Background: Epimedii Folium, first recorded in the Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing), is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) known for its effects of “benefiting Qi and strengthening the heart.” Icariside II (ICS II) is one of the main active components of Epimedii Folium, possessing cardiovascular protective and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the potential mechanisms of ICS II on myocardial ischemia (MI) remain unclear. Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the effects and preliminary molecular mechanisms of ICS II in treating isoproterenolinduced MI in rats. Methods: A rat model of MI was established by subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol. Electrocardiography, echocardiography, myocardial enzymes analysis, heart weight index, triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, histopathology, TUNEL staining, RT-qPCR, and Western blot were employed to evaluate the effects and preliminary molecular mechanisms of ICS II on MI rats. Results: Pharmacodynamic studies suggested that ICS II inhibited ST-segment elevation in electrocardiograms, improved cardiac function, reduced heart weight index and myocardial enzyme levels, decreased myocardial infarct size, alleviated cardiac histological damage, and inhibited apoptosis, thereby exerting cardioprotective effects in MI rats. Further studies revealed that ICS II may partially inhibit the expression of NLRP3/Caspase-1 axis-related targets at both protein and mRNA levels. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that ICS II exerts anti-MI effects, and its preliminary molecular mechanisms may be related to inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3/Caspase-1 axis to alleviate inflammatory responses.

Background: Epimedii Folium, first recorded in the Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing), is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) known for its effects of “benefiting Qi and strengthening the heart.” Icariside II (ICS II) is one of the main active components of Epimedii Folium, possessing cardiovascular protective and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the potential mechanisms of ICS II on myocardial ischemia (MI) remain unclear. Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the effects and preliminary molecular mechanisms of ICS II in treating isoproterenolinduced MI in rats. Methods: A rat model of MI was established by subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol. Electrocardiography, echocardiography, myocardial enzymes analysis, heart weight index, triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, histopathology, TUNEL staining, RT-qPCR, and Western blot were employed to evaluate the effects and preliminary molecular mechanisms of ICS II on MI rats. Results: Pharmacodynamic studies suggested that ICS II inhibited ST-segment elevation in electrocardiograms, improved cardiac function, reduced heart weight index and myocardial enzyme levels, decreased myocardial infarct size, alleviated cardiac histological damage, and inhibited apoptosis, thereby exerting cardioprotective effects in MI rats. Further studies revealed that ICS II may partially inhibit the expression of NLRP3/Caspase-1 axis-related targets at both protein and mRNA levels. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that ICS II exerts anti-MI effects, and its preliminary molecular mechanisms may be related to inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3/Caspase-1 axis to alleviate inflammatory responses.

Background: Epimedii Folium, first recorded in the Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing), is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) known for its effects of “benefiting Qi and strengthening the heart.” Icariside II (ICS II) is one of the main active components of Epimedii Folium, possessing cardiovascular protective and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the potential mechanisms of ICS II on myocardial ischemia (MI) remain unclear. Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the effects and preliminary molecular mechanisms of ICS II in treating isoproterenolinduced MI in rats. Methods: A rat model of MI was established by subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol. Electrocardiography, echocardiography, myocardial enzymes analysis, heart weight index, triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, histopathology, TUNEL staining, RT-qPCR, and Western blot were employed to evaluate the effects and preliminary molecular mechanisms of ICS II on MI rats. Results: Pharmacodynamic studies suggested that ICS II inhibited ST-segment elevation in electrocardiograms, improved cardiac function, reduced heart weight index and myocardial enzyme levels, decreased myocardial infarct size, alleviated cardiac histological damage, and inhibited apoptosis, thereby exerting cardioprotective effects in MI rats. Further studies revealed that ICS II may partially inhibit the expression of NLRP3/Caspase-1 axis-related targets at both protein and mRNA levels. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that ICS II exerts anti-MI effects, and its preliminary molecular mechanisms may be related to inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3/Caspase-1 axis to alleviate inflammatory responses.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact of age on the genetic variant spectrum and prognosis of patients with previously untreated Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data and follow-up information of 254 previously untreated DLBCL patients from 14 hospitals in the Jiangsu Cooperative Lymphoma Group (JCLG) enrolled from July 2018 and July 2023. Following extraction of DNA from tumor tissue samples, next-generation sequencing (NGS) technique was employed to analyze the genetic variant spectrum of the DLBCL patients, with an evaluation of the relationship between age and genetic variants as well as prognosis. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University (Ethics No.: 2023-K048-01). RESULTS: The median age of the 254 DLBCL patients was 62 years old, with 55% of patients aged 60 years or above. Clinical evaluation showed that younger (< 60 years) patients had higher complete response (CR) (70% vs. 59%), and objective response rate (ORR) (88% vs. 79%) than older patients, though the difference between the two groups was not statistically. Survival analysis indicated that both the five-year overall survival (OS) (82.7% vs. 71.7%, P = 0.006) and progression-free survival (PFS) (70.6% vs. 50.2%, P < 0.05) rates were significantly higher in younger patients. NGS showed that 99.6% of the patients harbored genetic variants, with PIM1, KMT2D, TP53, MYD88, and CD79B being the most common genes. Age significantly affected the variant frequency of certain genes, with MYC variants serving an adverse prognostic factor for OS in younger patients (P = 0.002), while TP53 (P = 0.024) and BCL2 (P = 0.002) variants significantly impacted OS in older patients. Prognostic analysis identified age ≥ 60 years (HR = 3.439, 95%CI: 1.318~9.874), presence of B symptoms (HR = 2.871, 95%CI = 1.133~7.307), and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (HR = 3.528, 95%CI = 1.231~10.66) as independent adverse prognostic factors. CONCLUSION Age, genetic variants, and clinical factors may significantly affect the prognosis of the DLBCL patients. Younger patients have better survival compared to older patients. Variants of the MYC, BCL2, and TP53 genes are closely associated with poor prognosis.
Humans ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/diagnosis* ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged ; Prognosis ; Adult ; Aged, 80 and over ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Young Adult ; Adolescent ; Genetic Variation

The paper discusses the scientific connotation of"heart and brain co-dominating the mind",including the connotation of"heart and brain co-dominating the mind"in traditional Chinese medicine and the physiological and pathological relationship be-tween heart and brain in modern medicine.Based on the understanding of"heart and brain co-dominating the mind",this paper be-lieves that"restlessness of mind"is the core pathogenesis of insomnia,and regulating mind is the key to the acupuncture and moxibus-tion treatment of insomnia.The autonomic nervous system(ANS)is a bridge connecting the heart and brain,and is closely related to the central anatomy,neurotransmitters and physiological rhythms of sleep.The imbalance of ANS is highly consistent with the patho-genesis of"heart and brain restlessness"in traditional Chinese medicine.The Governor Vessel runs through the brain and the heart,and the"Governor Vessel regulating spirit acupuncture"can communicate the heart and brain,regulate ANS function,and thus im-prove sleep quality.

Objective To establish an intelligent ICD coding management system to solve the current difficulties in hos-pital ICD coding management,reduce the error rate of information uploading,and improve the accuracy of coding.Methods An ICD coding management system was constructed,with the national clinical version of ICD coding as the main index system.The mapping relationship between the main index coding and the medical insurance version of ICD coding,as well as the hospital ver-sion of ICD coding,was established to achieve real-time maintenance and adjustment.In accordance with the requirements of na-tional public hospital performance evaluation and hospital level assessment,we will establish the ICD coding"label"function and knowledge base for evaluation indicators,embed them into electronic medical record system(EMR),and implement intelligent prompting functions for clinicians to facilitate systematic statistical analysis of data.Results After the establishment of the sys-tem,the error rate of mapping and uploading information such as disease diagnosis and procedures coding decreased significantly(1.2‰ vs 0.3‰,P＜0.05).The accuracy of the main discharge diagnosis and procedures coding has significantly improved(82％vs 91％,P＜0.05;78％vs 88％,P＜0.05).The satisfaction of clinicians and coders increased significantly(65％vs 82％,P＜0.05;79％vs 88％,P＜0.05).Conclusion This system can reduce the error rate of mapping and uploading infor-mation,improve the accuracy and completeness of coding,enhance the management level of ICD coding,and promote the high-quality development of medical care.

BACKGROUND:Studies have confirmed that up-regulation of microRNA-140 expression can partially inhibit osteoarthritis-like changes in knee cartilage tissues and cells and delay the progression of osteoarthritis,suggesting that microRNA-140 is involved in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis.OBJECTIVE:To further analyze the mechanism of microRNA-140 involvement in osteoarthritis by loading exosomes overexpressing microRNA-140 with sodium alginate/collagen hydrogel.METHODS:Lentivirus was used to infect rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to overexpress microRNA-140,then exosomes were isolated and exosomes overexpressing microRNA-140 were obtained.Sodium alginate/collagen hydrogels loaded with exosomes were prepared.Thirty-two SD rats were randomly divided into four groups,with 8 rats in each group.Normal control group did not receive any treatment.The osteoarthritis model was established by injecting sodium iodoacetate into the knee cavity in the osteoarthritis group,the non-transfected exosome group and the transfected exosome group.Two weeks later,PBS was injected into the knee cavity in the osteoarthritis group.Sodium alginate/collagen hydrogel carrying non-overexpressing microRNA-140 and overexpressing microRNA-140 exosomes were injected into the knee cavity of the non-transfected exosome group and transfected exosome group.At 6 weeks after modeling,the threshold of mechanical foot withdrawal response,the concentration of inflammatory factors in synovial fluid,the expression of chondrogen-related genes,the histological changes of knee cartilage and the expression of pyroptosis related proteins were detected in rats.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with normal control group,the threshold value of mechanical stimulation foot contraction response,type Ⅱ collagen,SOX9 mRNA expression levels,and Type Ⅱ collagen immunofluorescence intensity were decreased in the osteoarthritis group(P<0.05),and proinflammatory cytokine levels were increased in synovial fluid(P<0.05).The mRNA expressions of matrix metalloproteinase 13 and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs-5(ADAMTS-5)were increased(P<0.05),and the protein expression levels of NLRP3,ASC,GSDMD p30,caspase-1 p20,interleukin-1β,and interleukin-18 were increased(P<0.05).Immunofluorescence intensity of GSDMD and cleaved caspase-1 was increased(P<0.05),and cartilage tissue was severely damaged.(2)Compared with osteoarthritis group,the threshold value of mechanical stimulation foot contraction response,type Ⅱ collagen,SOX9 mRNA expression levels,and type Ⅱ collagen immunofluorescence intensity in the non-transfected and transfected exosome groups were increased(P<0.05);proinflammatory cytokine levels were decreased in synovial fluid(P<0.05).The mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 was decreased(P<0.05),and the protein expression levels of NLRP3,ASC,GSDMD p30,caspase-1 p20,interleukin-1β,and interleukin-18 were decreased(P<0.05).The immunofluorescence intensity of GSDMD and cleaved caspase-1 decreased(P<0.05),and the cartilage tissue damage was reduced(P<0.05),and the effect was stronger in the transfected exosome group.(3)These results conclude that microRNA-140 can reduce the pain response of rats with osteoarthritis by inhibiting inflammation,maintaining cartilage homeostasis,and inhibiting cartilaginous pyroptosis,thereby reducing cartilage damage and playing a therapeutic role in osteoarthritis.

Objective To explore the pharmacokinetic characteristics of sufentanil in individuals with normal body mass index(BMI),overweight BMI,and different CYP3A4/5 enzyme genotypes.Methods The patients receiving laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia in the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from November 2020 to September 2021 were prospectively recruited in this study.Before the operation,the oral swabs were collected from all the patients for genotyping using the human CYP3A4/5 gene kit.Based on the potential impact of combination of their polymorphisms on sufentanil metabolism and the proportion of different genotype combinations of CYP3A4/5 enzymes,the patients were divided into groups I(3A4 homozygous mutation or 3A4 heterozygous mutation+3A5 homozygous mutation),II(3A4 heterozygous mutation+3A5 heterozygous mutation),and III(3A4 wild type or 3A4 heterozygous mutation+3A5 wild type).According to their BMI,they were also assigned into a normal body weight group(18.5～24.0 kg/m2)and an overweight group(24～<28 kg/m2),and the differences in drug metabolism parameters were statistically analyze between the 2 groups.After routine general anesthesia induction(sufentanil 0.5 μg/kg),venous blood samples were collected to detect the changes in its concentration using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS).The pharmacokinetic data of sufentanil were calculated between the normal BMI group and overweight group in all participants and between the 2 body weight groups among those with different genotype combinations.Results Among the 90 participants completing the blood drug concentration test,8 patients had their blood samples contaminated(including 1 case with an anesthesia duration of<2 h),and 3 were excluded due to low weight or overweight.Eventually,79 participants were included in the pharmacokinetic analysis on the normal body weight group and the overweight group.Compared with the normal body weight group,the central compartment volume of distribution in the overweight group was significantly reduced(P<0.05),while no obvious differences were observed between the 2 groups in terms of peripheral compartment volume of distribution,total clearance rate,peripheral compartment clearance rate,distribution half-life,clearance half-life,and area under the blood concentration-time curve.In group Ⅰ(n=26),the overweight patients(n=13)had significantly reduced central compartment volume of distribution,peripheral compartment volume of distribution,and peripheral compartment clearance rate when compared with the normal body weight patients(n=13)(P<0.05),while no differences were observed in other pharmacokinetic parameters.In groups Ⅱ(n=25)and Ⅲ(n=28),the overweight patients and normal body weight patients had no statistical differences in all pharmacokinetic parameters.Conclusion Among the patients with the same genotype combination of CYP3A4/5 mutations,there was no difference in the metabolism of sufentanil between the overweight and normal weight patients.Additionally,in the population of 3A4 homozygous mutation or 3A4 heterozygous mutation+3A5 homozygous mutation,the overweight patients have smaller peripheral distribution range of sufentanil,and weakened metabolic process.

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics of elderly patients with stage Ⅰ diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and analyze the factors associated with prognosis.Methods:A case series study was conducted by retrospectively collecting clinical data from patients aged over 60 years with newly diagnosed stage Ⅰ DLBCL across 20 medical centers in Jiangsu Province, China, between June 2010 and April 2023. The involved site, classification and treatment plan were summarized. The primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Statistical analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox regression model.Results:The study included 255 patients with a median age of 69 years, of whom 130 (51.0%) were male, 66 (25.9%) were aged ≥75 years and 26 (10.1%) had a high Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score of ≥2. Extranodal involvement was observed in 163 (63.9%) patients, with the stomach (37.4%, 61/163), intestine (19.0%, 31/163), testes (11.0%, 18/163), and breast (7.4%, 12/163) being the most frequently affected sites. The non-germinal center B-cell (non-GCB) subtype was prevalent in 63.7% of patients (142/223), with no significant difference between the nodal and extranodal groups ( P=0.681). Furthermore, 73.9% (184/249) and 11.7% (29/249) of patients received the R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) and R-miniCHOP regimen, respectively. The overall 3-year PFS rate was 81.5%, and the 3-year OS rate was 85.6%. Patients aged ≥75 years ( HR=2.910, 95% CI 1.565-5.408, P=0.001) and/or with a CCI score ≥2 ( HR=2.324, 95% CI 1.141-4.732, P=0.020) had a significantly poorer PFS. Incorporating age ≥75 years and CCI score ≥2 into the stage-modified international prognostic index (sm-IPI) can better stratify the prognosis of elderly patients with stage Ⅰ DLBCL. The 3-year PFS rate was 48.7% in the high-risk group versus 85.7% in the low-risk group ( P<0.001). Conclusions:Our findings show that the elderly patients with stage Ⅰ DLBCL were predominantly characterized by extranodal involvement (particularly in the stomach and intestinal tract) and non-GCB subtype. Age ≥75 years and CCI ≥2 were identified as independent prognostic factors. The newly established sm-IPI-75-CCI incorporating these factors demonstrated superior prognostic discrimination compared to conventional risk assessment systems.

Objective:To explore the impact of age on the genetic variant spectrum and prognosis of patients with previously untreated Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data and follow-up information of 254 previously untreated DLBCL patients from 14 hospitals in the Jiangsu Cooperative Lymphoma Group (JCLG) enrolled from July 2018 and July 2023. Following extraction of DNA from tumor tissue samples, next-generation sequencing (NGS) technique was employed to analyze the genetic variant spectrum of the DLBCL patients, with an evaluation of the relationship between age and genetic variants as well as prognosis. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University (Ethics No.: 2023-K048-01).Results:The median age of the 254 DLBCL patients was 62 years old, with 55% of patients aged 60 years or above. Clinical evaluation showed that younger (< 60 years) patients had higher complete response (CR) (70% vs. 59%), and objective response rate (ORR) (88% vs. 79%) than older patients, though the difference between the two groups was not statistically. Survival analysis indicated that both the five-year overall survival (OS) (82.7% vs. 71.7%, P=0.006) and progression-free survival (PFS) (70.6% vs. 50.2%, P<0.05) rates were significantly higher in younger patients. NGS showed that 99.6% of the patients harbored genetic variants, with PIM1, KMT2D, TP53, MYD88, and CD79B being the most common genes. Age significantly affected the variant frequency of certain genes, with MYC variants serving an adverse prognostic factor for OS in younger patients ( P=0.001), while TP53 ( P=0.024) and BCL2 ( P=0.002) variants significantly impacted OS in older patients. Prognostic analysis identified age ≥ 60 years ( HR=3.439, 95% CI=1.318~9.874), presence of B symptoms ( HR = 2.871, 95% CI=1.133~7.307), and elevated lactate dehydrogenase ( HR=3.528, 95% CI=1.231~10.66) as independent adverse prognostic factors. Conclusion:Age, genetic variants, and clinical factors may significantly affect the prognosis of the DLBCL patients. Younger patients have better survival compared to older patients. Variants of the MYC, BCL2, and TP53 genes are closely associated with poor prognosis.