ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide on vascular endothelial injury in hypertension and its molecular mechanism. MethodsC57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into saline group （Saline） and hypertension group （Ang Ⅱ， which were infused with Ang Ⅱ via subcutaneously implanted osmotic pumps）， and supplemented daily with nicotinamide mononucleotide （300 mg/kg）， a precursor of NAD⁺. Blood pressure， endothelial relaxation function and pulse wave velocity were measured after 4 weeks. Wound healing assay and adhesion assay were used to evaluate the function of endothelial cells in vitro. mtROS levels were detected by immunofluorescence staining. RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of mtDNA， SIRT3 and isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 （IDH2）. 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The protein expression levels of p-eNOS， eNOS， SIRT3 and IDH2 were detected by Western blot. ResultsNMN supplementation reduced blood pressure （P<0.001） and improved endothelial function and arterial stiffness （P<0.001） in hypertensive mice. In vitro， NMN improved endothelial function in AngII-stimulated endothelial cells （P<0.05） and attenuated mitochondrial oxidative stress levels （P<0.001）. Mechanistically， NMN elevated SIRT3 activity （P<0.001）， which subsequently enhanced IDH activity （P<0.001） and reduced oxidative stress levels in endothelial cells. Conversely， knockdown of IDH2 would reverse the effect of SIRT3 in improving endothelial function （P<0.001）. ConclusionNAD⁺ lowers blood pressure and enhances vascular function in hypertension by reducing the level of oxidative stress in endothelial cells through activation of the SIRT3/IDH2 signal pathway.

Objective To explore the relationship between osteoporosis and carotid atherosclerosis in patients with coronary heart disease aged≥60 years and analyze prevention suggestions. Methods The clinical data of 380 patients with coronary heart disease aged≥60 years who underwent various examinations in the hospital between April 2024 and April 2025 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the bone mineral density (BMD) classification criteria, the patients were divided into osteoporosis group and non-osteoporosis group. The differences in general data and carotid atherosclerosis-related indicators were compared between osteoporosis group and non-osteoporosis group. Pearson method was used to analyze the correlation between carotid atherosclerosis indicators and clinical indicators in patients with coronary heart disease aged≥60 years. According to the IMT detection thickness in patients with coronary heart disease and osteoporosis aged≥60 years were divided into IMT thickening group and IMT non-thickening group and between plaque group and non-plaque group, and the differences in BMD and bone metabolism indicators were compared. Binary logistics analysis was adopted to analyze the risk factors of IMT thickening and carotid plaque formation in patients with coronary heart disease≥60 years old. Results Age and duration of osteoporosis group TC、LDL-C、CTX、 Carotid artery IMT and carotid atherosclerosis degree were higher than those in the non osteoporosis group, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). BMI, OPG, OCN, 25 (OH) D, BMD, carotid artery elasticity coefficient were lower than those in the non osteoporosis group, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Carotid IMT, carotid atherosclerosis degree, and carotid elasticity coefficient were significantly correlated with age, course of disease, TC, LDL-C, CTX, BMI, OPG, OCN, BMD, and 25 (OH) D of coronary heart disease patients ≥60 years old (P<0.05). OPG, OCN, BMD and 25(OH)D in IMT thickening group and plaque group were lower compared to IMT non-thickening group and non-plaque group (P<0.05) while CTX was significantly higher than that in IMT non-thickening group and non-plaque group (P<0.05). Binary logistics regression analysis showed that OPG, OCN, BMD, 25(OH)D and CTX were associated with IMT thickening in patients with coronary heart disease and osteoporosis aged≥60 years (P<0.05). OPG, OCN and BMD were associated with carotid plaque formation in patients with coronary heart disease complicated with osteoporosis aged≥60 years (P<0.05). Conclusion There is a significant correlation between osteoporosis and arteriosclerosis in patients with coronary heart disease aged≥60 years. As the bone mass decreases, the manifestations of arteriosclerosis become become more and more obvious, which needs attention and prevention.

This study employed the "disease-medicine-dose" pattern to mine the medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) prescriptions containing Astragali Radix in ancient Chinese medical books, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the clinical application of Astragali Radix and the development of new medicines. The TCM prescriptions containing Astragali Radix were retrieved from databases such as Chinese Medical Dictionary and imported into Excel 2020 to construct the prescription library. Statical analysis were performed for the prescriptions regarding the indications, syndromes, medicine use frequency, herb effects, nature and taste, meridian tropism, dosage forms, and dose. SPSS statistics 26.0 and IBM SPSS Modeler 18.0 were used for association rules analysis and cluster analysis. A total of 2 297 prescriptions containing Astragali Radix were collected, involving 233 indications, among which sore and ulcer, consumptive disease, sweating disorder, and apoplexy had high frequency(>25), and their syndromes were mainly Qi and blood deficiency, Qi and blood deficiency, Yin and Yang deficiency, and Qi deficiency and collateral obstruction, respectively. In the prescriptions, 98 medicines were used with the frequency >25 and they mainly included Qi-tonifying medicines and blood-tonifying medicines. Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium were frequently used. The medicines with high frequency mainly have warm or cold nature, and sweet, pungent, or bitter taste, with tropism to spleen, lung, heart, liver, and kidney meridians. In the treatment of sore and ulcer, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 3.73 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to promote granulation and heal up sores. In the treatment of consumptive disease, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 37.30 g and combined with Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma to tonify deficiency and replenish Qi. In the treatment of sweating disorder, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 3.73 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to consolidate exterior and stop sweating. In the treatment of apoplexy, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 7.46 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to dispell wind and stop convulsions. Astragali Radix can be used in the treatment of multiple system diseases, with the effects of tonifying Qi and ascending Yang, consolidating exterior and stopping sweating, and expressing toxin and promoting granulation. According to the manifestations of different diseases, when combined with other medicines, Astragali Radix was endowed with the effects of promoting granulation and healing up sores, tonifying deficiency and Qi, consolidating exterior and stopping sweating, and dispelling wind and replenishing Qi. The findings provide a theoretical reference and a scientific basis for the clinical application of Astragali Radix and the development of new medicines.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history* ; History, Ancient ; Astragalus Plant/chemistry* ; China ; Astragalus propinquus

PURPOSE: The fixation method commonly employed worldwide for treating unstable fractures of the posterior pelvic ring is the percutaneous iliosacral screw technique. However, prolonged operation time and frequent fluoroscopies result in surgical risks. This study aimed to investigate whether a new triangulation method could reduce operative and fluoroscopy times and increase the accuracy of screw placement. METHODS: This study is a real-world retrospective cohort analysis that examined a patient cohort who underwent percutaneous iliosacral screw fixation between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2022. Inclusion criteria were patients (1) diagnosed with posterior pelvic ring instability who underwent pelvic fracture closed reduction and percutaneous S1 transverse-penetrating iliosacral screw placement and (2) aged >18 years. Exclusion criteria were: (1) combined proximal femoral fractures, (2) severe soft tissue injury in the surgical area, (3) incomplete imaging data, and (4) declining to provide written informed consent by the patient. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the screw insertion method: conventional and triangulation methods. Screw placement and fluoroscopy times recorded by the C-arm were compared between the 2 methods. The accuracy of screw placement was evaluated by Smith grading on postoperative CT. Normality tests were conducted to assess the distribution of the quantitative variables and the Chi-square test was used to compare the qualitative variables. RESULTS: The study included a total of 94 patients diagnosed with posterior pelvic ring instability, who underwent percutaneous iliosacral screw placement. The patients were divided into 2 groups: 46 patients treated with the conventional surgical method and 48 patients received the triangulation method. The operation time (61.13±9.69 vs. 35.77±6.27) min and fluoroscopy frequency times (52.15±9.29 vs. 24.40±4.04) of the triangulation method were significantly reduced (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS The use of a triangular positioning technique for the surface positioning of percutaneous iliosacral screws could reduce the operative time and fluoroscopy frequency. And the screw placement accuracy using this new method was comparable to that using other conventional methods.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Bone Screws ; Pelvic Bones/surgery* ; Male ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/methods* ; Fractures, Bone/surgery* ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Fluoroscopy ; Aged ; Sacrum/surgery* ; Operative Time

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a complex disease that is often accompanied by mental health disorders. However, the potential mechanisms underlying the heterogeneous clinical presentation of CP/CPPS remain uncertain. This study analyzed widely targeted metabolomic data of expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) and plasma to reveal the underlying pathological mechanisms of CP/CPPS. A total of 24 CP/CPPS patients from The Second Nanning People's Hospital (Nanning, China), and 35 asymptomatic control individuals from First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University (Nanning, China) were enrolled. The indicators related to CP/CPPS and psychiatric symptoms were recorded. Differential analysis, coexpression network analysis, and correlation analysis were performed to identify metabolites that were specifically altered in patients and associated with various phenotypes of CP/CPPS. The crucial links between EPS and plasma were further investigated. The metabolomic data of EPS from CP/CPPS patients were significantly different from those from control individuals. Pathway analysis revealed dysregulation of amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and the citrate cycle in EPS. The tryptophan metabolic pathway was found to be the most significantly altered pathway associated with distinct CP/CPPS phenotypes. Moreover, the dysregulation of tryptophan and tyrosine metabolism and elevation of oxidative stress-related metabolites in plasma were found to effectively elucidate the development of depression in CP/CPPS. Overall, metabolomic alterations in the EPS and plasma of patients were primarily associated with oxidative damage, energy metabolism abnormalities, neurological impairment, and immune dysregulation. These alterations may be associated with chronic pain, voiding symptoms, reduced fertility, and depression in CP/CPPS. This study provides a local-global perspective for understanding the pathological mechanisms of CP/CPPS and offers potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatitis/blood* ; Adult ; Pelvic Pain/blood* ; Metabolomics ; Prostate/metabolism* ; Middle Aged ; Chronic Pain/blood* ; Metabolome ; Case-Control Studies ; Tryptophan/blood* ; Depression/blood* ; Oxidative Stress/physiology* ; Chronic Disease ; Lipid Metabolism/physiology*

OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical characteristics of pediatric Behçet syndrome (BS). METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on the medical records of children hospitalized in the Department of Pediatrics at the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University between December 2014 and December 2024 who met diagnostic criteria for BS. RESULTS: Among 45 children with BS, 26 (58%) were male. Oral aphthous ulcers were the most common manifestation (43/45, 96%), followed by genital ulcers (23/45, 51%) and gastrointestinal involvement (18/45, 40%). Genital ulcers were more frequent in girls, whereas ocular involvement was more common in boys (P<0.05). The pathergy test was positive in 10 (22%), and HLA-B51 was positive in 13 (29%). Fecal calprotectin (FC) was elevated in 16 (36%); gastrointestinal involvement was more frequent in children with elevated FC than in those with normal FC (P<0.05). According to the respective criteria, 17 (38%) patients met the International Study Group criteria (1990), 33 (73%) met the International Criteria for Behçet Disease (2014), and 13 (29%) met the Pediatric Behçet Disease criteria (2015). CONCLUSIONS Pediatric BS shows marked clinical heterogeneity. HLA-B51 is associated with disease susceptibility.
Humans ; Behcet Syndrome/genetics* ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Retrospective Studies ; Adolescent ; Child, Preschool ; Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex/analysis* ; HLA-B51 Antigen

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of Zhuangdan Yanshi Decoction combined with dapoxetine hydrochloride in the treatment of premature ejaculation with cholestasis and phlegm disturbance. METHODS: A total of 120 patients diagnosed with premature ejaculation and treated in the Andrology Outpatient Department of Shaanxi Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from March to December in 2022 were selected and randomly divided into treatment group and control group, with 60 cases in each group. The incubation period of intravaginal ejaculation (IELT), the Diagnostic Scale of Premature Ejaculation (PEDT), the Premature Ejaculation Assessment Scale (PEP), the 5-item Sexual Function Evaluation of Chinese Premature Ejaculation Patients (CIPE-5) and the improvement of traditional Chinese medicine symptom scores were compared before and after the treatment. And the adverse reactions were recorded as well. RESULTS: A total of 105 cases were ultimately included, with 55 cases in the treatment group and 50 cases in the control group. Measurable improvements in IELT, PEDT scores, PEP scores, CIPE scores and TCM symptom scores had been found after treatment in both of two groups (P<0.05). Moreover, the improvement in the treatment group was superior to that in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate in the treatment group was 89.1%, which was higher than that(84%) in the control group, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the treatment group was 9.1%, which was 24% in the control group. There was significantly difference between two groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The combination therapy with Zhuangdan Yanshi Decoction and dapoxetine hydrochloride for premature ejaculation associated with cholestasis and phlegm disturbance syndrome is definite, and it can reduce the side effects of drugs, which is better than oral dapoxetine hydrochloride alone.
Humans ; Premature Ejaculation/drug therapy* ; Benzylamines/therapeutic use* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Naphthalenes/therapeutic use* ; Cholestasis/complications* ; Adult ; Benzyl Compounds/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Treatment Outcome

Patients suffering from nerve injury often experience exacerbated pain responses and complain of memory deficits. The dorsal hippocampus (dHPC), a well-defined region responsible for learning and memory, displays maladaptive plasticity upon injury, which is assumed to underlie pain hypersensitivity and cognitive deficits. However, much attention has thus far been paid to intracellular mechanisms of plasticity rather than extracellular alterations that might trigger and facilitate intracellular changes. Emerging evidence has shown that nerve injury alters the microarchitecture of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and decreases ECM rigidity in the dHPC. Despite this, it remains elusive which element of the ECM in the dHPC is affected and how it contributes to neuropathic pain and comorbid cognitive deficits. Laminin, a key element of the ECM, consists of α-, β-, and γ-chains and has been implicated in several pathophysiological processes. Here, we showed that peripheral nerve injury downregulates laminin β1 (LAMB1) in the dHPC. Silencing of hippocampal LAMB1 exacerbates pain sensitivity and induces cognitive dysfunction. Further mechanistic analysis revealed that loss of hippocampal LAMB1 causes dysregulated Src/NR2A signaling cascades via interaction with integrin β1, leading to decreased Ca²⁺ levels in pyramidal neurons, which in turn orchestrates structural and functional plasticity and eventually results in exaggerated pain responses and cognitive deficits. In this study, we shed new light on the functional capability of hippocampal ECM LAMB1 in the modulation of neuropathic pain and comorbid cognitive deficits, and reveal a mechanism that conveys extracellular alterations to intracellular plasticity. Moreover, we identified hippocampal LAMB1/integrin β1 signaling as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of neuropathic pain and related memory loss.
Animals ; Laminin/genetics* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Neuralgia/metabolism* ; Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology* ; Male ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries/metabolism* ; Extracellular Matrix/metabolism* ; Integrin beta1/metabolism* ; Pyramidal Cells/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction

Exosomal circular RNA (circRNAs) are pivotal in cancer biology, and tumor pathophysiology. These stable, non-coding RNAs encapsulated in exosomes participated in cancer progression, tumor growth, metastasis, drug sensitivity and the tumor microenvironment (TME). Their presence in bodily fluids positions them as potential non-invasive biomarkers, revealing the molecular dynamics of cancers. Research in exosomal circRNAs is reshaping our understanding of neoplastic intercellular communication. Exploiting the natural properties of exosomes for targeted drug delivery and disrupting circRNA-mediated pro-tumorigenic signaling can develop new treatment modalities. Therefore, ongoing exploration of exosomal circRNAs in cancer research is poised to revolutionize clinical management of cancer. This emerging field offers hope for significant breakthroughs in cancer care. This review underscores the critical role of exosomal circRNAs in cancer biology and drug resistance, highlighting their potential as non-invasive biomarkers and therapeutic targets that could transform the clinical management of cancer.

Nutritional support therapy is one of the extremely important treatment methods for patients in the intensive care unit. Timely and effective nutritional support regimens can improve patients' immune function, reduce complications, and optimize clinical outcomes. Energy expenditure is influenced by multiple factors, including patients' baseline characteristics (such as physical condition, gender, age) and dynamic changes in indicators (such as body temperature, nutritional support regimens, and therapeutic interventions). The currently recognized "gold standard" for accurately assessing energy metabolism in clinical practice is the indirect calorimetry system, also known as the metabolic cart. This device monitors carbon dioxide production and oxygen consumption in real time and uses specific algorithms to estimate the metabolic proportions of the three major nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) in energy expenditure. An appropriate nutrient ratio helps maintain the balance between supply and demand in the body's nutritional metabolism. In the management of critically ill patients, the application of the metabolic cart enables personalized nutritional therapy, avoiding over- or under-supply of energy and optimizing the use of medical resources. Furthermore, with real-time, quantitative data support from the energy metabolism monitoring system, clinicians can develop more precise nutritional intervention strategies, thereby improving patient prognosis. This article provides a systematic review of the technical features of the metabolic cart and its application value in various critical care scenarios, aiming to offer a reference for indirect calorimetry in clinical practice.
Humans ; Critical Illness/therapy* ; Nutritional Support ; Energy Metabolism ; Calorimetry, Indirect