OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical symptoms and MRI outcomes of patients with ruptured lumbar disc herniation(LDH) through a multicenter randomized controlled study, and to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Yiqi Huoxue formula() in the treatment of this disease. METHODS: A total of 160 outpatients and inpatients with ruptured LDH admitted to 4 medical centers from January 2023 to June 2023 were selected and randomly divided into the Yiqi Huoxue formula group and the control group, with 80 patients in each group. In the Yiqi Huoxue formula group, there were 43 males and 37 females, with an age of (41.03±9.56) years and a disease duration of (10.45±25.37) days, and the patients were treated with Yiqi Huoxue formula. In the control group, there were 34 males and 46 females, with an age of (42.14±8.73) years and a disease duration of (11.31±21.14) days;during the acute phase, patients in this group could take celecoxib capsules orally, and methylcobalamin orally at the same time. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, Oswestry disability index (ODI), changes in the volume of herniated disc tissue on MRI, herniation rate, and absorption rate were recorded at the time of enrollment and during follow-ups at the 3rd, 6th, and 12th month after treatment. RESULTS: A total of 156 patients completed the clinical follow-up, and 4 patients withdrew midway. The clinical symptoms of all patients who completed the study were relieved to varying degrees, and reabsorption of herniated disc tissue was observed in all patients in the Yiqi Huoxue formula group after treatment. For the JOA score:in the Yiqi Huoxue formula group, it was (10.73±2.76) points before treatment and (24.65±2.19) points at the 12th month after treatment;in the control group, it was (11.01±1.20) points before treatment and (17.07±3.26) points at the 12th month after treatment. For the ODI score:in the Yiqi Huoxue formula group, it was (26.21±3.55) points before treatment and (5.65±2.19) points at the 12th month after treatment;in the control group, it was (27.92±2.51) points before treatment and (9.09±2.15) points at the 12th month after treatment. At the 12th month after treatment, the JOA and ODI scores of both groups were better than those before treatment, and the scores of the Yiqi Huoxue formula group were better than those of the control group, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). In terms of the herniated disc volume and herniation rate on MRI, the Yiqi Huoxue formula group was superior to the control group, with statistically significant differences(P<0.05). Reabsorption occurred in 56.96%(45/79) of patients in the Yiqi Huoxue formula group, which was significantly higher than the 37.66%(29/77) in the control group. CONCLUSION After treatment with Yiqi Huoxue formula, patients with ruptured LDH show significant improvement in clinical symptoms and a marked reduction in the volume of herniated discs. During the follow-up period, no obvious adverse drug reactions are observed in patients, and no recurrence of symptoms is found at the last follow-up, indicating that the formula has safe and reliable efficacy.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/drug therapy* ; Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Middle Aged ; Lumbar Vertebrae

AIM To investigate the effects of different compatibility ratios and processing method on the content of rutin,isoquercetin,ferulic acid,quercetin,isotoosendanin,kaempferol,toosendanin,α-pinene,trans-anethole in the combination use of Toosendan Fructus and Foeniculi Fructus,and to explore the optimal compatibility ratio for its use.METHODS The analysis of HPLC-DAD was performed on a 30℃thermostatic ZORBAX SB C18 column(4.6 mm×250 mm,5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of acetonitrile-0.1%phosphoric acid flowing at 1.0 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and the use of DAD detector.SPSS 24.0 software was used to analyze the data differences.RESULTS Nine constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(r≥0.999 1),whose average recoveries were 96.19%-103.13%with the RSDs of 1.86%-2.67%.Generally higher total content of nine constituents were detected in the combination use groups when Toosendan Fructus-Foeniculi Fructus were at ratios of 1 ∶ 1,1 ∶ 2,and 2 ∶ 1 than those single uses(P<0.05),and among which the 1 ∶ 1 ratio contributed the highest total content.After salt processing,decreased content of toosendanin and isotoosendanin,α-pinene and trans-anethole(P<0.05,P<0.01)),increased isoquercetin content(P<0.01),and no significant content changes of other ingredients were detected.CONCLUSION Through this method of high accuracy and good reproducibility,we learn that the combination use of Toosendan Fructus and Foeniculi Fructus promotes the dissolution of the nine constituents,and the maximum content is achieved at ratio of 1 ∶ 1.

Physical attributes of Chinese herbal extracts are determined by their chemical components, and the physical and chemical attributes jointly affect the preparation process performance and the final product quality. Therefore, in order to improve the quality control of Chinese herbal extracts, we should comprehensively study the batch-to-batch consistency of physical and chemical attributes as well as the correlations between them. This paper first explored the physical attributes affecting the preparation process performance of the compound Danshen extract and developed a method for characterizing the texture attributes. With such main chemical components as water, phenolic acids, saponins, and saccharides and texture, rheology, and other physical attributes taken into consideration, the batch-to-batch quality fluctuation of products from different production lines and time was analyzed by principal components analysis(PCA). Finally, the correlation and partial least squares(PLS) analysis was conducted, and the regression equation was established. The fitting result of the PLS model for dynamic viscosity was satisfying(R~2Y=0.857, Q~2=0.793), suggesting that the chemical components could be adjusted by the component transfer rate in the extraction process, the impurity removal rate in the alcohol precipitation process, and the water retention rate of the concentration process to meet the control of the extract dynamic viscosity. This study clarified the correlations between physical and chemical attributes of the compound Danshen extract and established a method for controlling its physical attributes based on process regulation, which would provide reference for improving the quality control of Chinese herbal extracts.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Quality Control ; Salvia miltiorrhiza/chemistry* ; Water

Objective To review and analyze the effect of probiotics in preventing the overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) in patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE). Methods Studies about this subject were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Chinese journal full-text database (CNKI), WanFang data knowledge service platform (WanFang Data) from their establishment to November 2021. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4. Description analysis was used for data that could not be pooled. The relative risk ( RR ) and 95% confidence interval ( CI ) were used to present pooled data. Results Six RCT studies with a total of 404 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed probiotics users had a significant reduction of the OHE incidence, as compared with the controls ( RR =0.46, 95% CI : 0.26 - 0.81; P =0.007), but an increase in the reversal MHE rate ( RR =4.94, 95% CI : 2.82-8.66; P < 0.000 01). Conclusion This finding demonstrated that probiotics were able to effectively reduce the OHE incidence and improve the reversal MHE rate in the patients with MHE. This study could provide novel evidence for probiotics treatment of MHE.

Lefamulin (BC-3781) is a semi-synthetic pleuromutilin antibiotic, approved for the treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) by Food and Drug Administration (USA) in August 2019, with the commodity name of Xenleta. It is the first pleuromutilin antibiotics used for systemic treatment of bacterial infections in human. Lefamulin binds to the peptidyl transferase center of the 50S ribosomal subunit to prevent peptide transfer, thus inhibits protein synthesis. Lefamulin displays expanded activity against gram-positive organisms, and also shows high activity against atypical microorganism like Mycoplasma pneumoniae. This review discusses the mechanism, bacterial spectrum of activity, preclinical and clinical data of Lefamulin.

Objective: Sialic acid (SA)-modified chlorogenic acid (CA) liposomes (CA-SAL) was prepared by response surface design to investigate its in vitro cytotoxicity and uptake. Methods: CA-SAL was prepared by a modified reverse-phase ethanol injection method. Sephadex G50 column was used to separate the CA-loaded liposomes and the free CA. The drug concentration was determined by HPLC method and the encapsulation efficiency was calculated. With encapsulation efficiency and drug loading as indicators, Box-Behnken response surface design experiments were used to optimize the prescription process of CA-SAL. The MTT method was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of CA-SAL on human lung cancer cells A549. Inverted fluorescence microscope was used to investigate the uptake of CA-SAL by A549 cells. Results: The optimized preparation conditions: hydrogenated soybean lecithin-CA ratio at 15:1, hydration temperature 60 ℃, ultrasonic power 400 W. The average particle size of CA-SAL was (90.13 ± 0.51) nm, the polydispersity index (PDI) was 0.16 ± 0.01, the zeta potential was (-25.3 ± 0.5) mV, the encapsulation efficiency was 57.8%, RSD was 0.1%. MTT results showed that the inhibitory effect of CA-SAL on A549 cells was significantly greater than CA-CL. Greater cellular uptake of CA-SAL was observed compared with CA-CL. Conclusion: CA-SAL prepared by response surface optimization has a uniform particle size and good stability. SA-modified CA-loaded liposomes could enhance cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of human lung cancer cell A549 in vitro.

Objective:To observe the effects of miR-146a on human retinal endothelial cell (HREC) under high glucose condition.Methods:Total of 57 cases diagnosed as diabetic mellitus and 40 cases with diabetic retinopathy (DR) in Wuxi People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University from October to December 2013.Forty-one healthy volunteers were enrolled and served as control group.The clinical data and venous blood samples of subjects were collected.HRECs were cultured in normal glucose (5.5 mmol/L) or high glucose medium (30 mmol/L). Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of miR-146a.The cultured HRECs were transfected with miR-146a mimic, mimic negative control, inhibitor and inhibitor negative control by lipofectamine2000, respectively.The expression of miR-146a and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) mRNA was examined by real-time PCR and the expression of nuclear factor-кB (NF-кB) p65 and NF-кB p65 Ser536 was detected by Western blot assay. Results:The relative expression of miR-146a mRNA in the diabetic mellitus group and DR group was 0.36±0.08 and 0.27±0.08, respectively, which were significantly lower than 1.00±0.16 in the control group (both at P<0.01). The expression of miR-146a mRNA was 0.37±0.11 in the high glucose group, which was lower than 1.00±0.18 in the normal control group ( t=5.57, P<0.01). The relative expression of miR-146a mRNA in the miR-146a mimic group was 2 540.00±105.00, which was significantly higher than 61.00±17.90 in the miR-146a mimic control group; The relative expression of miR-146a mRNA in the miR-146a inhibitor group was 0.04±0.01, which was significantly lower than 0.88±0.04 in the miR-146a inhibitor control group ( t=23.23, 17.12; both at P<0.01). The relative expression of ICAM-1 mRNA in the miR-146a mimic group was 0.35±0.12, which was significantly lower than 1.00±0.13 in the miR-146a mimic control group; The relative expression of ICAM-1 mRNA in the miR-146a inhibitor group was 2.74±0.48, which was significantly higher than 1.00±0.16 in the miR-146a inhibitor control group ( t=3.58, 3.37; both at P<0.05). The relative expression of NF-кB p65 Ser536 in the miR-146a mimic group was 0.43±0.03, which was significantly lower than 1.07±0.09 in the miR-146a mimic control group ( t=6.74, P<0.01). The relative expression of NF-кB p65 Ser536 in the miR-146a inhibitor group was 2.08±0.12, which was significantly higher than 1.00±0.01 in the miR-146a inhibitor control group ( t=8.76; P<0.01). Conclusions:miR-146a can reduce inflammation of HREC in high glucose condition through inhibiting ICAM-1 expression and NF-кB phosphorylation.

Objective: To investigate the clinical application value of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotype analysis in the preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) of monogenic diseases. Methods: The whole genome amplification products of biopsied trophectoderm cells were analyzed by SNP haplotype analysis and verified by Sanger sequencing. Results: A total of 205 embryos were performed SNP haplotype analysis and Sanger sequencing. Among them, Sanger sequencing failed in 14.63% (30/205) of embryos, and SNP haplotype analysis failed in 0.98% (2/205) of embryos. The failure rate of the latter was significantly lower than that of the former (P＜0.05). There were consistent results in 155 (75.61%) embryos, and inconsistent results in 18 (8.78%) embryos. Forty-five embryos in 41 cycles were performed embryo transplantation. The clinical pregnancy rate was 70.73% (29/41) and the implantation rate was 71.11% (32/45). The results of prenatal diagnosis of amniotic fluid during the second trimester of pregnancy were completely consistent with those of SNP haplotype analysis. Conclusion SNP haplotype analysis is accurate, and its failure rate is lower than that of Sanger sequencing. It can be effectively used in the PGD of clinical monogenic diseases.

Objective To observe the value of three-dimensional arterial spin labeling (3D-ASL) PWI in evaluating postoperative cerebral perfusion changes in patients with Moyamoya disease.Methods Totally 19 patients of Moyamoya disease confirmed with DSA were enrolled.All the patients received revascularization.Before and after operation,3D-ASL PWI and dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion weighted imaging (DSC-PWI) were performed.ROI was located in the region with obvious perfusion changes supplied by middle cerebral artery on the operating side.Then the cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured on 3D-ASL images,and time to peak (TTP) was measured on DSC-PWI images before and after operation.The differences of CBF and TTP before and after operation were compared,as well as the improvement rate of CBF,TTP and clinical symptoms.Results Before and after operation,CBF was (41.40±11.36) ml/(100 g · min) and (54.10±16.69) ml/(100 g · min),respectively,and the difference was statistically significant (t=-4.273,P＜0.01).TTP was (28.66 ± 3.21) s and (26.44 ± 3.93) s,respectively,and the difference was also statistically significant (t =-2.936,P＜0.01).The improvement rate of clinical symptoms was 84.21％ (16/19),of CBF was 78.95％ (15/19) and of TTP was 68.42％ (13/19),the differences of improvement rate had no statistically significant (P=0.625).Conclusion 3D-ASL PWI is noninvasive,no contrast agent need to be used,and can be used to evaluate perfusion changes after operation of revascularization in patients with Moyamoya disease.

Objective To investigate the effect on radioactivity in drinking water around Qinshan nuclear power station (QNPS)in normal operational condition.Methods The field monitoring and laboratory analysis methods were adopted to detect the total radioactivity level in drinking water in 2015,according to different distances from the nuclear island and different types of water.Results The total alpha and total beta radioactivity level in drinking water around QNPS were 0.027(0.098)Bq /L and 0.263(0.071)Bq /L respectively,which were obviously lower than the national health standard limits(total alpha and total beta are 0.5,1.0 Bq /L respectively).Total radioactivity level had no relation with the distance from the nuclear island (P >0.05).The total alpha radioactivity in deep well water was the highest among the investigated three types of drinking water,and the highest value was 0.224 Bq /L.The beta radioactivity level in river water was the highest,and the highest value was 0.408 Bq /L.The total alpha radioactivity level was 0.017 (0.013)Bq /L in 2015, higher than the average level during 2010—2014.The beta radioactivity average level was 0.319 (0.102)and 0.289 (0.055)Bq /L,also higher than the average level during 2010—2014.Conclusion The total radioactivity in drinking water among nuclear power plant is in normal background level,so at present there is no effect of the radioactive contamination on drinking water around QNPS in nuclear power plant's normal operational condition.