OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness and preliminary mechanisms of icariin (ICA) in enhancing the reparative effects of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) on skin radiation damagies in rats. METHODS: Twelve SPF-grade Sprague Dawley rats [body weight (220±10) g] were subjected to a single dose of 10 Gy X-ray irradiation on a 1.5 cm×1.5 cm area of their dorsal skin, with a dose rate of 200 cGy/min to make skin radiation damage model. After successful modelling, the rats were randomly divided into 4 groups ( n=3), and on day 2, the corresponding cells were injected subcutaneously into the irradiated wounds: group A received 0.1 mL of rat ADSCs (1×10 ⁷cells/mL), group B received 0.1 mL of rat ADSCs (1×10 ⁷cells/mL)+1 μmol/L ICA (0.1 mL), group C received 0.1 mL of rat ADSCs (1×10 ⁷cells/mL) pretreated with a hypoxia-inducible factor 2α (HIF-2α) inhibitor+1 μmol/L ICA (0.1 mL), and group D received 0.1 mL of rat ADSCs (1×10 ⁷cells/mL) pretreated with a Notch1 inhibitor+1 μmol/L ICA (0.1 mL). All treatments were administered as single doses. The skin injury in the irradiated areas of the rats was observed continuously from day 1 to day 7 after modelling. On day 28, the rats were sacrificed, and skin tissues from the irradiated areas were harvested for histological examination (HE staining and Masson staining) to assess the repair status and for quantitative collagen content detection. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect CD31 expression, while Western blot and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) were used to measure the protein and mRNA relative expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2), interleukin 10 (IL-10), transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), HIF-2α, and Notch1, 2, and 3. RESULTS: All groups exhibited skin ulcers and redness after irradiation. On day 3, exudation of tissue fluid was observed in all groups. On day 7, group B showed significantly smaller skin injury areas compared to the other 3 groups. On day 28, histological examination revealed that the epidermis was thickened and the dermal fibers were slightly disordered with occasional inflammatory cell aggregation in group A. In group B, the epidermis appeared more normal, the dermal fibers were more orderly, and there was an increase in new blood vessels without significant inflammatory cell aggregation. In contrast, groups C and D showed significantly increased epidermal thickness, disordered and disrupted dermal fibers. Group B had higher collagen fiber content than the other 3 groups, and group D had lower content than group A, with significant differences ( P<0.05). Immunohistochemical staining showed that group B had significantly higher CD31 expression than the other 3 groups, while groups C and D had lower expression than group A, with significant differences ( P<0.05). Western blot and qRT-PCR results indicated that group B had significantly higher relative expression levels of VEGF, PDGF-BB, FGF-2, IL-10, TGF-β, HIF-2α, and Notch1, 2, and 3 proteins and mRNAs compared to the other 3 groups ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION ICA may enhance the reparative effects of ADSCs on rat skin radiation damage by promoting angiogenesis and reducing inflammatory responses through the HIF-2α-VEGF-Notch signaling pathway.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skin/pathology* ; Rats ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/genetics* ; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Signal Transduction ; Flavonoids/pharmacology* ; Adipose Tissue/cytology* ; Stem Cells/cytology* ; Receptors, Notch/metabolism* ; Radiation Injuries, Experimental/metabolism* ; Wound Healing/drug effects* ; Male

Objective:To investigate the effect of absorbable material internal fixation in the treatment of phalanx fracture and its effect on the complications related to hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-10 (IL-10), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and foreign body reaction.Methods:The clinical data of 98 patients with phalangeal fracture in Huishan District People′s Hospital of Wuxi City from January 2018 to January 2020 were divided into absorbable group (49 cases, treated with absorbable material internal fixation) and microplate group (49 cases, treated with minimally invasive plate internal fixation). The rates of excellent and good treatment, operation conditions, serum inflammatory stress response indexes levels before and 1 d and 1 week after surgery were compared, and recovery at 3 and 6 months after surgery, the incidence of complications and the degree of treatment satisfaction were counted.Results:The rates of excellent and good treatmentin the absorbable group were higher than that in the micro plate group: 95.92%(47/49) vs. 81.63%(40/49), χ2 = 5.02, P<0.05. The duration of operation in the absorbable group was longer than that in the microplate group: (43.28 ± 12.18) min vs. (31.29 ± 11.69) min; and the duration of hospital stay, fracture healing time and recovery time were shorter than those in the microplate group: (4.09 ± 1.18) d vs. (6.89 ± 2.12) d, (4.35 ± 1.05) weeks vs. (5.69 ± 1.38) weeks, (4.89 ± 1.10) d vs. (6.20 ± 2.01) d; the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The levels of serum hs-CRP, IL-10 and ACTH in absorbable group were lower than those in microplate group at 1 d and 1 week after surgery ( P<0.05). At 3 and 6 months after surgery, the range of motion of metacarpophalangeal joint in the absorbable group was greater than that in the microplate group, and the loss of grip strength of the healthy side was less than that in the microplate group ( P<0.05). The incidence of complications in absorbable group was lower than that in microplate group: 6.12%(3/49) vs. 20.41%(10/49), χ2 = 4.35, P<0.05. Conclusions:The absorbable material internal fixation can achieve good results in the treatment of phalanx fracture, the postoperative recovery is fast, the incidence of complications is lower.

Objective To discuss the effects of acupuncture therapy on resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in patients with ischemic stroke; To explore the central mechanism of acupuncture therapy.Methods Ten is chemic stroke patients with hemiplegia limbs and ten matched control subjects were included. Treatment group was given anti-platelet aggregation, anticoagulation, and nutrition brain cell therapy. At the same time, acupuncture therapy was given, taking Jianyu, Quchi, Shousanli, Waiguan, Hegu, Zusanli, Fenglong, Yanglingquan, Sanyinjiao, and Taichong, with even reinforcing-reducing method, and retaining the needle 30 min, manipulating needle every 10 min, once a day, 5 times a week, needle stopping for 2 d, for continuous 30 d. The health group did not undergo any treatment. BOLD-fMRI imaging technique was used, and based on RSET1.8 software, the parameters of brain activity before and after treatment were observed by amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) method. The Results were compared with healthy group. Results Before treatment, the ALFF value of left caudate nucleus, putamen and globus pallidus in the treatment group was lower than that in the health group, and the ALFF value of bilateral precentral and postcentral gyrus, left grus frontalis superior, gyrus frontalis medius, gyrus temporalis medius and precuneus was higher than the health group (P<0.05). After treatment, the ALFF value in left caudate nucleus, putamen and globus pallidus in the treatment group was higher than that before treatment, and the ALFF value in left gyrus frontalis superior, gyrus frontalis medius and precuneus decreased than before group (P<0.05).Conclusion In the resting state of the ischemic stroke patients with hemiplegia limbs, the principal injured brain regions are caudate nucleus, putamen and globus pallidus. Acupuncture has a regulatory role for these brain areas, presumably may be the central mechanism of efficacy.