Aim To investigate the effects of 2-dode-cyl-6-methoxycyclohexa-2 , 5-diene-l, 4-dione ( DM-DD) on resisting hepatic fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride ( CC14 ) in rats and the underlying mechanisms , with a specific focus on the TGF-pi/Smads signaling pathway. Methods The hepatic fibrosis model was replicated using 50% CC14. Various parameters, including levels of aspartate transferase ( AST) , ala-nine transferase ( ALT ) , albumin/globulin ( A/G ) , total protein (TP) , total bilirubin (T-BIL) , hyaluron-ic acid ( HA ) , laminin ( LN ) , collagen type Ж ( Col Ж) , and collagen type IV(ColIV) in the blood, were measured. Liver tissue lesions and fiber formation were observed using HE and Masson staining. The expression levels of a smooth muscle actin (a-SMA) , collagen type I ( Col I ) , transformed growth factor (TGF-pi), Smad2, and Smad7 proteins were assessed using immunohistochemistry. a-SMA, Coll, TGF-pi, and Smad7 mRNA levels in liver tissue were measured by RT-PCR. Additionally, the expression levels of TGF-pi, Smad4, and Smad7 proteins in liver tissue were determined by Western blot. Results In comparison to the normal control group, the model group exhibited significantly elevated levels of AST, ALT, TP, T-BIL, HA, LN, Col Ш and Col IV in serum. But A/G level notably decreased. Successful modeling was confirmed by the presence of extensive fiber formations observed through HE and Massonstaining in liver tissue. The DMDD administration group demonstrated a notable decrease levels of AST, ALT, TP, T-BIL, HA, LN, Col III, and CollV, but A/G was significantly elevated when compared to the model group. Furthermore, a-SMA, Coll, TGF-f31, Smad2 and Smad4 mRNA and protein levels in the DMDD administration group were significantly reduced, while Smad7 significantly declined. HE and Masson staining results reflected a marked reduction in fibrous hyper-plasia. Conclusion DMDD exhibits a protective effect against CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis, and its mechanism appears to be associated with the TGF-fJl/ Smads signaling pathway.

As the search for effective treatments for COVID-19 continues, the high mortality rate among critically ill patients in Intensive Care Units (ICU) presents a profound challenge. This study explores the potential benefits of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a supplementary treatment for severe COVID-19. A total of 110 critically ill COVID-19 patients at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Vulcan Hill Hospital between Feb., 2020, and April, 2020 (Wuhan, China) participated in this observational study. All patients received standard supportive care protocols, with a subset of 81 also receiving TCM as an adjunct treatment. Clinical characteristics during the treatment period and the clinical outcome of each patient were closely monitored and analysed. Our findings indicated that the TCM group exhibited a significantly lower mortality rate compared with the non-TCM group (16 of 81 vs 24 of 29; 0.3 vs 2.3 person/month). In the adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, TCM treatment was associated with improved survival odds (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the analysis also revealed that TCM treatment could partially mitigate inflammatory responses, as evidenced by the reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and contribute to the recovery of multiple organic functions, thereby potentially increasing the survival rate of critically ill COVID-19 patients.
Humans ; COVID-19 ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Critical Illness ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND:Digital three-dimensional reconstruction technology is gradually applied to orthopedic diseases with the advantages of visualization,accuracy and non-invasiveness,but there is less evidence-based support for its use in artificial hip hemiarthroplasty for intertrochanteric fractures of the femur in the elderly. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the application value and economic effects of digital three-dimensional reconstruction techniques in artificial hip hemiarthroplasty of intertrochanteric fractures of the femur in the elderly. METHODS:One hundred and thirty elderly patients with intertrochanteric femur fractures admitted to Zunyi First People's Hospital from January 2019 to December 2022 were selected and randomly divided into a control group(n=65)and an observation group(n=65).Artificial hip hemiarthroplasty was performed in both groups.The control group adopted the film template measurement method for manual preoperative planning while the observation group adopted a digital three-dimensional reconstruction technique.Preoperative planning and intraoperative actual application of prosthesis compliance rate,fibrinogen,D-dimer,bilateral femoral eccentric distance difference,bilateral lower limb length difference,Harris hip function score,visual analog scale score,excellent and good rate of hip function,complications,and hospitalization cost were observed in both groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The proportion of acetabular side and femoral side prosthesis in grade 0(fully compliant)was higher in the observation group than that in the control group(P<0.05).(2)Fibrinogen and D-dimer levels in the observation group were lower than those in the control group 3 days after surgery(P<0.05).(3)The difference in bilateral femoral eccentric distance and the difference in bilateral lower limb length in the observation group were smaller than those in the control group immediately after surgery(P<0.05).The differences in Harris and visual analog scale scores were not significantly different between the two groups preoperatively,6 and 12 months postoperatively(P>0.05).There was no significant difference in excellent and good rate of hip function between the two groups 12 months postoperatively(P>0.05).(4)There was no significant difference in the complication rate between the two groups(P>0.05).The hospitalization cost of the observation group was higher than that of the control group(P<0.05).(5)It is indicated that digital three-dimensional reconstruction technology applied in artificial hip hemiarthroplasty of intertrochanteric femoral fracture in the elderly can not only accurately determine the prosthesis type before surgery,but also accurately reconstruct the bilateral lower limbs offline,but its hospitalization cost is high.

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, treatment and prognosis of gastric intermediate-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), so as to provide a reference for clinical management and further research. Methods: A retrospective observational study of patients with gastric intermediate-risk GIST, who underwent surgical resection between January 1996 and December 2019 at Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, was carried out. Results: Totally, 360 patients with a median age of 59 years were included. There were 190 males and 170 females with median tumor diameter of 5.9 cm. Routine genetic testing was performed in 247 cases (68.6%, 247/360), and 198 cases (80.2%) showed KIT mutation, 26 cases (10.5%) showed PDGFRA mutation, and 23 cases were wild-type GIST. According to "Zhongshan Method"(including 12 parameters), there were 121 malignant and 239 non-malignant cases. Complete follow-up data were available in 241 patients; 55 patients (22.8%) received imatinib therapy, 10 patients (4.1%) experienced tumor progression, and one patient (PDGFRA mutation, 0.4%) died. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival rate at 5 years was 96.0% and 99.6%, respectively. Among the intermediate-risk GIST, there was no difference in DFS between the overall population, KIT mutation, PDGFRA mutation, wild-type, non-malignant and malignant subgroups (all P>0.05). However, the non-malignancy/malignancy analysis showed that there were significant differences in DFS among the overall population (P<0.01), imatinib treatment group (P=0.044) and no imatinib treatment group (P<0.01). Adjuvant imatinib resulted in potential survival benefit for KIT mutated malignant and intermediate-risk GIST in DFS (P=0.241). Conclusions: Gastric intermediate-risk GIST shows a heterogeneous biologic behavior spectrum from benign to highly malignant. It can be further classified into benign and malignant, mainly nonmalignant and low-grade malignant. The overall disease progression rate after surgical resection is low, and real-world data show that there is no significant benefit from imatinib treatment after surgery. However, adjuvant imatinib potentially improves DFS of intermediate-risk patients with tumors harboring KIT mutation in the malignant group. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of gene mutations in benign/malignant GIST will facilitate improvements in therapeutic decision-making.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Prognosis ; Imatinib Mesylate/therapeutic use* ; Mutation ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit/genetics*

Objective: To explore the heterogeneity and correlation of clinical phenotypes and genotypes in children with disorders of sex development (DSD). Methods: A retrospective study of 1 235 patients with clinically proposed DSD in 36 pediatric medical institutions across the country from January 2017 to May 2021. After capturing 277 DSD-related candidate genes, second-generation sequencing was performed to analyzed the heterogeneity and correlation combined with clinical phenotypes. Results: Among 1 235 children with clinically proposed DSD, 980 were males and 255 were females of social gender at the time of initial diagnosis with the age ranged from 1 day of age to 17.92 years. A total of 443 children with pathogenic variants were detected through molecular genetic studies, with a positive detection rate of 35.9%. The most common clinical phenotypes were micropenis (455 cases), hypospadias (321 cases), and cryptorchidism (172 cases) and common mutations detected were in SRD5A2 gene (80 cases), AR gene (53 cases) and CYP21A2 gene (44 cases). Among them, the SRD5A2 mutation is the most common in children with simple micropenis and simple hypospadias, while the AMH mutation is the most common in children with simple cryptorchidism. Conclusions: The SRD5A2 mutation is the most common genetic variant in Chinese children with DSD, and micropenis, cryptorchidism, and hypospadias are the most common clinical phenotypes. Molecular diagnosis can provide clues about the biological basis of DSD, and can also guide clinicians to perform specific clinical examinations. Target sequence capture probes and next-generation sequencing technology can provide effective and economical genetic diagnosis for children with DSD.
3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase/genetics* ; Child ; China/epidemiology* ; Cryptorchidism/genetics* ; Disorders of Sex Development/genetics* ; Female ; Genital Diseases, Male ; Genotype ; Humans ; Hypospadias/genetics* ; Male ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Penis/abnormalities* ; Phenotype ; Retrospective Studies ; Steroid 21-Hydroxylase/genetics*

China ; Cognition ; Digestive System Surgical Procedures ; Enhanced Recovery After Surgery ; Humans ; Length of Stay

The pre-market approval and clinical application of innovative medical devices should be based on high-quality evidence, proving their reliability, safety and effectiveness. In 2016, the IDEAL (Idea, Development, Exploration, Assessment and Long-term follow-up) collaboration modified the original IDEAL framework and recommendation to the IDEAL-D methodological framework for the entire life cycle evaluation of innovative medical devices. The framework included five stages, namely the preclinical development stage, idea stage, exploration stage, assessment stage and long-term follow-up stage. This paper aims to interpret the study purpose, content and design at each step of the IDEAL-D framework based on IDEAL framework and recommendation (2019) to provide practical methodological guidance for the design and conduct of clinical research on innovative medical devices.

Sleep deprivation,the process and state of partial or complete lack of normal sleep caused by various factors,is prevalent at present.Seriously impairing the physical and mental health,sleep deprivation has become a public health problem that cannot be ignored.Studies have demonstrated that blood-brain barrier impairment is the key pathophysiological process of a variety of neurological diseases.Although clinical and basic studies have suggested that sleep deprivation can induce blood-brain barrier impairment,the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated.This review summarizes the advances in the mechanisms of blood-brain barrier impairment induced by sleep deprivation.
Humans ; Sleep Deprivation/complications* ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; Brain

Gut microbiota is a bridge between the metabolism and health state of the host,which plays a very important role in maintaining homeostasis. Natural polysaccharides,widely existed in nature,are a kind of biological macromolecules with prebiotics effects,which can improve a degree of physiological status by selectively changing the gut microbiota structure and function,enhancing the content of short chain fatty acids(SCFAs)and decreasing the level of inflammatory cytokines. In addition,the majority of polysaccharides can be degraded by gut microbiota to enhance their bioavailability and to promote the health state of the host. In this paper we discuss the interaction among polysaccharides and gut microbiotanatural,degradation mechanism and review gut microbiota as a target in the treatment of metabolic diseases,so as to provide future prospects of natural polysaccharides as " prebiotics " functional factors in the field of biological medicine and health products.

Objective: To examine the safety and effectiveness of a new stent graft system for endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm(AAA). Methods: This is a prospective,multi-center,single-arm clinical trial. The patients with AAA treated with a new stent graft system were enrolled at 21 centers from September 2018 to September 2019 in China. Follow-up was performed before discharge, and at 30, 180, 360 days after operation, respectively. The primary safety endpoint was the incidence of major adverse events(MAE) within 30 days. The primary efficacy endpoint was the success rate of AAA treatment at 360 days. Secondary safety endpoints were the incidence of perioperative access complications and acute lower limb ischemia,all-cause mortality, AAA related mortality and incidence of serious adverse events (SAE) at 180 and 360 days. Secondary efficacy endpoints were the incidence of type Ⅰ or Ⅲ endoleak,stent displacement,and conversion to open surgery or re-intervention at 180 and 360 days. Results: One hundred and fifty-six patients were enrolled,including 137 males and 19 females. The age was (68.9±6.9) years (range:48.2 to 84.6 years).Maximum aneurysm diameter was (50.8±11.2) mm (range:25.0 to 85.0 mm),diameter of proximal landing zone was (21.2±2.5) mm (range:17.0 to 29.5 mm),and length of proximal landing zone was (31.4±13.0) mm (range:11.0 to 75.0 mm).The incidence of MAE was 1.3% (2/156) at 30 days,both were all-cause death cases. The success rate of AAA treatment was 88.5% (138/156) at 360 days. No perioperative access complication and acute lower limb ischemia occurred. All-cause mortality was 2.0% (3/154) at 180 days and 2.6% (4/153) at 360 days,and there was no AAA related death. The incidence of SAE was 23.0%(35/152) at 180 days and 30.5%(46/151) at 360 days, and no device-related SAE occurred. The incidence of type Ⅰor Ⅲ endoleak was 3.4% (5/147) at 180 days and 3.5% (5/144) at 360 days. Conclusion: The new stent graft system is easy to operate,and early-term safety and effectiveness results are expected.
Humans ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Prospective Studies ; China ; Ischemia ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/surgery*