups ( t = -0.15, -0.07, 0.21, -0.23, all P > 0.05). Both groups showed significant decreases in IL-2 and IFN-γ levels, and increases in IL-5 and IL-13 levels after treatment compared with their pre-treatment levels ( t = 4.56, 9.02, 11.11, 15.20, -5.63, -9.14, -6.01, -8.88, all P < 0.05). After treatment, the combination group had significantly lower IL-2 and IFN-γ levels and significantly higher IL-5 and IL-13 levels compared with the ointment group ( t = 7.25, 7.13, -6.69, -7.67, all P < 0.05). Before treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in skin barrier function between the two groups ( t = -0.16, 0.25, P > 0.05). After treatment, both groups exhibited significant reductions in transepidermal water loss and significant increases in stratum corneum hydration compared with their pre-treatment levels ( t = 6.25, 11.04, -4.82, -9.77, all P < 0.05). After treatment, the combination group demonstrated significantly lower transepidermal water loss and significantly greater stratum corneum hydration than the ointment group ( t = 4.13, 7.73, both P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in incidence of adverse reactions between the ointment group [7.50% (3/40)] and the combination group [12.50% (5/40), χ2 = 0.56, P = 0.456]. The recurrence rate was 27.50% (11/40) in the ointment group and 10.00% (4/40) in the combination group. Six months after treatment, the difference in recurrence rate between the ointment and combination groups was statistically significant ( χ2 = 4.02, P = 0.045). Conclusions:The use of Golden Cicada anti-itch capsules combined with tacrolimus ointment for treating itchy skin in older adult patients can help relieve clinical symptoms, improve skin barrier function, promote Th1/Th2 cytokine balance, and decrease the recurrence rate.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of establishing a portal vein thrombosis(PVT)model in cirrhotic rats.Methods Fifty male SD rats aged 10～12 weeks and body mass about 300～350 g were divided randomly into a model group and a blank group.Cirrhosis was initially established in the model group.PVT was then established by intermittent portal vein ligation with clamping,and was confirmed by hepatic color Doppler ultrasonography 1 week after modeling.The model group was then divided randomly into a model control group and a model recovery group.Liver and portal vein tissues were extracted from the model control and blank groups after laparotomy,and from the model recovery group after continued feeding for 2 weeks.Liver and portal vein samples in each group were stained with hematoxylin eosin(HE)and Masson stain and portal vein samples were stained with Elastica van Gieson(EVG)stain.Results Ultrasound examination showed stable thrombus formation in the portal vein in the model group 1 week after surgery,with a modeling success rate of 68％.HE and Masson staining showed false lobules and PVT,media edema and thickening,and collagen fiber adhesion,and EVG staining showed portal vein intimal injury in the model and model recovery groups.In contrast,there was no PVT and the vascular structure was intact in the blank group.Transmission electron microscopy showed collagen fiber bundles in the hepatic sinuses of cirrhotic rats,and hepatocyte mitochondria were heterogeneous in size,with focal aggregation.Portal vein endothelium exfoliation,apoptosis,phenotypic migration of smooth muscle cells to the protoendothelium,and subintimal fibrous tissue proliferation were also detected.No rats in the model recovery group had died 3 weeks after surgery and PVT remained stable.Conclusions Shedding of the portal vein endothelium,intimal fibrosis,phenotypic smooth muscle cells and migration to the intima are important pathologic findings of PVT in cirrhosis.Intermittent ligation combined with clamping can be used to establish a stable model of PVT in rats with liver cirrhosis,and the pathological changes,including vascular endothelial injury,intima thickening and fibrosis,and slow blood flow,are consistent with the formation mechanism of PVT in liver cirrhosis.Model rats can survive for at least 3 weeks,thus providing a suitable model and survival time for further studies of PVT in liver cirrhosis.

OBJECTIVETo identify the MPL L391-V392ins12 spliceosome and analyze its frequencies in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN).

METHODSMPL aberrant spliceosome was identified through reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)combined with cloning sequencing. The mutation of this spliceosome in 248 MPN patients and 200 normal people was determined by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR).

RESULTSA novel aberrant spliceosome of MPL gene (MPL L391-V392ins12)was identified, i.e. 36 bp intron was retained between exon7 and exon8, and there were 12 amino acids (EGLKLLPADIPV)inserted. MPL L391-V392ins12 mutation was detected in 19 (7.66%)of the 248 patients with MPN, including 1 (1.92%) of 52 patients with PV, 14 (9.66%) of 145 with ET, and 4 (7.84%) of 51 with PMF. And the mutation was not detected in the group of 200 normal people.

CONCLUSIONMPL L391-V392ins12 spliceosome is an aberrant spliceosome present in the MPN. It can be detected in PV, ET and PMF, and more frequently in ET and PMF. This mutation may play an important role in the process of MPN.

Humans ; Mutation ; Myeloproliferative Disorders ; genetics ; Neoplasms ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptors, Thrombopoietin ; genetics ; Spliceosomes