Intestinal flora and bile acid metabolism regulate and influence each other,and an imbalance in the"intestinal flora-bile acid"pathway is closely related to atherosclerosis.Based on TCM theory and clinical practice,it is found that"earth congestion and wood depression"is the key mechanism of atherosclerosis,but its biological connotation needs to be further elucidated.Combined with the results of modern research,it is believed that intestinal flora imbalance is an important foundation of"earth congestion",and bile acid metabolism abnormality is an important manifestation of"wood depression".In the process of atherosclerosis,the imbalance of the"intestinal flora-bile acid"pathway is closely related to the"earth congestion and wood depression"pathogenesis of TCM in atherosclerosis.Exploring the biological connotation of the pathogenesis of"earth congestion and wood depression"of atherosclerosis from the"intestinal flora-bile acids"pathway is of far-reaching significance for clarifying the scientific connotation of TCM theory and guiding the TCM prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.

Aim To investigate the effect of siRNA transfection of silencing Clkl gene on autophagy levels in AD model cells. Methods The Clkl gene was silted using siRNA transfection techniques. MTT was used to observe the effects of Aβ

The Ministry of Education and other four departments jointly issued the Notice on the Construction of high-level schools of public Health, proposing that "it will take ten years to build a number of high-level schools of public health, and form a high-quality education development system to adapt to the construction of modern public health system". At present, the construction of high-level public health schools in various universities in China is in full swing. The high-level School of Public Health and the CDC have played an important role in constructing the national public health system and the human health community. The high-level public health schools are of strategic significance and important value to the development of the CDC. The review presents reflections and insights on the role of high-level public health schools in the development of the CDC and the challenges they might face.
Humans ; United States ; Schools, Public Health ; Schools ; Universities ; Public Health ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.

OBJECTIVE: To utilized the baseline data of the Beijing Fangshan Family Cohort Study, and to estimate whether the association between a healthy lifestyle and arterial stiffness might be modified by genetic effects. METHODS: Probands and their relatives from 9 rural areas in Fangshan district, Beijing were included in this study. We developed a healthy lifestyle score based on five lifestyle behaviors: smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index (BMI), dietary pattern, and physical activity. The measurements of arterial stiffness were brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and ankle-brachial index (ABI). A variance component model was used to determine the heritability of arterial stiffness. Genotype-environment interaction effects were performed by the maximum likelihood methods. Subsequently, 45 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in the glycolipid metabolism pathway were selected, and generalized estimated equations were used to assess the gene-environment interaction effects between particular genetic loci and healthy lifestyles. RESULTS: A total of 6 302 study subjects across 3 225 pedigrees were enrolled in this study, with a mean age of 56.9 years and 45.1% male. Heritability of baPWV and ABI was 0.360 (95%CI: 0.302-0.418) and 0.243 (95%CI: 0.175-0.311), respectively. Significant genotype-healthy diet interaction on baPWV and genotype-BMI interaction on ABI were observed. Following the findings of genotype-environment interaction analysis, we further identified two SNPs located in ADAMTS9-AS2 and CDH13 might modify the association between healthy dietary pattern and arterial stiffness, indicating that adherence to a healthy dietary pattern might attenuate the genetic risk on arterial stiffness. Three SNPs in CDKAL1, ATP8B2 and SLC30A8 were shown to interact with BMI, implying that maintaining BMI within a healthy range might decrease the genetic risk of arterial stiffness. CONCLUSION The current study discovered that genotype-healthy dietary pattern and genotype-BMI interactions might affect the risk of arterial stiffness. Furthermore, we identified five genetic loci that might modify the relationship between healthy dietary pattern and BMI with arterial stiffness. Our findings suggested that a healthy lifestyle may reduce the genetic risk of arterial stiffness. This study has laid the groundwork for future research exploring mechanisms of arterial stiffness.
Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Ankle Brachial Index ; Cohort Studies ; Gene-Environment Interaction ; Vascular Stiffness/genetics* ; Pedigree ; Pulse Wave Analysis/methods* ; Genotype

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of dexamethasone vitreous cavity implants (Ozurdex) for the treatment of macular edema (Irvine-Gass Syndrome) after cataract surgery. METHOD: Eight patients (eight eyes) with Irvine-Gass syndrome were enrolled for vitreous injections with Ozurdex. The patients included six men (six eyes) and two women (two eyes) with a mean age of 67.12 ± 11.92 years. Changes in the patients best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), and intraocular pressure were compared before and after treatment. RESULT: The mean visual acuity BCVA of the patients was 0.81 ± 0.26 before implantation, which improved to 0.20 ± 0.12, 0.13 ± 0.09, and 0.15 ± 0.13 at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months after implantation, respectively ( P < 0.001). The patient's mean CMT before implantation was 703.00 ± 148.88 μm, and it reduced to 258.87 ± 37.40 μm, 236.25 ± 28.74 μm, and 278.00 ± 76.82 μm at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months after implantation, respectively ( P < 0.001). CONCLUSION The dexamethasone vitreous cavity implant (Ozurdex) is a safe and effective treatment, which can effectively improve patient's visual acuity and reduce macular edema associated with cataract surgery.
Male ; Humans ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Macular Edema/etiology* ; Dexamethasone/therapeutic use* ; Intraocular Pressure ; Prostheses and Implants ; Cataract

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy, establish a diagnostic model, and value of ultrasound attenuation parameters (UAP) to diagnose hepatic steatosis in metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and its relevant disorders. Methods: 3770 cases were selected from the Health Examination Center of the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University between October to December 2020. MAFLD diagnosis was based on the Asia-Pacific region MAFLD clinical diagnosis and treatment guidelines. The degree of hepatic steatosis was divided into mild, moderate and severe according to ultrasound imaging. UAP, clinical characteristic indexes, serum biochemical indexes, characteristics of hepatic steatosis and related factors were compared and analyzed in MAFLD patients and healthy controls. Logistic regression method was used to analyze the independent risk factors affecting the progression of hepatic steatosis in MAFLD to establish the diagnostic model. The clinical efficacy of UAP and the new model in diagnosing MAFLD was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). One-way ANOVA was used to compare means among multiple groups. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare non-normally distributed measurement data between the two groups, and rank-sum test was used to compare multiple groups. χ² test was used to compare count data between groups. Results: Among the 3 770 cases, 650 were MAFLD, with a prevalence rate of 17.24%, and the highest prevalence was 37.23% in the age group of 60-69. The prevalence rate was significantly higher in male than female (30.34% vs. 9.17%). Age-sex analysis showed that the prevalence rate in males aged 30-69 years was 38.26%, and that in females aged over 60 years was 31.94%. UAP was significantly higher in patients with MAFLD than healthy controls (278.55 dB/m vs. 220.90 dB/m, Z=-12.592, P＜0.001), and an increasing trend with increased degree of hepatic steatosis (mild:257.20 dB/m, moderate:286.20 dB/m, and severe: 315.00 dB/m) were observed. The cut-off values of UAP for the diagnosis of mild, moderate and severe hepatic steatosis were 243≤UAP＜258 dB/m, 258≤UAP＜293 dB/m, ≥293 dB/m in MAFLD. The sensitivity and specificity were 67.20%, 93.60%, 95.90%, and 82.10%, 72.00%, and 84.80%, respectively. UAP, alanine aminotransferase and fasting blood glucose were independent risk factors for the progression of hepatic steatosis in MAFLD. The combined MAFLD classification model (UAG model) was established. The AUC of mild, moderate and severe hepatic steatosis in MAFLD were 0.906, 0.907, and 0.946, respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity were 76.50%, 82.10%, 98.00%, and 90.80%, 83.30% and 76.10%, respectively. Conclusion: MAFLD is a common disease in the general population, with a higher incidence in male and elderly female over 30 years of age. UAP can be used as a new noninvasive diagnostic technique to evaluate hepatic steatosis in MAFLD. The UAG model has a good diagnostic efficacy on MAFLD and its relevant disorders, and thus can be used as a guide for evaluating clinical diagnosis and prognosis.
Adult ; Aged ; Alanine Transaminase ; Elasticity Imaging Techniques ; Female ; Humans ; Liver/diagnostic imaging* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/diagnostic imaging* ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography/methods*

The published literature of insomnia in the elderly treated with acupuncture was retrieved in CNKI, Wanfang and VIP from the date of establishment to December 31, 2019. Association rule analysis and cluster analysis were used to summarize the acupoint selection rules of insomnia in the elderly treated with acupuncture. A total of 37 articles were included, involving 60 acupuncture prescriptions. The most commonly used acupoints were Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Shenmen (HT 7), Anmian (Extra), Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Neiguan (PC 6), Xinshu (BL 15) and Taixi (KI 3). The most commonly used acupoint combinations were Sanyinjiao (SP 6)-Anmian (Extra)-Baihui (GV 20)-Sishencong (EX-HN 1)-Shenting (GV 24)-Shenmen (HT 7)-Xinshu(BL 15), Xinshu(BL 15)-Pishu (BL 20)-Shenshu (BL 23)-Shenting (GV 24), Zhaohai (KI 6)-Shenmai (BL 62), Taichong (LR 3)-Ganshu (BL 18), Daling (PC 7)-Taixi (KI 3), Neiguan (PC 6)- Zusanli (ST 36) and Guanyuan (CV 4)-Qihai (CV 6)-Zhongwan (CV 12). On the basis of acupoint selection according to disease differentiation, the acupoint selection rules and characteristics of insomnia in the elderly treated with acupuncture are regulating and supplementing the spleen and kidney and treating according to spleen-kidney.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Cell Differentiation ; Humans ; Publications ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/therapy*

This study aimed to investigate the effect of methyl eugenol(ME) on hypoxia/reoxygenation(H/R)-induced injury of human renal tubular epithelial HK-2 cells and its mechanism. The viability of HK-2 cells cultured with different concentrations of ME and exposed to H/R was detected by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) assay. The effect of ME on the morphology of HK-2 cells was observed under an inverted microscope. The content of intracellular reactive oxygen species in different groups was detected after 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate(DCFH-DA) fluorescence staining. Cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. Changes in mitochondrial membrane potential were monitored by JC-1 dye. The concentrations of nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2(Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1(HO-1), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphatase oxidase 4(Nox4) were measured by Western blot, followed by the assay of Nrf2 concentration changes in cytoplasm and nucleus by confocal fluorescence staining. The results showed that when the concentration of ME was 0-40 μmol·L~(-1), the activity of HK-2 cells was not affected. Compared with the model group, ME enhanced the activity of HK-2 cells and the cell morphology was normal. As revealed by further experiments, ME inhibited the release of reactive oxygen species and the decline in mitochondrial membrane potential of HK-2 cells after H/R injury, promoted Nrf2/HO-1 expression and Nrf2 translocation to the nucleus, and down-regulated the expression of Nox4, thereby significantly reducing apoptosis. This protective effect of ME could be reversed by the specific Nrf2 inhibitor ML385. These findings have preliminarily proved that ME effectively protected HK-2 cells against H/R injury, which might be related to its promotion of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway and inhibition of Nox4. Such exploration on the possible mechanism of ME in the treatment of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury(IRI) and protection of organ function from the perspective of antioxidant stress has provided reference for related research on the treatment of acute kidney injury with traditional Chinese medicine.
Apoptosis ; Epithelial Cells/metabolism* ; Eugenol/pharmacology* ; Heme Oxygenase-1/metabolism* ; Humans ; Hypoxia ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism* ; Oxidative Stress ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Reperfusion Injury/drug therapy*

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture by stages on secondary dysmenorrhea of adenomyosis through prospective case-series study. METHODS: A total of 36 cases of adenomyosis patients with moderate-to-severe dysmenorrhea were treated with acupuncture by stages. The acupoints of Diji (SP 8), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Ciliao (BL 32) and Shiqizhui (EX-B 8) were selected and acupuncture was given once a day during menstrual period; the acupoints of Guanyuan (CV 4), Zigong (EX-CA1), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Zusanli (ST 36) ect. were selected and acupuncture was given twice per week during non-menstrual period. All the treatment was given for three menstrual cycles. The visual analogue scale (VAS), Cox menstrual symptom scale (CMSS), Endometriosis Health Profile-5 (EHP-5) scores and the menstrual blood volume of pictorial blood loss assessment chart (PBAC) were observed before treatment and at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd menstrual cycle into treatment. Before treatment and at the 3rd menstrual cycle into treatment, the volume of uterus was measured by transvaginal ultrasound and the correlation among the quality of life, the severity of pain and symptoms was analyzed. RESULTS: The VAS, CMSS and EHP-5 scores at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd menstrual cycle into treatment were lower than those before treatment (<0.01, <0.05), and the PBAC scores were reduced but without statistical different (>0.05). Compared before treatment, at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd menstrual cycle into treatment, the PBAC scores were reduced in patients with PBAC>100 points (<0.01). Compared between 2nd and 1st menstrual cycle into treatment, between 3rd and 2nd menstrual cycle into treatment, the VAS, CMSS scores were all decreased (<0.01, <0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between the severity score of CMSS and EHP-5 at the corresponding time points of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd menstrual cycle into treatment (<0.01). CONCLUSION The acupuncture by stages has significant analgesic effect in patients with secondary dysmenorrhea of adenomyosis, and has the advantages of relieving the menstruation-related symptoms, regulating menstrual blood volume and improving the quality of life.

In ischemic stroke sequela phase, Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus drug pair has the effect in protecting damaged neurons, but its mechanism has not been clear. In this study, network pharmacology was used to predict the mechanism of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus in the treatment of ischemic stroke sequela. Through database search and literature retrie-val, 40 active ingredients of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata and Corni Fructus were obtained, and their targets were obtained through STITCH and TCMSP databases. The targets of ischemic stroke sequela were obtained through OMIM,GAD,TTD and DrugBank databases. By screening the intersections of active ingredients targets and stroke treatment targets, 21 potential targets were obtained. The DAVID database was used for GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis of potential targets. GO enrichment analysis showed that Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus were mainly involved in regulation of blood pressure, negative regulation of extrinsic apoptotic signaling and positive regulation of angiogenesis. KEGG pathway analysis showed that Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus could inhibit inflammatory response and apoptosis signaling pathway by regulating HIF-VEGFA signaling pathway in neural stem cell proliferation, TNF signaling pathway and NF-kappaB signaling pathway. Molecular docking technique was used to verify that Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus component has a good binding activity with potential targets. The results showed that in ischemic stroke sequela phase, Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus drug pair could play an important role in recovering neural function, promoting the proliferation of neural stem cells, angiogenesis, preventing neural cells apoptosis and regulating inflammatory factors.
Brain Ischemia ; Cornus ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Humans ; Ischemic Stroke ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Stroke ; Technology