Aim To clarify the mechanism by which Qishen Yixin Granules improved microcirculation vas-cular endothelial dysfunction(VED)in mice,through activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway to regulate oxidative stress.Methods C57 mice were randomly divided into six groups:blank group,model group,pos-itive drug group,and low-,medium-,and high-dose groups of Qishen Yixin Granules.The VED model was established by long-term infusion of Ang Ⅱ combined with a high-fat diet.Each treatment group received the corresponding drug intervention.After four weeks of drug intervention,cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography.Carstairs staining was used to ob-serve the formation of microthrombi in myocardial tis-sue.The micro vascular ischemia was evaluated by Hei-denhain staining.The ultrastructure of endothelial cells was observed by electron microscopy.The levels of EMPs,ROS,NO,ET-1,TF,TM,VWF,and TXA2 in serum were measured by ELISA.The expression levels of MDA,SOD,and GSH-Px in mouse heart tissue were determined by chemical methods.Cardiac microvascu-lar density and the expression of Nrf2,Keap1,and HO-1 proteins were detected by Immunohistochemical stai-ning.The protein expressions of Keap1,cytoplasmic Nrf2,nuclear Nrf2,and HO-1 in myocardial tissue were detected by Western blot.Results Qishen Yixin Granules could effectively improve the cardiac function of mice,alleviate the damage of endothelial cells and endothelial function.They could up-regulate serum NO levels and the activities of antioxidant enzymes SOD and GSH-Px,while down-regulating the expression of ROS and vascular inflammatory injury factors such as ET-1,VWF,TXA2,TF,TM,and EMPs.Qishen Yixin Granules also increased the positive counts of CD34,Nrf2,and HO-1,as well as microvessel density.Fur-thermore,they inhibited the expression of MDA,Keap1,and cytoplasmic Nrf2 protein in myocardial tis-sue,while increasing the expression of nuclear proteins HO-1 and Nrf2.Conclusions Qishen Yixin Granules may inhibit oxidative stress and inflammatory response by regulating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway,thereby improving vascular endothelial damage and cardiac function in VED mice.

Objective To investigate correlations of the ratio of specific brain region volume to total brain volume(ratio％),standard uptake value(SUV)of specific brain region based on 18F-FDG PET/MR examination in Alzheimer disease(AD)patients,as well as the relationship between changes of these two.Methods Fifty AD patients were retrospectively collected.Based on FDG PET/MR,the ratio％and the mean SUV(SUVmean)of 40 specific brain regions were obtained,and the correlation between ratio％and SUVmean for each region were evaluated.According to a database of normal brains,Z-scores for ratio％and SUVmean were calculated to represent structural and functional changes in AD patients,and the correlation between these 2 Z-scores was assessed.Results Correlations were found between ratio％and SUVmean,also between Z-scores of these two parameters in 29 brain regions(r=0.288 to 0.778,all P＜0.05).Among them 7 brain regions,i.e.bilateral middle temporal gyrus,right fusiform gyrus,right hippocampus,right precuneus,left lingual gyrus and right parahippocampal gyrus exhibited correlation coefficients greater than 0.6.Conclusion There were some relationships between brain structural and metabolic functions and their changes in AD patients showed on FDG PET/MR.

Objective To observe the efficacy of self-guided attention network for detecting responsible lesions related to cerebral palsy(CP)in children with periventricular white matter injury(PVWMI).Methods Totally 383 children with PVWMI were retrospectively enrolled and divided into CP group(n=243)and non-CP group(n=140),while 214 children without obvious brain abnormality on brain MRI were taken as control group.ROI of 4 key anatomical structures related to CP,i.e.centrum semiovale,posterior limb of internal capsule,cerebral peduncle and thalamus were delineated on T1WI,while responsible lesions related to CP within the key anatomical structures were labeled on T2WI,and the images were then registrated and used as input of the networks.ResNet34 network was adopted combined with attention and self-guided networks to train the network for detecting responsible lesions related to CP in children with PVWMI,and their efficacies were evaluated.The optimal network was screened,and its efficacy for segmenting the key anatomical structures was evaluated.Results Self-guided attention network was the optimal network,its area under the curve(AUC)for detecting lesions was 0.794-0.914,and the Dice similarity coefficient for segmenting the key anatomical structures was 0.702-0.764.Conclusion Self-guided attention network could be used for preliminarily detecting responsible lesions related to CP in children with PVWMI.

OBJECTIVE To explore the efficacy of low temperature plasma(LTP)in treatment of the rats with Pseudomonas aeruginosa(PA)wound infection.METHODS Totally 20 SD rats were assigned to establish the PA wound infection models and were randomly divided into the LTP group with 10 rats and the air control group with 10 rats.The wound healing dynamics,bacterial loading capacity,histopathology,levels of cytokines and microen-vironment features were observed during the healing process.RESULTS LTP accelerates the healing of PA infec-tion wound,the wound area reduced after the treatment for 3 days,and the inflammatory reactions alleviated;the infection symptoms subsided after the treatment for 7 days,and the wounds became dry and scabbed;the wounds reduced in size by day 15,showing favorable healing trends.Repeated measurement analysis of variance(ANOVA)indicated that there was significant difference in the impact of LTP on the covering rate of wounds(Ftime=10.230,P＜0.001;Fbetween-group=11.340,P=0.001;Finteraction=2.890,P=0.042).The result of quantitative bacterial loads analysis showed that the bacterial loads of the LTP group were lower than those of the control group after the treatment for 3,7 and 15 days(P＜0.05).The result of histopathology indicated that the infiltra-ted wound inflammatory cells of the LTP group reduced,the collagen fibers were well-aligned,and the neovascu-larization and formation of granulation tissues were evident.In addition,the pH value of wound tissues and reac-tive oxygen species(ROS)level were improved after the treatment with LTP,which was matched with the process of wound healing.The result of cytokines test showed that LTP could upregulate the levels of VEGF and TGF-β1,downregulate the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α,and promote the wound healing,with statistically signifi-cant differences observed(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION LTP may facilitate the control of infections by reducing the bacterial colony counts,establish the effective microenvironment for tissue healing,and accelerate the healing of wounds with PA infection by regulating the release of healing-related cytokines.

Objective To investigate the relationship between quantitative parameters of the histogram of global fat fraction(FF)in the infrapatellar fat pad(IPFP)and the severity of knee osteoarthritis(KOA).Methods A total of 120 patients were prospectively selected and divided into the non-KOA group(KL grade 0-1),the mild KOA group(KL grade 2),and the severe KOA group(KL grade 3-4)based on the Kellgren-Lawrence(KL)classification criteria of knee X-rays.The FF maps of the IPFP were obtained based on the mDIXON-Quant technique.The region of interest(ROI)was delineated using 3D Slicer software,and global histogram analysis was performed to obtain quantitative parameters,including mean,median,10th percentile(10th),90th percentile(90th),skewness,kurtosis,and entropy.Pearson or Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between each quanti-tative parameter and the severity of KOA.The diagnostic efficacy was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.Results As the progression of KL classification,the mean,median,percentiles,and kurtosis of the global FF histogram quantitative parameters in the IPFP decreased,while skewness and entropy increased,with statistically significant among the three groups(P＜0.001).The mean,median,10th,90th,and kurtosis showed negative correlations with the KL classification(r=-0.563,-0.448,-0.614,-0.294,-0.450),while skewness and entropy showed positive correlations with the KL classification(r=0.385,0.637),all of which were statistically significant(P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)for diagnosing KOA were 0.799,0.725,0.828,0.636,0.741,0.688,and 0.830,respectively.The sensitivity of the 10th and entropy were 74.4％and 77.9％,respectively,and the specificity were 85.3％and 88.2％,respectively.Conclusion The quantitative parameters of the histogram of global FF in the IPFP are correlated with the severity of KOA and can reflect the pathophysiological changes in the IPFP.They can serve as objective indicators for diagnosing KOA and assessing its severity.

BACKGROUND:Existing studies have compared patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis with healthy populations,but comparative studies focusing on differences in this aspect of the parameter between these different lumbar spondylolisthesis are lacking.OBJECTIVE:To explore the differences in paraspinal muscle degeneration between isthmic spondylolisthesis and degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis,and their correlation with low back pain symptoms.METHODS:A total of 107 patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis treated in Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University between February 2019 and August 2023 were analyzed retrospectively.They were divided into the isthmic spondylolisthesis group(39 patients)and the degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis group(68 patients)according to the type of spondylolisthesis.Paravertebral muscle tissue parameters were compared and analyzed as well as functional scores(visual analog scale for low back pain)in both groups.According to the visual analog scale score,the two groups of patients were divided into two subgroups:those with a visual analog scale score＜45 mm and those with a visual analog scale score＞45 mm,and the relationship between the difference in visual analog scale score and the parameters of paraspinal muscle tissue degeneration was analyzed.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The percentage of fat infiltration in the multifidus muscle was higher in the degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis group than in the isthmic spondylolisthesis group(P=0.003).(2)The percentage of fat infiltration in the multifidus muscle was significantly lower in patients with a visual analog scale score of＜45 mm than in patients with a visual analog scale score of＞45 mm in both groups(P=0.021,P＜0.001).(3)Patients in the isthmic spondylolisthesis group also showed a significantly lower percentage of fat infiltration in patients with visual analog scale score＜45 mm compared with those with visual analog scale score＞45 mm(P=0.002).(4)These results showed that there was a significant difference in paraspinal muscle tissue degeneration between isthmic spondylolisthesis patients and degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis patients,and that degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis patients demonstrated more severe paraspinal muscle degeneration compared to isthmic spondylolisthesis patients.In addition,the percentage of fatty infiltration of the multifidus muscle was relatively greater in those with higher pain scores in both groups of lumbar spondylolisthesis patients.

Dark plum can be used to treat symptoms such as consumptive thirst due to deficiency-heat and chronic cough due to lung deficiency.Its active ingredients have auxiliary effects on lowering blood glucose,antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities.Insulin resistance is mainly characterized by the weakening of the physiological effects of insulin in the body,with a relatively complex mechanism that can lead to various metabolic-related diseases and seriously affect health.The active ingredients of dark plum can improve insulin resistance by regulating insulin signaling pathways,endoplasmic reticulum stress,antioxidant stress,inflammatory signaling pathways,levels of related inflammatory mediators,and free fatty acid levels.By reviewing the relevant literature on the improvement of insulin resistance by the active ingredients of dark plum,this article summarizes and analyzes its mechanism of action,aiming to provide new ideas and scientific evidence for in-depth research on insulin resistance and the development and application of drugs.

Objective To analyze the dual-channel with single channel recorded somatosensory evoked potentials(SSEPs)monitoring in the thoracic vertebral disease that underwent surgical fixation surgery waveform differentiation and evaluate the value of dual-channel SSEPs applied in thoracic surgery diseases.Methods The study included 135 patients who underwent surgery for thoracic vertebra disease in Xi'an Honghui hospital from November 2019 to November 2023.Of them,66 underwent conventional single-channel SSEPs monitoring and 69 underwent dual-channel SSEPs monitoring.By observing the waveform differentiation of single-channel SSEPs and dual-channel SSEPs,Chi-square test and Fisher exact test were used to analyze the influences of age and etiological classification on the waveform differentiation and monitoring success rate of SSEPs.The success rate of intraoperative monitoring and the incidence of postoperative adverse events in alarm cases were compared between the two groups.Results Univariate analysis showed that age group and etiological classification of thoracic vertebral diseases affected the success rate of intraoperative SSEPs monitoring.Among the etiological classification,the SSEPs waveform differentiation in fracture group was the least ideal.Intraoperative monitoring results showed that the success rate of single-channel SSEPs monitoring was 80.30％,while the success rate of dual-channel SSEPS monitoring was 98.55％(P＜0.05).In the intraoperative alarm cases,the incidence of postoperative adverse events monitored by single-channel SSEPs was 66.67％;the incidence of adverse events after dual-channel SSEPs monitoring was 33.33％.Conclusion The age of patients and etiological type of thoracic spine diseases affect the success rate of intraoperative SSEPs monitoring.Dual-channel SSEPs monitoring can effectively and accurately evaluate the function of patients with posterior spinal cord conduction pathway.Using dual-channel SSEPs monitoring can significantly improve the success rate of monitoring and reduce the occurrence of postoperative adverse events in patients with thoracic vertebra disease.

AIM To prepare the oral lyophilized tablets of gastrodin-coated micropowder.METHODS Fluidized bed bottom spray method was adopted in the preparation of coated micropowder,after which the oral lyophilized tablets were further prepared.With mannitol consumption,pullulan consumption and xanthan gum consumption as influencing factors,comprehensive score for appearance traits,moisture,disintegration time and the sedimentation volume ratio as an evaluation index,the formulation was optimized by Box-Behnken method,then the taste-masking effect,appearance traits,moisture,disintegration time,content uniformity and dissolution rate were investigated.RESULTS The optimal formulation was determined to be 44.20 mg/tablet for mannitol consumption,3.70 mg/tablet for pullulan consumption,1.30 mg/tablet for xanthan gum consumption,66.67 mg/tablet for coated micropowder,and 1.5 mg/tablet for sucralose micropowder,the comprehensive score was 17.43.The obtained oral lyophilized tablets demonstrated good taste-masking effect,appearance traits and content uniformity with the disintegration time of 3-5 s,whose dissolution rates were less than 5％within 3 min in the simulated oral environment(phosphate buffer solution at pH 6.8)and more than 85％within 15 min in the simulated gastric environment(hydrochloric acid solution at pH 1.2).CONCLUSION The oral lyophilized tablets of gastrodin-coated micropowder display good taste,ease of swallowing and simple and feasible preparation process,which can provide a new idea for the taste improvement of other oral lyophilized tablets and unpleasant-smelling raw medicines.

AIM To investigate the effects of Yiqi Juanbi Formula on chondrocyte pyroptosis in rat models of collagen-induced arthritis(CIA).METHODS Fifty rats were subcutaneously injected at the tail base with an emulsion containing equal volumes of bovine type Ⅱ collagen and incomplete Freund's adjuvant(IFA)to establish the CIA models.These rats were then randomly assigned to the model group,the methotrexate group(0.35 mg/kg),and the low-dose,medium-dose,and high-dose Yiqi Juanbi Formula groups(9.4,18.7,37.4 g/kg),in contrast to the ten intact rats serving in the normal control group.Following four weeks of intragastric administration,the rats had their general conditions observed;their joint swelling and arthritis indices measured;their ankle joint pathology assessed by HE staining;their serum levels of IL-1β,IL-18 and TNF-ɑ detected by ELISA;their mRNA expressions of NLRP3,Caspase-1,GSDMD,IL-1β,IL-18 and TNF-ɑ in ankle cartilage quantified by RT-qPCR;their protein expressions of NF-κB,NLRP3 and Caspase-1 in ankle cartilage analyzed by Western blot;and their NLRP3 and GSDMD positive expressions in ankle cartilage examined by immunohistochemistry.RESULTS Compared to the control group,the model group showed significantly increased joint swelling and arthritis indices(P＜0.01);elevated serum levels of IL-1 β,IL-18 and TNF-ɑ(P＜0.01);pathological changes including cartilage surface defects,reduced cell count,altered cellular morphology,irregular cell arrangement,and significant inflammatory cell infiltration in synovial tissue;upregulated mRNA expressions of NF-κB,NLRP3,Caspase-1,GSDMD,IL-1β,IL-18 and TNF-ɑ(P＜0.01)and increased protein expressions of NF-κB,NLRP3 and Caspase-1(P＜0.01)in ankle cartilage;enhanced positive expressions of NLRP3 and GSDMD in ankle cartilage(P＜0.01).Compared to the model group,the groups intervened with methotrexate or medium-or high-dose Yiqi Juanbi Formula exhibited reduced joint swelling and arthritis indices(P＜0.01);alleviated pathological damage in ankle joints;decreased serum levels of IL-1β,IL-18 and TNF-ɑ(P＜0.01);downregulated mRNA expressions of NF-κB,NLRP3,Caspase-1,GSDMD,IL-1β,IL-18 and TNF-ɑ(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and reduced protein expressions of NF-κB,NLRP3 and Caspase-1(P＜0.05,P＜0.01)in ankle cartilage;and diminished positive expressions of NLRP3 and GSDMD in ankle cartilage(P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Yiqi Juanbi Formula alleviates inflammation in CIA rats,potentially by inhibiting the activation of the NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling pathway,thereby suppressing chondrocyte pyroptosis.