OBJECTIVES: To explore the mechanism of Pingchuanning Formula (PCN) for inhibiting airway inflammation in rats with asthmatic cold syndrome. METHODS: A total of 105 SD rats were randomized equally into 7 groups, including a control group, an asthmatic cold syndrome model group, 3 PCN treatment groups at high, medium and low doses, a Guilong Kechuanning (GLCKN) treatment group, and a dexamethasone (DEX) treatment group. In all but the control rats, asthma cold syndrome models were established and daily gavage of saline, PCN, GLCKN or DEX was administered 29 days after the start of modeling. The changes in general condition, lung function and lung histopathology of the rats were observed, and inflammatory factors in the alveolar lavage fluid (BALF), oxidative stress, lung tissue ultrastructure, cytokine levels, and expressions of the genes related to the HMGB1/Beclin-1 axis and autophagy were analyzed. RESULTS: The rat models had obvious manifestations of asthmatic cold syndrome with significantly decreased body mass, food intake, and water intake, reduced FEV_0.3, FVC, and FEV_0.3/FVC, obvious inflammatory cell infiltration in the lung tissue, and increased alveolar inflammation score and counts of neutrophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, macrophages, and leukocytes in the BALF. The rat models also had significantly increased MDA level and decreased SOD level and exhibited obvious ultrastructural changes in the lung tissues, where the expressions of HMGB1, Beclin-1, ATG5, TNF-α, IL-6,IL-1β, and IL-13 and the LC3II/I ratio were increased, while the levels of Bcl-2 and IFN-γ were decreased. PCN treatment significantly improved these pathological changes in the rat models, and its therapeutic effect was better than that of GLKCN and similar to that of DEX. CONCLUSIONS PCN can effectively alleviate airway inflammation in rat models of asthmatic cold syndrome possibly by modulating the HMGB1/Beclin-1 signaling axis to suppress cell autophagy, thereby attenuating airway inflammatory damages.
Animals ; Rats ; Autophagy/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Asthma/pathology* ; Beclin-1 ; HMGB1 Protein/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Lung/pathology* ; Inflammation

Objective To explore the mechanism of Pingchuanning Formula(PCN)for inhibiting airway inflammation in rats with asthmatic cold syndrome.Methods A total of 105 SD rats were randomized equally into 7 groups,including a control group,an asthmatic cold syndrome model group,3 PCN treatment groups at high,medium and low doses,a Guilong Kechuanning(GLCKN)treatment group,and a dexamethasone(DEX)treatment group.In all but the control rats,asthma cold syndrome models were established and daily gavage of saline,PCN,GLCKN or DEX was administered 29 days after the start of modeling.The changes in general condition,lung function and lung histopathology of the rats were observed,and inflammatory factors in the alveolar lavage fluid(BALF),oxidative stress,lung tissue ultrastructure,cytokine levels,and expressions of the genes related to the HMGB1/Beclin-1 axis and autophagy were analyzed.Results The rat models had obvious manifestations of asthmatic cold syndrome with significantly decreased body mass,food intake,and water intake,reduced FEV0.3,FVC,and FEV0.3/FVC,obvious inflammatory cell infiltration in the lung tissue,and increased alveolar inflammation score and counts of neutrophils,eosinophils,lymphocytes,macrophages,and leukocytes in the BALF.The rat models also had significantly increased MDA level and decreased SOD level and exhibited obvious ultrastructural changes in the lung tissues,where the expressions of HMGB1,Beclin-1,ATG5,TNF-α,IL-6,IL-1β,and IL-13 and the LC3II/I ratio were increased,while the levels of Bcl-2 and IFN-γ were decreased.PCN treatment significantly improved these pathological changes in the rat models,and its therapeutic effect was better than that of GLKCN and similar to that of DEX.Conclusion PCN can effectively alleviate airway inflammation in rat models of asthmatic cold syndrome possibly by modulating the HMGB1/Beclin-1 signaling axis to suppress cell autophagy,thereby attenuating airway inflammatory damages.

Objectives:QT interval prolongation during treadmill test exercise is one of the clinical feature of patients with long QT syndrome(LQTS).This study aimed to explore the feasibility and efficacy of treadmill exercise testing as an auxiliary diagnosis tool for LQTS in clinical practice.Methods:We enrolled normal healthy individuals,common cardiovascular disease patients,and clinically diagnosed or suspected LQTS patients,who underwent treadmill exercise test from July 2023 to July 2024 at Fuwai Hospital.A special treadmill exercise testing procedure was designed to record the QT interval correction(QTc)intervals of the twelve lead electrocardiogram at 6 time points when performing the exercise tablet,including supine,sitting,standing,peak exercise,and recovery at 1-minute and 4-minute.The differences in QTc intervals among healthy group,cardiovascular diseases group,and suspected LQTS group were compared.Results:A total of 80 cases were consecutively enrolled,including 37 normal healthy controls,25 patients with common cardiovascular disease,and 18 patients with suspected LQTS.The QTc intervals at 6 points did not differ significantly between normal healthy controls and patients with cardiovascular disease,with QTc intervals less than 480 ms at all measurement.For patients with suspected LQTS,67.7%(12/18)of these patients presented a QTc interval≥480 ms at the 4-minute during recovery period.Among them,5 cases were confirmed to have pathogenic gene mutations of LQTS by genetic testing(including 1 case with a lying electrocardiogram QTc interval of 489 ms diagnosed with LQTS 1 type and a QTc interval of 636 ms during the 4-minute recovery period after exercise);5 clinically diagnosed patients(negative or undetectable in genetic testing)with a Schwartz score≥4,and the remaining 2 patients had a Schwartz score of 3.The remaining 5/18 patients,include 2 patients with clinical Schwartz scores≥4 and 3 patients with clinical suspicion(Schwartz scores 2-3)had a 4 min QTc interval of 445-480 ms during exercise recovery.Another patient with clinical suspicion(Schwartz score 3)had a 4 min QTc interval of<445 ms during exercise recovery and a negative genetic test at a later stage.Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed a sensitivity of 83.3%and specificity of 98.4%for QTc interval≥482 ms during the 4-minute recovery period of exercise as the LQTS diagnostic cutoff.Conclusions:This study results suggest that this special treadmill exercise testing protocol is effective in identifying LQTS and has strong feasibility and generalizability for clinical practice.

Relapsing polychondritis(RP)is a rare and challenging disease characterized by complex clinical manifestations and multi-system damage,primarily affecting cartilaginous tissues and mucopolysaccharide-rich structures throughout the body.Within the framework of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),a consensus understanding of RP has not been established.This article is based on the theory of"combined bi-impediment of body constituents and zang organs"and analyzes its relationship with RP.RP can belong to this category,and based on its clinical progression,a staged treatment approach is recommended across three phases:acute,persistent,and remission.Pathogenetically,the acute phase is dominated by pathogenic factors such as wind-heat toxin accumulation,phlegm-stasis heat coagulation,immune dysregulation,and intense inflammatory responses.The persistent phase transitions into a deficiency-excess complex pattern,marked by a latent pathogen struggle between pathogenic factors and healthy qi,forming the fundamental pathogenesis underlying RP recurrence.The remission phase is characterized by lingering pathogen residues coupled with healthy qi deficiency,gradually progressing toward immune homeostasis.Therapeutically,treatment follows the principle of"harmonizing balance between healthy qi and pathogenic qi,"with the five zang organs and bodily constituents as the framework,deficiency and excess as the objective,and the meridians and blood vessels as the unity.During the acute phase,the approach emphasizes eliminating evil and detoxifying,treating the body and zang organs together,and dispersing blood stasis and phlegm.In the sustained phase,treatment focuses on strengthening healthy qi and eliminating evil,modifying treatments according to syndrome manifestations,promoting qi flow,and resolving and eliminating phlegm.In the remission phase,the body and zang organs are strengthened and regulated,and masses are eliminated and collaterals are dredged.Clinical application requires accurate stage differentiation to restore normal physiological body and zang organ functions.A staged treatment strategy based on the theory of"combined bi-impediment of body constituents and zang organs"may offer novel insights into the TCM-based management of RP.

Objectives:QT interval prolongation during treadmill test exercise is one of the clinical feature of patients with long QT syndrome(LQTS).This study aimed to explore the feasibility and efficacy of treadmill exercise testing as an auxiliary diagnosis tool for LQTS in clinical practice.Methods:We enrolled normal healthy individuals,common cardiovascular disease patients,and clinically diagnosed or suspected LQTS patients,who underwent treadmill exercise test from July 2023 to July 2024 at Fuwai Hospital.A special treadmill exercise testing procedure was designed to record the QT interval correction(QTc)intervals of the twelve lead electrocardiogram at 6 time points when performing the exercise tablet,including supine,sitting,standing,peak exercise,and recovery at 1-minute and 4-minute.The differences in QTc intervals among healthy group,cardiovascular diseases group,and suspected LQTS group were compared.Results:A total of 80 cases were consecutively enrolled,including 37 normal healthy controls,25 patients with common cardiovascular disease,and 18 patients with suspected LQTS.The QTc intervals at 6 points did not differ significantly between normal healthy controls and patients with cardiovascular disease,with QTc intervals less than 480 ms at all measurement.For patients with suspected LQTS,67.7%(12/18)of these patients presented a QTc interval≥480 ms at the 4-minute during recovery period.Among them,5 cases were confirmed to have pathogenic gene mutations of LQTS by genetic testing(including 1 case with a lying electrocardiogram QTc interval of 489 ms diagnosed with LQTS 1 type and a QTc interval of 636 ms during the 4-minute recovery period after exercise);5 clinically diagnosed patients(negative or undetectable in genetic testing)with a Schwartz score≥4,and the remaining 2 patients had a Schwartz score of 3.The remaining 5/18 patients,include 2 patients with clinical Schwartz scores≥4 and 3 patients with clinical suspicion(Schwartz scores 2-3)had a 4 min QTc interval of 445-480 ms during exercise recovery.Another patient with clinical suspicion(Schwartz score 3)had a 4 min QTc interval of<445 ms during exercise recovery and a negative genetic test at a later stage.Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed a sensitivity of 83.3%and specificity of 98.4%for QTc interval≥482 ms during the 4-minute recovery period of exercise as the LQTS diagnostic cutoff.Conclusions:This study results suggest that this special treadmill exercise testing protocol is effective in identifying LQTS and has strong feasibility and generalizability for clinical practice.

Relapsing polychondritis(RP)is a rare and challenging disease characterized by complex clinical manifestations and multi-system damage,primarily affecting cartilaginous tissues and mucopolysaccharide-rich structures throughout the body.Within the framework of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),a consensus understanding of RP has not been established.This article is based on the theory of"combined bi-impediment of body constituents and zang organs"and analyzes its relationship with RP.RP can belong to this category,and based on its clinical progression,a staged treatment approach is recommended across three phases:acute,persistent,and remission.Pathogenetically,the acute phase is dominated by pathogenic factors such as wind-heat toxin accumulation,phlegm-stasis heat coagulation,immune dysregulation,and intense inflammatory responses.The persistent phase transitions into a deficiency-excess complex pattern,marked by a latent pathogen struggle between pathogenic factors and healthy qi,forming the fundamental pathogenesis underlying RP recurrence.The remission phase is characterized by lingering pathogen residues coupled with healthy qi deficiency,gradually progressing toward immune homeostasis.Therapeutically,treatment follows the principle of"harmonizing balance between healthy qi and pathogenic qi,"with the five zang organs and bodily constituents as the framework,deficiency and excess as the objective,and the meridians and blood vessels as the unity.During the acute phase,the approach emphasizes eliminating evil and detoxifying,treating the body and zang organs together,and dispersing blood stasis and phlegm.In the sustained phase,treatment focuses on strengthening healthy qi and eliminating evil,modifying treatments according to syndrome manifestations,promoting qi flow,and resolving and eliminating phlegm.In the remission phase,the body and zang organs are strengthened and regulated,and masses are eliminated and collaterals are dredged.Clinical application requires accurate stage differentiation to restore normal physiological body and zang organ functions.A staged treatment strategy based on the theory of"combined bi-impediment of body constituents and zang organs"may offer novel insights into the TCM-based management of RP.

Objective:To explore the value of 18F-fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) PET/CT in the assessment of early-stage graft fibrosis (S1-S2) after liver transplantation (LT). Methods:From November 2021 to April 2022, 17 adult liver transplant recipients (12 males and 5 females; age (52.6±7.9) years) in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University were enrolled retrospectively in this study. All 17 patients received laboratory examinations, FibroScan, 18F-FAPI PET/CT and liver biopsy. According to the Scheuer scoring system, hepatic tissue was divided into no fibrosis (S0) and early fibrosis (S1-S2). Independent-sample t test was used to compare SUV max between two groups, and Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare liver stiffness measurement (LSM). ROC curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of LSM and SUV max in the early fibrosis of liver grafts. Delong test was used to compare the difference of AUCs. Results:Among 17 adult LT recipients, 11 were in stage S0, 5 were in stage S1, and 1 was in stage S2. There were significant differences in LSM and SUV max between no fibrosis group and early fibrosis group (LSM: 5.4(4.7, 6.6) vs 12.9(5.6, 19.9) kPa, z=-2.01, P=0.044; SUV max: 1.7±0.8 vs 3.9±1.6, t=-3.14, P=0.019). The threshold value of LSM in predicting early-stage graft fibrosis was 8.2 kPa and the AUC was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.54-0.95), which was 2.0 and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.78-1.00) for SUV max respectively. There was no significant difference in AUC between the two tools ( z=0.80, P=0.421). Conclusion:18F-FAPI PET/CT can precisely evaluate the early fibrosis of allografts, with the similar diagnostic efficacy with FibroScan (LSM), which is expected to be a new non-invasive diagnostic tool for predicting the early-stage of graft liver fibrosis.

AIM:To investigate the effect of As-tragaloside Ⅳ(As-Ⅳ)on low-glucose mediated tu-mor immunosuppression microenvironment and its molecular mechanism.METHODS:MTT assay was used to detect the effect of As-Ⅳ on the prolifera-tion of CD4+T cells in low-glucose microenviron-ment in vitro.By ELISA experiment and qPCR detec-tion of interleukin 2(IL-2),interferon-gamma(IFN-γ),CD40L and transforming growth factor beta 1(TGF-β1)level;Western blot was used to detect the expression of glucose transporter 1(Glut-1),key glycolytic enzymes(HK,PFK1 and PK),AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway in CD4+T cells.Molecular docking and AKT inhibitor experiments were used to verify the re-sults.B16-PKM2-OE was used to establish a low-glucose tumor microenvironment animal model for verification.RESULTS:MTT assay showed that As-Ⅳ promoted the proliferation of CD4+T cells in low-glucose microenvironment(P＜0.05).The results of ELISA and qPCR experiments showed that As-Ⅳcould increase the levels of IL-2,IFN-γ and CD40L,and reduce the level of TGF-β1 in tumor tissues(P＜0.05).Western blot results showed that As-Ⅳ pro-moted Glut-1 protein expression on the surface of CD4+T cells,up-regulated the expression of glycoly-sis key enzymes,and activated AKT/mTOR and AKT/GSK-3β signaling in a concentration-dependent manner.Molecular docking and join AKT inhibitors As the experiment results indicate-Ⅳ activated AKT/mTOR signaling and AKT/GSK-3β signal;Animal experiments showed that As-Ⅳ exerted anti-tumor effect by activating the proliferation and activation of CD4+T cells in low-glucose microenvironment.CONCLUSION:As-Ⅳ promote sugar by activation of AKT/Glut signal micro environment of CD4+T cell proliferation and activation play a role of anti-tu-mor.

This paper mainly introduced the significance of implementing palliative care for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, summarized the palliative care needs assessment tools applied to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and discussed the factors affecting of patients′ palliative care needs and strategies to improve them, aiming to provide reference for formulating targeted intervention measures for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the future.

Objective:To explore the current status of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) combined with frailty from 2014 to 2023 both domestically and internationally, and analyze the research hotspots.Methods:The literature on COPD combined with frailty included in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and the core collection database of Web of Science (WOS) from January 2014 to December 2023 was electronically searched. CiteSpace 6.2.R6 was used for visual analysis of authors, institutions, countries, keywords, and emerging words.Results:A total of 143 Chinese articles and 106 English articles were included. The authors with the most Chinese publications were Guo Honghua and Zhang Caihong, and the institution with the most publications was Shanxi Medical University. The author with the most English publications was Maddocks Matthew, and the institution with the most publications was Imperial College London. The country with the most publications was the United States. CNKI obtained a total of nine clustering groups and 16 emerging keywords. WOS obtained a total of 12 clustering groups and 26 emerging keywords.Conclusions:The distribution of Chinese literature publishing institutions is unbalanced and lacks influence. Frailty has an impact on the pulmonary rehabilitation effect and psychological health of COPD patients. Improving the implementation of pulmonary rehabilitation and paying attention to the impact of patients' psychological status on prognosis will become an important trend in the future.