OBJECTIVES: To investigate the inhibitory effect of Zheng GanDecoction (ZGF) on tumor progression in a rat model of diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and explore the possible mechanism. METHODS: Seventy SD rats were subjected to regular intraperitoneal injections of DEN (50 mg/kg) for 12 weeks to induce HCC tumorigenesis, with another 10 rats receiving saline injections as the normal control. After successful modeling, the rats were randomized into 5 groups (n=10) for daily treatment with distilled water ( model group), Huaier Granules (4 g/kg; positive control group), or ZGF at low, medium, and high doses (2, 4, and 8 g/kg, respectively) via gavage for 17 weeks. Body weight changes of the rats were monitored, and after completion of the treatments, the rats were euthanized for measurement of liver, spleen and thymus indices and morphological and histopathological examinations of the liver tissues using HE staining. The expressions of YAP, p-YAP, MST1, LATS1 and p-LATS1 in the liver tissues were detected using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control rats, the rat models with DEN-induced HCC exhibited much poorer general condition with a significantly reduced survival rate, increased body weight and liver and spleen indices, and a lowered thymus index. ZGF treatment obviously reduced liver and spleen indices, increased the thymus index, and improved pathologies of the liver tissues of the rat models. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting showed a dose-dependent reduction of YAP expression and an increment of p-YAP expression in ZGF-treated rats, which also exhibited significantly upregulated hepatic expressions of MST1, LATS1 and p-LATS1. CONCLUSIONS ZGF inhibits DEN-induced HCC in rats by activating the Hippo/YAP pathway via upregulating MST1 and LATS1 expression, which promotes YAP phosphorylation and degradation to suppress proliferation and induce apoptosis of the tumor cells.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Diethylnitrosamine ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/drug therapy* ; YAP-Signaling Proteins ; Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Hippo Signaling Pathway ; Male ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/metabolism* ; Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/metabolism*

Objective To investigate the current situation of long-term care needs of the elderly with home-based disabil-ity in Beiliu City,and provide data support for the development of Internet plus care services in Beiliu City.Methods A ques-tionnaire survey method was used to design and distribute a survey questionnaire titled"Survey Questionnaire on Home Care Serv-ice Needs of Disabled Elderly People",to investigate the nursing service methods and home care needs of disabled elderly people in Beiliu City.Results Disabled elderly people mainly choose home-based nursing services,with a high demand for basic care,comfortable care,rehabilitation care,psychological care,and other aspects.Conclusion Home care is of great significance for improving the quality of life of disabled elderly people,and requires policy support such as medical insurance to promote the sup-ply of nursing services and meet the care needs of disabled elderly people.

Objective To investigate the protective effect of total saponins of Panax japonicus(TSPJ)against CCl4-induced acute liver injury(ALI)in rats and explore the underlying pharmacological mechanisms.Methods Male SD rat models of CCl4-induced ALI were given intraperitoneal injections of distilled water,100 mg/kg biphenyl bisabololol,or 50,100,and 200 mg/kg TSPJ during modeling(n=8).Liver functions(AST,ALT,TBil and ALP)of the rats were assessed and liver pathologies were observed with HE staining.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway molecules in liver tissue;ELISA was used to determine the levels of T-SOD,GSH-Px,and MDA.Western blotting was performed to detect the expression levels of PI3K-Akt and SIRT6-NF-κB pathways in the liver tissue.Results Network pharmacological analysis indicated that the key pathways including PI3K/Akt mediated the therapeutic effect of TSPJ on ALI.In the rat models of ALI,treatments with biphenyl bisabololol and TSPJ significantly ameliorated CCl4-induced increase of serum levels AST,ALT,ALP,TBil and MDA and decrease of T-SOD and GSH-Px levels(all P<0.01).The rat models of ALI showed significantly increased expression of p-NF-κB(P<0.01),decreased expressions of PI3K,p-Akt and SIRT6 proteins,and elevated expression levels of p-NF-κB,TNF-α and IL-6 proteins in the liver,which were all significantly improved in the treatment groups(P<0.05 or 0.01).Conclusion TSPJ can effectively alleviate CCl4-induced ALI in rats by suppressing inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in the liver viaregulating the PI3K/Akt and SIRT6/NF-κB pathways.

Objective To explore the effect of sustained-release capsules of tamsulosin hydrochloride combined with Huang'e capsules on sexual function indicators in patients with chronic prostatitis.Methods A total of 60 patients with chronic prostatitis who visited the Department of Urology,Huzhou Central Hospital from July 2022 to October 2023 were randomly divided into control group(treated with sustained-release capsules of tamsulosin hydrochloride)and treatment group(treated with tamsulosin hydrochloride sustained-release capsules combined with Huang'e capsules)using a random number table method,30 patients in each group.Compare the symptom scores,urinary indicators,sex hormone levels,erectile function,severity of premature ejaculation,and clinical efficacy between two groups of patients with chronic prostatitis.Results Before treatment,the difference were no statistically significant between two groups(P＞0.05)using the National Institute of Health-chronic prostatitis symptom index(NIH-CPSI),urinary indicators,sex hormone levels,international index of erectile function-5(IIEF-5),and Chinese index of sexual function for premature ejaculation-5(CIPE-5);After treatment,compared with control group,the NIH-CPSI score and estradiol level of patients in treatment group decreased,urinary indicators improved,testosterone level,IIEF-5,CIPE-5 score increased,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).The effective rate of treatment group(96.67％)was higher than that of control group(73.33％),and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion Tamsulosin hydrochloride sustained-release capsules combined with Huang'e capsules can not only significantly alleviate the symptoms of chronic prostatitis in patients,improve urinary function,but also regulate the levels of sex hormones in patients,reduce the severity of erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation.

Objective To investigate the protective effect of total saponins of Panax japonicus(TSPJ)against CCl4-induced acute liver injury(ALI)in rats and explore the underlying pharmacological mechanisms.Methods Male SD rat models of CCl4-induced ALI were given intraperitoneal injections of distilled water,100 mg/kg biphenyl bisabololol,or 50,100,and 200 mg/kg TSPJ during modeling(n=8).Liver functions(AST,ALT,TBil and ALP)of the rats were assessed and liver pathologies were observed with HE staining.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway molecules in liver tissue;ELISA was used to determine the levels of T-SOD,GSH-Px,and MDA.Western blotting was performed to detect the expression levels of PI3K-Akt and SIRT6-NF-κB pathways in the liver tissue.Results Network pharmacological analysis indicated that the key pathways including PI3K/Akt mediated the therapeutic effect of TSPJ on ALI.In the rat models of ALI,treatments with biphenyl bisabololol and TSPJ significantly ameliorated CCl4-induced increase of serum levels AST,ALT,ALP,TBil and MDA and decrease of T-SOD and GSH-Px levels(all P<0.01).The rat models of ALI showed significantly increased expression of p-NF-κB(P<0.01),decreased expressions of PI3K,p-Akt and SIRT6 proteins,and elevated expression levels of p-NF-κB,TNF-α and IL-6 proteins in the liver,which were all significantly improved in the treatment groups(P<0.05 or 0.01).Conclusion TSPJ can effectively alleviate CCl4-induced ALI in rats by suppressing inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in the liver viaregulating the PI3K/Akt and SIRT6/NF-κB pathways.

Objective To investigate the composition of symptom clusters in early postoperative breast cancer patients and analyze the sentinel symptoms of each cluster of symptoms. Methods A total of 309 patients who underwent mastectomy were conveniently sampled and surveyed using the Chinese version of the Anderson Symptom Inventory. Principal component analysis and varimax orthogonal rotation were employed to analyze the symptom clusters, and their associations were analyzed using the Apriori algorithm model to identify the sentinel symptoms of each cluster of symptoms. Results Three symptom clusters were identified in early postoperative breast cancer patients: neuro-sleep symptom cluster [fatigue (weakness)-distress-pain-sleepiness-restless sleep], sensory-perception symptom cluster (numbness-forgetfulness-shortness of breath-sadness-dry mouth), and digestive system symptom cluster (nausea-vomiting-loss of appetite). Fatigue was the sentinel symptom of the neuro-sleep symptom cluster, numbness was the sentinel symptom of the sensory-perception symptom cluster, and nausea was the sentinel symptom of the digestive system symptom cluster. Conclusion Early postoperative breast cancer patients experience multiple symptom clusters, with sentinel symptoms existing in each cluster. Healthcare staff should develop intervention measures based on sentinel symptoms to improve the efficiency of symptom management and reduce the degree of symptom distress for patients.

Objective:To isolate and culture WU polyomavirus (WUPyV), and to analyze the genome-wide evolutionary patterns, homology and population dynamics.Methods:Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the nasopharyngeal aspirate samples of hospitalized children with respiratory tract infection in Beijing Friendship Hospital during 2020 to 2022. Primary human airway epithelial cells cultured at the air-liquid interface were used to isolate and culture WUPyV. Whole genome sequence of the isolated strain was obtained by Sanger sequencing. For phylogenetic and evolutionary dynamics analysis, the whole genome was compared with the published whole genome sequences in GenBank database.Results:The detection rate of WUPyV was 4.7% (31/659) during 2020 to 2022, and a clinical strain BJ0593 of WUPyV type Ⅲc was successfully isolated. The homology of the whole genome and gene fragments of WUPyV was high. The average evolutionary rate of VP2 gene was about 1.256×10 -4 substitution/site every year, and the population dynamics of WUPyV tended to be flat in the last decade. Conclusions:This study successfully isolated a clinical WUPyV type Ⅲ strain for the first time, which provided the basis for further investigation on the molecular evolution and pathogenicity of WUPyV.

Objective: To explore the gene lifestyle interaction of ATP2B1-eNOS pathway gene polymorphisms on blood pressure. Methods: Using the convenient cluster sampling method, a total of 872 junior middle school students from 3 school in July to August 2019, were included in the final analysis. The survey included questionnaire investigation, anthropometry measurement and blood sample collection. After DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples, the gene polymorphisms ( ATP2B1 gene rs 17249754 and rs 2070759, eNOS gene rs 1799983 and rs 2070744) were genotyped. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between gene polymorphism and blood pressure phenotypes. Results: The prevalence of high blood pressure was 9.52 % in adolescents(9.15% in boys and 9.87% in girls),with no significant sex difference ( χ 2=0.13, P =0.72). There were statistically significant differences between boys and girls in age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), body mass index (BMI) classification, birth weight, daily school physical exercise time and daily playing video games time ( P <0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that, eNOS gene rs 2070744 polymorphism was associated with high blood pressure (HBP) under the recessive model, and the risk of HBP in CC genotype carriers were higher than that TT/TC genotype carriers ( OR=3.88, 95%CI =1.00-15.02, P < 0.05 ). The results of gene lifestyle interaction showed that ATP2B1 gene rs 2070759 polymorphism gene had an interaction with the time of physical exercise in school ( P interaction =0.05). In the subgroup with daily physical exercise time at sch ool ＜1 hour , the TT/TG genotype carriers were associated with increased risk of HBP compared with GG genotype carriers( OR= 2.65 , 95%CI =1.11-6.30, P <0.05). But in the subgroup with daily physical exercise time in school ≥1 hour, rs 2070759 was not significantly associated with HBP. Conclusion eNOS/rs 2070744 polymorphisms are associated with risk of HBP among adolescents. There is significant interaction between ATP2B1 gene rs 2070759 polymorphism and physical exercise time in school on HBP. Adolescents should spend more time on physical activity in school, which will help to maintain normal blood pressure level.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of modified Shengjiang Powder acupoint application on hypertension patients with phlegm-heat syndrome. Methods:A total of 61 patients in Shijiazhuang hospital of traditional chinese medicine (TCM) meeting the inclusion criteria from September 2018 to September 2019 were randomly divided into two groups, the treatment group was 30 cases, the control group was 31 cases. The control group was given Amlodipine Besylate Tablets orally, and the treatment group added modified Shengjiang Powder acupoint application, and both groups were treated for 4 weeks. TCM syndrome scores were performed before and after treatment, and 24 h ambulatory blood pressure were measured with an ambulatory blood pressure monitor, including daytime mean systolic blood pressure (dMSBP), daytime mean diastolic blood pressure (dMDBP), night time mean systolic blood pressure (nMSBP), and night time mean diastolic blood pressure (nMDBP), 24-hour mean systolic blood pressure (24 hMSBP), 24-hour mean diastolic blood pressure (24 hMDSBP) and blood pressure circadian rhythm detection. Results:After treatment, the nMSBP and 24 hMSBP in the treatment group were significantly lower than those control group ( t values were -2.331,-1.511, P values were 0.045, 0.033), the blood pressure circadian rhythm [(8.87 ± 8.33)% vs. (6.94 ± 6.12)%, t=1.034] of the treatment group was significantly higher than those of the control group ( P<0.05); mdizziness, headache, head wraps, vomiting, sputum salivation, upset, mouth pain, insomnia scores of the treatment group after treatment were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The modified Shengjiang Powder acupoint application can reduce the blood pressure level of hypertension patients with phlegm-heat syndrome, especially for the improvement of night blood pressure, and improve the clinical symptoms.

Objective To isolate and identify exosomes from serum samples of the patients with polymyositis / dermatomyositis (PM/ DM),and analyze their protein composition preliminarily.Methods Exosomes from serum samples of the patients with PM/DM were isolated and purified by the ExoQuickTM kit.The morphological characteristics and particle size of exosomes were determined by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and NanoSight analyzer,respectively.The surface markers of exosomes such as CD9,CD81 and Flotillin-2 were identified by western blot.The concentration and composition of exosome protein were determined by the BCA method and SDS-PAGE,respectively.Results The exosomes from serum samples of PM/DM patients displayed round or oval vesicles with membrane structure under TEM,and their diameter range was about (92 ± 67) nm.western blot showed that these exosomes expressed CD9,CD81 and Flotillin-2.The total protein concentrations of exosomes in the patients with PM/DM and healthy controls were 14.68 (6.00,32.55) μg/μL and 14.09 (8.00,23.28) μg/μL,respectively.SDS-PAGE showed that high-abundance proteins enriched in 55-70 kD in both PM/DM patients and healthy controls,and that there were different bands in 40-55 kD between them.Conclusion Exosomes are isolated from serum samples of the patients with PM/DM successfully,and their protein concentration and composition are analyzed preliminarily,which provides the experimental evidences for further finding differential proteins.