OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement effect and mechanism of processed Oxytropis falcata on renal fibrosis （RF） in rats. METHODS RF model was induced by adenine. After modeling， the rats were divided into the model group， positive control group （colchicine， 0.45 mg/kg）， and processed O. falcata low-， medium- and high-dose groups （0.5， 1， 2 g/kg）， respectively. Additionally， a blank group without modeling was set up， with 8 rats in each group. The positive control group and the various dosage groups of processed O. falcata were given the corresponding medicinal solutions intragastrically， while the blank group and model group were given equal volume of normal saline intragastrically， once daily for 28 consecutive days. The appearance and histopathological morphology of the rats’ kidneys were observed. Serum levels of renal function indexes [bl ood urea nitrogen （BUN）， creatinine （Cr） ] and inflammatory factors [interleukin-6 （IL-6） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） ] in rats were detected. Protein expressions of fibronectin （FN）， α -smooth muscle actin （ α -SMA） and collagen type Ⅰ （Col-Ⅰ） in renal tissue of rats were determined. mRNA expressions of transforming growth factor-β 1 （TGF-β 1 ）， Smad3 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 （ERK1/2） in renal tissues were measured. Protein expression of TGF-β 1 and phosphorylation levels of Smad3 and ERK1/2 in renal tissues were detected. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， the rats in the model group exhibited enlarged kidneys with pale color， rough and uneven surface. There was a significant infiltration of inflammatory cells and vacuolated cells in the renal tubules， along with marked proliferation of collagen fibers. Serum levels of BUN， Cr， IL-6 and TNF-α， protein expressions of α -SMA， Col-Ⅰ and FN in renal tissues， mRNA expressions of TGF-β 1 ， Smad3， ERK1 and ERK2 and protein expression of TGF-β 1 as well as phosphorylation levels of Smad3 and ERK1/2 in renal tissues were increased significantly （ P ＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， renal pathological changes of rats were alleviated in processed O. falcata groups， with reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells and proliferation of collagen fibers. The levels of the aforementioned quantitative indicators were all significantly reversed （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Processed O. falcata can improve renal function in RF rats， alleviate inflammatory responses， and reduce abnormal collagen fiber deposition. Its mechanism of action may be related to the inhibition of the activity of the TGF-β 1 /Smad signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the temporal expression of Growth Differentiation Factor-15 (GDF15) in the serum of patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) and explore the clinical significance of GDF15 in protecting cardiomyocytes in ACS.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 289 ACS patients admitted to the emergency departments from February to October 2023. Data on gender, age, troponin T (TnT), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), GDF15, and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) within 30 minutes of admission were recorded. Differences in these indicators among different groups were compared. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to evaluate the diagnostic value of GDF15, TnT, and BNP for ACS. Among the patients, 15 exhibited a temporal expression pattern of GDF15, and their blood samples were re-measured using a GDF15 fluorescent quantitative immunochromatographic assay kit. Fifteen patients without temporal expression were randomly selected as controls, and their samples were also re-measured to exclude detection errors. Fifteen patients with temporal expression were included in the temporal expression group, and 15 without temporal expression were included in the non-temporal expression group. Laboratory indicators such as fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, triglycerides, creatinine, and uric acid were compared between the groups. Additionally, patient age, gender, body mass index (BMI), coronary angiography results, echocardiography, Gensini score, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and GRACE risk score were recorded to assess their correlation with GDF15 temporal expression. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 27 software, with continuous data expressed as mean ± standard deviation (Mean ± SD) and compared using t-tests and χ2 tests. Results:The overall trend in ACS patients showed a higher proportion of males than females (73.36% vs. 26.64%). The oldest group was the Unstable Angina (UA) group, with a mean age of (63.98 ± 15.19) years, while the youngest group was the non-ACS chest pain group, with a mean age of (54.29 ± 16.39) years. A higher proportion of patients in the UA, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) groups had a history of smoking. The combination of GDF15 and TnT showed high diagnostic value for ACS, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.843, consistent with previous studies. Among all ACS patients, 15 exhibited a temporal expression pattern of GDF15, where GDF15 levels peaked at 4 hours, gradually decreased, and peaked again at 24 hours. Patients in the temporal expression group had higher LVEF and left ventricular end-systolic diameter compared to the non-temporal expression group. The Gensini score was lower in the temporal expression group, and the GRACE risk score was significantly lower in the temporal expression group (00.7±14.72) compared to the non-temporal expression group (116.1±23.46), with a statistically significant difference ( P = 0.0115). There were no significant differences in general characteristics (age, gender, BMI) or clinical biochemical indicators (fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, creatinine, uric acid) between the temporal and non-temporal expression groups ( P > 0.05). Conclusions:GDF15 demonstrates significant diagnostic and prognostic predictive value in ACS. Patients with temporally dynamic expression of serum GDF15 exhibit milder myocardial injury and a lower probability of mortality. These findings provide novel therapeutic targets and research directions for further exploring the role of GDF15 in ACS management.

Objective Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy(CCM)refers to cardiac dysfunction and electrophysiological disorder caused by liver cirrhosis and is closely associated with the prognosis of patients with liver cirrhosis.Endothelial cell-specific molecule 1(endocan)can be used as a diagnostic marker for cardiovascular diseases,and it remains unclear whether it is involved in the pathogenesis of CCM.The aim of this study is to investigate the expression of serum endocan in patients with CCM and its possible role in the development of CCM.Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among the patients with liver cirrhosis who were consecutively admitted to Beijing YouAn Hospital,Capital Medical University,from January 2019 to January 2021,and according to the presence or absence of CCM,the patients were divided into CCM group with 19 patients and non-CCM group with 106 patients.ELISA was used to measure the serum level of endocan,and its correlation with liver function and cardiac function was analyzed.The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups,and the Mann-Whitney U rank sum test was used for comparison of continuous data with skewed distribution between two groups;the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups.A Pearson or Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between indicators,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to assess the CCM predictive model.Results The CCM group had a significantly higher expression level of serum Endocan than the non-CCM group(2.69±0.43 ng/mL vs 2.23±0.52 ng/mL,t=2.247,P=0.034).The patients with compensated cirrhosis had a significantly lower expression level of serum endocan than those with decompensated cirrhosis(2.41±0.37 ng/mL vs 2.72±0.49 ng/mL,t=3.214,P=0.02).In the CCM group,the serum level of endocan was positively correlated with Child-Pugh score(r=0.509,P=0.026)and MELD-Na score(r=0.484,P=0.036)and was negatively correlated with mean arterial pressure(r=-0.591,P=0.013)and mitral ratio of peak early to late diastolic filling velocity(r=-0.515,P=0.042).The serum endocan had an area under the ROC curve of 0.658(95%CI:0.522～0.781)in predicting CCM,when the cut-off value was 2.61 ng/mL,the sensitivity was 67.1%and the specificity was 73.7%.Conclusion There is a certain association between serum endocan and CCM,and serum endocan may be involved in the pathogenesis of CCM.

Objective:To develop a risk prediction model for early cardiac arrest in emergency sepsis utilizing a machine learning algorithm to enhance the quality and efficiency of patient treatment.Methods:This study focused on patients with sepsis who received treatment at the emergency room of the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 1, 2020 to June 1, 2023. The basic clinical characteristics such as vital signs and laboratory results were collected. Patients who fulfilled the specified inclusion criteria were allocated randomly into a training group and a testing group with a ratio of 8:2. A CatBoost model was constructed using Python software, and the prediction efficiency of the model was assessed by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Furthermore, the performance of the model was compared to that of other widely employed clinical scores.Results:This study included a cohort of 2 131 patients diagnosed with sepsis, among whom 449 experienced cardiac arrest. The CatBoost model demonstrated an AUC of 0.760, surpassing other scores. Notably, the top 10 predictors in the model were identified as age, lactate, interleukin -6, oxygen saturation, albumin, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, potassium, sodium, creatinine, and platelets.Conclusions:The utilization of this machine learning algorithm-based prediction model offers a more precise basis for predicting cardiac arrest in emergency sepsis patients, thereby potentially improving the treatment efficacy for this disease.