Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and osteoporosis (OP) are two very common metabolic diseases. A growing body of experimental evidence supports a pathophysiological link between MAFLD and OP. MAFLD is often associated with the development of OP. Rutaecarpine (RUT) is one of the main active components of Chinese medicine Euodiae Fructus. Our previous studies have demonstrated that RUT has lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic effects, and can improve the OP of rats. However, whether RUT can improve both fatty liver and OP symptoms of MAFLD mice at the same time remains to be investigated. In this study, we used C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 months to construct a MAFLD model, and gave the mice a low dose (5 mg·kg^-1) and a high dose (15 mg·kg^-1) of RUT by gavage for 4 weeks. The effects of RUT on liver steatosis and bone metabolism were then evaluated at the end of the experiment [this experiment was approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (approval number: IMB-20190124D₃03)]. The results showed that RUT treatment significantly reduced hepatic steatosis and lipid accumulation, and significantly reduced bone loss and promoted bone formation. In summary, this study shows that RUT has an effect of improving fatty liver and OP in MAFLD mice.

Background Vascular endothelial damage associated with endothelial progenitor cell dysfunction is considered as an initiating step of hypertension and target organ damage, in which oxidative stress plays a key role. High-intensity intermittent exercise is an effective prevention and treatment method of various chronic diseases; however, little attention has been paid to its effects and mechanisms on endothelial progenitor cells. Objective To observe the effect of high-intensity intermittent exercise on the function of endothelial progenitor cells in patients with hypertension and explore the mechanism of oxidative stress. Methods A total of 60 patients with essential hypertension were randomly divided into a control group and an exercise group. The control group received conventional drug treatment (including diuretics, calcium blockers, and beta-blockers), and the exercise group performed high-intensity intermittent exercise for 8 weeks (3 times·week⁻¹) in addition to the treatment plan of the control group. Before and after intervention, brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) was used to evaluate vascular endothelial function; venous blood was sampled to perfrom circulating endothelial progenitor cell counts; endothelial progenitor cells were cultured in vitro, and the modified Boyden chamber assay and Matrigel lumen formation assay were used to detect their migration and tube formation ability, superoxide fluorescent anion probe method to detect reactive oxygen species levels, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining method to detect cell apoptosis, Western blotting to determine protein expression of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 2, NADPH oxidase 4, and superoxide dismutase. Results Four patients (13.3%) in the control group and 2 patients (6.7%) in the exercise group dropped out; the completion rate of the exercise group's training plan was 94.9%. Compared with the before-intervention indicators, blood pressure decreased, brachial artery FMD increased, number of circulating endothelial progenitor cells increased, their migration and tube formation ability were enhanced, reactive oxygen species levels and cell apoptosis rate were reduced, NADPH oxidase 2 and NADPH oxidase 4 protein expressions were down-regulated, and superoxide dismutase protein expression was up-regulated in the after-intervention exercise group, and the differences were all statistically significant (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the above indicators in the control group between before and after intervention (P > 0.05). Conclusion High-intensity intermittent exercise regulates oxidative stress mediated by NADPH oxidase, improves endothelial progenitor cell function, and restores vascular endothelial disorders in patients with essential hypertension.

This study was aimed at understanding the antimicrobial resistance patterns,virulence characteristics,and phyloge-netic relationships of foodborne Listeria monocytogenes in Weifang.A total of 67 strains of Listeria monocytogenes were isolated from livestock,poultry meat,and clinical samples in Weifang between 2020 and 2023.The susceptibility of these isolates was determined through broth microdilution.Whole-genome sequencing and genetic characterization of these isolates were conducted.The 67 strains were divided into 12 STs,among which ST121,ST8,ST9,and ST87 predominated(76.12%).Eight groups of closely related strains were identified through cgMLST typing.Three Listeria pathogenicity islands and two genomic islands were identified in all strains:100%of the strains carried LIPI-1,5.97%carried LIPI-3,14.93%carried LIPI-4,2.99%carried LGI-2,and 4.48%of the strains carried LGI-3.No antibiotic resistance genes were found in any strains.All isolates were susceptible to ampicillin,penicillin,merope-nem,trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole,and vancomycin.Five isolates were resistant to tetracycline,and three strains of ST87,one strain of ST8,one strain of ST224,and two strains of ST87 were simultaneously resistant to erythromycin.The tet(M)tetracycline re-sistance genes and msr(D)and mef(A)erythromycin resistance genes from three strains of ST87 and one strain of ST8 were carried by a phage similar to phi1605 in Erysipelothrix,with>95%identity.The tet(M)gene from the ST224 isolates was carried by a transposon similar to Tn5801_B15 in Enterococcus faecalis,with>95%identity.Drug-resistant strains of Listeria monocytogenes were found in livestock and poultry meat on sale in Weifang,particularly strains of type ST87 and ST224 simultaneously carrying highly pathogenic virulence islands,thus posing a threat to food safety and public health.These findings therefore warrant attention from relevant depart-ments and strengthened monitoring efforts.

Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the application effect of opioid-free anesthesia(OFA)in modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer.Methods:80 patients undergoing unilateral modified radical mastec-tomy were randomly divided into two groups:general anesthesia group(G group)and OFA group(O group).The G group received general anesthesia with opioid drugs and a laryngeal mask,while the O group received general anes-thesia with intravenous lidocaine combined with thoracic paravertebral nerve block and a laryngeal mask.The average arterial pressure(MAP)and heart rate(HR)of the patients were recorded at the time of admission(T0),induction(T1),start of surgery(T2),gland resection(T3),and admission to the recovery room(T4).The surgical time,awakening time,ex-tubation time,and getting out of bed time were recorded.The VAS score at 2 hours(T5),6 hours(T6),and 12 hours(T7)after surgery,as well as the systemic immune-inflammatory index(SII)before surgery(T8),6 hours after surgery(T9),and 12 hours after surgery(T10)were recorded.The occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting(PONV)and post-mastectomy pain syndrome(PMPS)were recorded.The occurrence of adverse events such as poor nerve block effect,pneumothorax,hematoma,and local anesthetic toxicity were also recorded.Results:The MAP and HR of the O group were more stable than those of the G group during surgery(P＜0.05).The awakening time,extubation time,and getting out of bed time in the O group were earlier than those in the G group(P＜0.05).The VAS and SII values after surgery were significantly lower in the O group than in the G group(P＜0.05).The incidence of PONV was also signifi-cantly decreased(P＜0.05).In addition,no adverse events such as pneumothorax,hematoma,or local anesthetic toxic-ity occurred in the O group.Conclusion:Pioid-free anesthesia is safe and effective in modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer,shortening recovery time,time to first flatus,and time to ambulation,while alleviating postoperative pain,systemic inflammatory response,perioperative hemodynamic fluctuations,and the incidence of postoperative nau-sea and vomiting.

AIM To investigate the effects of Qifu Yixin Granules on cardiac inflammation in a rat model of heart failure.METHODS The rats were induced into chronic heart failure(CHF)models by 6-week intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin followed by the random assignment of the successful rat models into the model group,the captopril group(22.5 mg/kg),and the low-dose,medium-dose,and high-dose Qifu Yixin Granules groups(2.84,5.67,11.34 g/kg),in contrast to the normal rats of the blank group.The rats had their body weight monitored;their cardiac function assessed by echocardiography;their serum levels of NT-proBNP,TNF-α,IL-6,IL-1 and CRP measured by ELISA;their cardiac morphological alterations observed by HE and Masson staining;their cardiac protein expressions of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot;and their cardiac mRNA expressions of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB measured by RT-qPCR.RESULTS Compared to the blank group,the model group exhibited significantly reduced body weight,LVEF and LVFS(P＜0.01),alongside significantly elevated LVEDD,LVESD,and serum concentrations of NT-proBNP,TNF-α,IL-6,IL-1 and CRP(P＜0.01).Additionally,the model group displayed greater myocardial inflammatory cell aggregation,increased collagen deposition(P＜0.01);and upregulated myocardial protein and mRNA expressions of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB(P＜0.01).Compared to the model group,the groups intervened with captopril or medium/high dose Qifu Yixin Granules demonstrated significantly increased body weight,LVEF and LVFS(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);significantly reduced LVEDD,LVESD,and serum levels of the aforementioned indicators(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);mitigated inflammation and collagen deposition(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);and downregulated myocardial protein and mRNA expressions of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Qifu Yixin Granules attenuate cardiac inflammation and improve cardiac function in doxorubicin-induced CHF rats;this therapeutic effect is mediated by inhibiting the activation of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the cerebro protective effect of pre-filled sivelestat sodium during cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB)in patients with valve replacement surgery.Methods From January 2022 to December 2023,104 patients were included and randomly divided into experimental group(n=54)and control group(n=50).The sivelestat sodium 4.8mg/kg was mixed to the pre-filled solutions for CPB in experimental group,while an equal amount of physiological saline solution was mixed in control group.Internal jugular venous blood was collected 5 minutes after anesthesia induction and 10 minutes,4 hours,24 hours,and 72 hours after the aortic cross-clamp was released to detect plasma S-100 protein and interleukin(IL)-6 concentrations.Data on operation time,CPB time,mean arterial pressure,and hematocrit were also recorded.Results There were no statistical differences in operation time,CPB time,assisted circulation time,mean arterial pressure,and hematocrit between two groups(P＞0.05).After anesthesia,there were no significant differences in S-100 protein and IL-6 between two groups(P＞0.05).After,the plasma concentrations of S-100 protein and IL-6 increased in both groups,but the concentrations of S-100 protein and IL-6 in experimental group were significantly lower than those in control group at early stages(10 minutes,4 hours,24 hours)after the aortic cross-clamp was released(P＜0.05).Conclusion Sivelestat sodium,as a cerebro protective drug in CPB heart surgery,can reduce the levels of S-100 protein and IL-6,demonstrating a protective effect on central nervous cells.

Objective:To explore the safety and efficacy of intraosseous regional administration (IORA) of vancomycin for preventing infection in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).Methods:A total of 124 patients with knee osteoarthritis undergoing TKA between February 2024 and May 2024 at nine hospitals were enrolled. Preoperative infection prophylaxis involved either IORA (0.5 g vancomycin administered via intraosseous regional infusion before incision) or intravenous infusion (1 g vancomycin via peripheral vein). The IORA group included 15 males and 47 females with a median age of 66.5 years (range, 60.0-70.0 years), while the intravenous group included 14 males and 48 females with a median age of 66.0 years (range, 61.8-70.3 years) years. Intraoperative samples were collected including fat and synovium tissues after incision, before prosthesis placement, and after tourniquet release; distal femoral cancellous bone during femoral osteotomy; proximal tibial cancellous bone during tibial osteotomy; proximal intercondylar cancellous bone before prosthesis placement; and peripheral blood from non-infused arms at surgery initiation and after tourniquet release. Vancomycin concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Vital sign changes were recorded from admission to 5~10 minutes post-IORA (IORA group) or post-incision (intravenous group). Follow-ups were conducted on postoperative day 1 and 3, and at 1 and 3 months, to document complications including IORA-related adverse events, periprosthetic joint infections, surgical site infections, red man syndrome, acute kidney injury, deep vein thrombosis and so on.Results:Vancomycin concentrations in bone, fat, and synovial tissue samples were significantly higher in the IORA group than in the intravenous group ( P<0.05), while vancomycin concentrations in blood samples were significantly lower in the IORA group than in the intravenous group ( P<0.05). Only 7.3%(41/558) of tissue samples in the IORA group had vancomycin concentrations below 2.0 μg/g (the minimum inhibitory concentration of vancomycin against coagulase-negative staphylococcus), compared to 59.3%(331/558) in the intravenous group (χ 2=11.285, P<0.001). In the intravenous group, 16.9%(21/124) of blood samples had vancomycin concentrations exceeding 15.0 mg/L (the threshold associated with a significantly increased risk of nephrotoxicity), while all concentrations in the IORA group were below this threshold, the difference was statistically significant (χ 2=22.943, P<0.001). There were no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05) in vital signs changes before and after vancomycin administration between the two groups. Two patients in the intravenous group experienced incision exudate, while no other related complications occurred in either group. Conclusions:Compared to the traditional intravenous infusion of 1 g vancomycin, intraosseous injection of a low dose (0.5 g) of vancomycin achieves higher local tissue concentrations in the knee joint with a lower incidence of adverse reactions and is safe for infection prophylaxis. Despite guidelines not recommending the routine use of vancomycin for preventing infection after primary TKA, intraosseous injection of 0.5 g vancomycin may be considered intraoperatively for primary TKA in the following scenarios: patients in medical institutions with a high prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, patients with potential preoperative MRSA colonization, or patients with cephalosporin allergy.

Objective To develop the application technology of finger length ratios in the selection of Muay Thai athletes,and to provide practical guidance for improving the competitive level of Muay Thai.Methods By using the method of snowball sampling and simple random sampling,413 subjects were selected in Bangkok,Thailand,including 84 male Muay Thai professional players,62 female Muay Thai professional players,137 ordinary male college students and 130 female college students.The finger length of the subjects was measured and their finger length ratios was calculated.SPSS 20.0 statistical software was used for discriminant analysis.Results The 2D∶3D,2D∶4D,2D∶5D,3D∶4D and 3D∶5D of male Muay Thai professional players were significantly lower than that in the general male Thai population,and the 2D∶4D,3D∶4D and 3D∶5D of female Muay Thai players were significantly lower than that in the general female Thai population,and the above differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Discriminant functions developed using both the full model and stepwise method were statistically significant,demonstrating high accuracy and stability.The correct discrimination rates were higher in the male population than that in the female population.When distinguishing between Muay Thai professional fighters and the general Thai population,the optimal 2D∶4D threshold for males is 0.951,and for females,it was 0.960.Conclusion The discriminant model of Muay Thai professional players and ordinary people based on the ratios of finger length can provide important reference for the selection of Muay Thai athletes.

A scoping review was performed to systematically search and summarize the clinical research in the treatment of dysmenorrhea with oral Chinese patent medicines. The oral Chinese patent medicines for treating dysmenorrhea in three major drug lists, guidelines, and textbooks were screened, and the relevant clinical trials were retrieved from eight Chinese and English databases. The key information of the included trials was extracted and visually analyzed. A total of 50 Chinese patent medicines were included, among which oral Chinese patent medicines for the dysmenorrhea patients with the syndrome of Qi stagnation and blood stasis accounted for the highest proportion, and the average daily cost varied greatly among Chinese patent medicines. A total of 150 articles were included, involving 22 Chinese patent medicines, among which Guizhi Fuling Capsules/Pills, Sanjie Zhentong Capsules, and Dan'e Fukang Soft Extract were the most frequently studied. These articles mainly reported randomized controlled trial(RCT), which mainly focused on the comparison of the intervention effect between Chinese patent medicines combined with western medicine and western medicine alone, and the sample size was generally 51-100 cases. The high-frequency outcome indicators belonged to nine domains such as effective rate, adverse reactions, and laboratory examinations. This study showed that oral Chinese patent medicines had advantages in the treatment of dysmenorrhea, and the annual number of related clinical trials showed an overall growing trend. However, there were still problems such as insufficient safety information and vague description of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndromes types in the instructions of Chinese patent medicines. The available clinical research had shortcomings such as uneven distribution of Chinese patent medicines, limited research scale, poor methodological rigor, and insufficient standardization of outcome indicators. In the future, it is necessary to deepen the development of high-quality clinical research and improve the contents of the instructions to ensure the effectiveness and safety of the clinical application of oral Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of dysmenorrhea.
Dysmenorrhea/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Female ; Administration, Oral ; Nonprescription Drugs/administration & dosage*

This study explored the efficacy and mechanisms of Shenqi Buqi Granules in treating chronic heart failure(CHF) of Qi deficiency using proteomics and bioinformatics methods. A total of 18 healthy participants(health group) and 19 patients with Qi deficiency-type CHF(experimental group) were enrolled and treated with Shenqi Buqi Granules for 12 weeks. Clinical indicators, including Qi deficiency scores, complete blood count, biochemical parameters, lipid profiles, and cardiac function, were collected from pre-and post-experimental groups. Serum proteomics analysis was performed. Differential proteins were screened through differential analysis and K-means clustering. Further analyses, including subcellular localization, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment, and protein-protein interaction(PPI) network construction, were conducted to identify pathways and proteins associated with Shenqi Buqi Granules treatment. Spearman correlation analysis focused on proteins most correlated with the core phenotype of CHF of Qi deficiency. The results show that Shenqi Buqi Granules treatment reduced Qi deficiency scores and brain natriuretic peptide levels of pre-experimental group. A total of 1 594 proteins were quantified in the proteomics analysis, with 98 proteins showing differential expression between healthy group and experimental group before and after treatment. Subcellular localization analysis revealed 6 protein sources, while KEGG pathway enrichment highlighted biological processes including angiogenesis, immune inflammation, calcium homeostasis, cytoskeletal regulation, protein synthesis, and energy metabolism. Core genes identified included CD34, CSF1, CALM1, CALML3, PPP1CA, PFN1, and 3 ribosomal large subunit proteins. Correlation analysis between core proteins and Qi deficiency scores revealed that CD34(r=-0.67, P<0.05) and PPP1CA(r=0.62, P<0.01) were most strongly associated with Qi deficiency scores. This study suggests that Shenqi Buqi Granules improves Qi deficiency scores and CHF symptoms by regulating angiogenesis, immune inflammation, calcium homeostasis, cytoskeletal regulation, protein synthesis, and energy metabolism. CD34 and PPP1CA are identified as core proteins involved in the therapeutic effects of Shenqi Buqi Granules on Qi deficiency.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Heart Failure/metabolism* ; Male ; Female ; Proteomics ; Middle Aged ; Qi ; Aged ; Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects* ; Adult ; Chronic Disease