OBJECTIVE: Peritoneal fibrosis (PF) is an adverse event that occurs during long-term peritoneal dialysis, significantly impairing treatment efficiency and adversely affecting patient outcomes. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV), a principal active component derived from Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge, has exhibited anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects in various settings. This study aims to investigate the potential therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of AS-IV in the treatment of PF. METHODS: The PF mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 4.25% peritoneal dialysis fluid (100 mL/kg). The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HMrSV5 cells was induced by the addition of 10 ng/mL transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). The differentially expressed genes in HMrSV5 cells treated with AS-IV were screened using transcriptome sequencing analysis. The potential targets of AS-IV were screened using network pharmacology and analyzed using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. RESULTS: Administration of AS-IV at doses of 20, 40, or 80 mg/kg effectively mitigated the increase in peritoneal thickness and the development of fibrosis in mice with PF. The expression of the fibrosis marker α-smooth muscle actin in the peritoneum was significantly decreased in AS-IV-treated mice. The treatment of AS-IV (10, 20, and 40 μmol/L) significantly delayed the EMT of HMrSV5 cells induced by TGF-β, as demonstrated by the decreased number of 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine-positive cells, reduced migrated area, and decreased expression of fibrosis markers. A total of 460 differentially expressed genes were detected in AS-IV-treated HMrSV5 cells through transcriptome sequencing, with notable enrichment in the phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT) signaling pathway. The reduced levels of phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K) and p-AKT were detected in HMrSV5 cells with AS-IV treatment. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was predicted as a direct target of AS-IV, exhibiting strong hydrogen bond interactions. The activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway by the compound 740Y-P, and the activation of the EGFR pathway by NSC 228155 each partially counteracted the inhibitory effect of AS-IV on the EMT of HMrSV5 cells. CONCLUSION AS-IV delayed the EMT process in peritoneal mesothelial cells and slowed the progression of PF, potentially serving as a therapeutic agent for the early prevention and treatment of PF. Please cite this article as: Huang Y, Chu CL, Qiu WH, Chen JY, Cao LX, Ji SY, Zhu B, Wang GK, Shen QQ. Astragaloside IV delayed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in peritoneal fibrosis by inhibiting the activation of EGFR and PI3K-AKT pathways. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):694-705.
Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/drug effects* ; Animals ; Saponins/pharmacology* ; Triterpenes/pharmacology* ; Mice ; Peritoneal Fibrosis/pathology* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; ErbB Receptors/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Male ; Humans ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Cell Line ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Objective To study the correlation between traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)constitution and pathogenic factors in patients with ankylosing spondylitis(AS).Methods One hundred patients of AS and their family members who had medical consultation in the Fifth Hospital of Xi'an(i.e.,Shaanxi Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine)in August 2019 and September 2020 were selected as the study subjects.The guidelines of Classification and Determination of Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution issued by the China Association of Chinese Medicine were adopted to determine the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)constitution types of the study subjects.The sociodemographic information,living habits,clinical symptoms,and TCM constitution types of the AS patients and their family members were collected by means of questionnaires and clinical investigations,and then the pathogenic factors of the patients with AS were investigated.The binomial Logistic regression model was used to analyze the correlation between TCM constitution types and pathogenic factors in patients with AS.Results(1)Among the 100 AS patients,the majority of them had the biased constitutions,and the biased constitutions with the occurrence frequency in descending order were yang deficiency constitution,qi deficiency constitution,and damp-heat constitution,which accounted for 33.00%,14.00%,and 18.00%,respectively.(2)The prevalence rates of AS in the first-,second-,and third-degree relatives of AS patients were 56.25%,40.00%and 25.00%,respectively.For the positive rates of human leukocyte antigen B27(HLA-B27)in AS patients and their family members,HLA-B27 in AS patients was all positive,while the positive rates of HLA-B27 in the first-,second-,and third-degree relatives of AS patients were 44.31%,30.67%and 15.63%,respectively.(3)The results of regression analysis showed that the disease duration of AS patients was significantly correlated with qi deficiency constitution,the grading of sacroiliac arthritis was correlated with qi stagnation constitution,and age was correlated with blood stasis constitution(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).The results indicated that disease duration and age were the important factors affecting the constitution types of AS patients,and disease duration was closely related to qi deficiency while age was closely related to blood stasis.Conclusion AS is a highly hereditary autoimmune disease,and its onset is associated with HLA-B27.Yang deficiency is the basic constitution type of AS,and damp-heat constitution is the main constitution type in the progression of AS(especially in the active stage of the disease).The prolongation of the disease will exacerbate the illness condition of AS and then the manifestations of qi deficiency will be more obvious.

Objective To describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of fibrous dysplasia of bone admitted to a single center in the past 30 years. Methods We analyzed the clinical features of 744 patients with bone fibrous dysplasia diagnosed by pathology, including age, gender, disease location, monostotic or polyostotic lesions, pathological fracture and malignant transformation. Results There were 1183 lesions in 744 patients. The mean age at admission was 31.1±13.5 years old. The ratio of male to female was close to 1:1. The most common site was the lower extremities (916(77.4%)), followed by the upper extremities (106(9.0%)). The most common sites of lower extremities were the femur (645(54.5%)) and the tibia (224(18.9%)). Polyostotic cases accounted for 25.4%, and monostotic cases accounted for 74.6%. Pathological fracture occurred in 163 (13.8%) patients. There were 6 (0.8%) patients with malignant transformation. The mean age was 40.5 years old. The mean time of malignant transformation was 7.7 years. Conclusion Fibrous dysplasia of bone is a rare group of benign bone tumors, with typical epidemiological and clinical features.

Objective To determine the prosthesis survival and limb function after revision of global modular replacement system (GMRS) tumor prosthesis. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 16 patients who developed aseptic loosening of lower extremity tumor prosthesis and subsequently received revision with GMRS from 2009 to 2012. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the 5- and 8-year survival rates of the prosthesis. The MSTS function scale was used to evaluate the functional outcomes. Results The average follow-up time was 90 months (52-118 months). The 5- and 8-year survival rates of GMRS prosthesis were both 94%. After revision, two patients failed, including one case of infection and one case of repeated aseptic loosening. The average interval between the first joint replacement and revision surgery was 81 months (27-187 months). Until the last follow-up, 93.3%(14/15) of the patients did not develop repeated aseptic loosening, 85.7%(12/14) of the patients who underwent GMRS revision had a longer loosening-free survival than those with the primary joint replacement (90.6±19.3 vs. 43.4±29.7 months, P=0.001). The average MSTS functional score was 27.7(24-30). Conclusion The incidence of repeated aseptic loosening for GMRS prosthesis is low and the limb function is good. The reported technique is satisfactory in the middle and long term.

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data can be fused to identify the tumor boundaries. This enables surgeons to set close but tumor-free surgical margins and excise the tumor more precisely. This study aimed to report our experience in performing computer navigation-aided joint-preserving resection and custom-made endoprosthesis reconstruction to treat bone sarcoma in the diaphysis and metaphysis of the femur and tibia. METHODS: Between September 2008 and December 2015, 24 patients with bone sarcomas underwent surgical resection and joint-sparing reconstruction under image-guided computer navigation. The cohort comprised 16 males and eight females with a median age of 19.5 years (range: 12-48 years). The tumor location was the femoral diaphysis in three patients, distal femur in 19, and proximal tibia in two. The tumors were osteosarcoma (n = 15), chondrosarcoma (n = 3), Ewing sarcoma (n = 3), and other sarcomas (n = 3). We created a pre-operative plan for each patient using navigation system software and performed navigation-aided resection before reconstructing the defect with a custom-made prosthesis with extracortical plate fixation. RESULTS: Pathological examination verified that all resected specimens had appropriate surgical margins. The median distance from the tumor resection margin to the joint was 30 mm (range: 13-80 mm). The median follow-up duration was 62.5 months (range: 24-134 months). Of the 24 patients, 21 remain disease free, one is alive with disease, and two died of the disease. One patient developed local recurrence. Complications requiring additional surgical procedures occurred in six patients, including one with wound hematoma, one with delayed wound healing, one with superficial infection, one with deep infection, and two with mechanical failure of the prosthesis. The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score at the final follow-up was 91% (range: 80%-100%). The 5- and 10-year implant survival rates were 91.3% and 79.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Computer navigation-aided joint-preserving resection and custom-made endoprosthesis reconstruction with extracortical plate fixation is a reliable surgical treatment option for bone sarcoma in the diaphysis and metaphysis of the femur and tibia.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Computers ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Osteosarcoma ; Prostheses and Implants ; Sarcoma ; Young Adult

Sympathetic remodeling after myocardial infarction is presented as denervation, sympathetic nerve sprouting and sympathetic hyperinnervation, and is closely related to ventricular tachyarrhythmias and even sudden cardiac death at convalescence in patients with myocardial infarction. This article reviews the anatomic structure, morphology and functional remodeling of cardiac sympathetic nerve, as well as its role in healed myocardial infarction identification, which may provide references for forensic research.
Atrial Remodeling ; Forensic Sciences ; Heart ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction/pathology*

Objective To understand and master the infection status of key parasitic diseases in Baise City from 2006 to 2015, so as to provide evidence for the development and adjustment of the control strategy for parasitic diseases. Methods The relevant information of the final evaluation of the key parasitic diseases in 12 counties (cities and districts) of Baise City from 2006 to 2015 was collected, and analyzed. Results During the period of 2006-2015, a total of 20 654 person-times were investigated for parasitic diseases in Baise City and 1 147 persons were infected, with an average infection rate of 5.55%. In 2006, the infection rate was the highest (28.67%, 362/1 254), while the lowest was in 2013 (2.08%, 44/2 113). The infection rate of Clonorchis sinensis was the highest, and the infection rate of Ascaris lumbricoides was the second. The infection rates of the males and females were 5.35% (631/11 795) and 5.82% (516/8 859) respectively, with no significant difference between them (χ² = 2.175, P > 0.05). The highest infection rate existed in the 40-49 years group, the rural residents, the farmers and the crowd with the educational level of senior high middle school or above. Conclusions The infection rate of parasitic diseases presents a decline trend overall in Baise City from 2006 to 2013, however it rebounded in 2014 and 2015. The next step is to strengthen the prevention and control of parasitic diseases by promoting health education, regular insect repellent, and fecundity management.

Objective To evaluate the monitoring results of medium-and long-term program of schistosomiasis control in Baise City,so as to provide the reference for the elimination of schistosomiasis.Methods The data of schistosomiasis control in Baise City from 2004 to 2015 were collected and analyzed.Results By the end of 2015,the total number of regular screening serum tests for schistosomiasis in the planning period was 10 244 person-times,with 649 positive cases.The number of feces tests was 2 158 person-times in the permanent resident population,and the number was 2 683 person-times in the floating popu-lation.The Oncomelania hupensis snail survey area was 150.04 hm2,and the accumulated snail control area was 2.03 hm2.No schistosomiasis patients or schistosome-infected snails were found.Conclusion The effect of medium-and long-term program of schistosomiasis control is effective in Baise City,and the criterion of schistosomiasis elimination has been achieved.

BACKGROUND: Pedicle screws are widely used in spinal internal fixation, while complications related to screw mistaken placement can be found occasionally. Conventional imaging examination cannot provide the accurate situation of the nail, and the nail path can be directly revealed on CT.OBJECTIVE: To discuss the application of CT scanning in the preoperative planning of lumbar spine surgery using digital technology.METHODS: 136 patients were enrolled, and digital technology was used to determine the best nailing track on planar CT images. Then the length of the pedicle screws, width of the pedicle, angle between pedicle screws and standard sagittal plane, and angle between pedicle screw and spinous process as well as sagittal plane were measured. The difference in measured values on each side was compared. Also, the difference in angle between pedicle screw and sagittal plane and spinous process was compared.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) There was no significant difference in the length of pedicle screw in both sides (P > 0.05). (2) There was significant difference in the width of pedicle screw at L1 and L4 of two sides (P < 0.05). (3) The angle between pedicle screw and standard sagittal plane at each level bilaterally did not differ significantly (P > 0.05). (4) The angle between pedicle screw and spinous process at each level bilaterally did not differ significantly (P > 0.05). (5) To conclude, pedicle CT scanning can accurately reflect patients' pedicle anatomic situation, which can help surgeons to design an appropriate scheme. Moreover, the anatomical variations of lumbar spine are remarkable, so pedicle screw insertion should be planned individuality.

Objective To investigate the epidemiology,diagnosis and treatment of an imported falciparum malaria patient in Xilin County,Baise City,so as to provide the reference for improving the diagnosis and treatment of falciparum malaria pa-tients in the future. Methods The epidemiological and clinical data were collected and analyzed. Results The patient had lived in Africa where the malaria was epidemic. The disease attacked him after his coming back home from abroad. The blood test for Plasmodium falciparum was positive. In Xilin County,no local Plasmodium infection was found from 2004 to 2016,and therefore,we concluded that this case was overseas imported. Conclusion The monitoring of overseas returnees in Xilin Coun-ty should be strengthened to timely diagnose and treat the imported cases of malaria.