OBJECTIVES: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common condition among women that severely impairs quality of life. Pelvic floor proprioceptive training (PFPT) has attracted increasing attention for its potential to enhance pelvic floor muscle function and alleviate SUI symptoms. This study aims to observe and compare the clinical efficacy of PFPT combined with electroacupuncture, electrical stimulation, and biofeedback therapy versus conventional therapy consisting of electroacupuncture, electrical stimulation, and biofeedback alone in women with SUI, and to explore the role of PFPT in improving symptom and functional outcomes. METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, 72 women with mild to moderate SUI were recruited from the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, between December 2021 and October 2023. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=36) or a control group (n=36). Both groups received health education. The control group underwent electroacupuncture combined with electrical stimulation and biofeedback therapy, while the experimental group additionally received PFPT 3 times per week for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was assessed using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF). Secondary outcomes included pelvic floor muscle strength, bladder neck mobility, and balance ability. The ICIQ-SF was reassessed at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-treatment. RESULTS: Both groups showed statistically significant improvements in all parameters after treatment (all P<0.05). However, there were no statistically significant differences between groups in most measures (all P>0.05). The experimental group demonstrated longer single-leg stance duration with eyes closed than the control group (left leg: P=0.026; right leg: P=0.006), with a significant increase from baseline (P<0.001). At 6 months post-treatment, the cure rate in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P=0.037). CONCLUSIONS Conventional therapy effectively improves SUI symptoms, but adding PFPT provides notable additional benefits, including enhanced balance ability and sustained mid-term cure rates. These findings suggest that PFPT is a valuable adjunct to standard SUI management strategies.
Humans ; Female ; Urinary Incontinence, Stress/physiopathology* ; Pelvic Floor/physiopathology* ; Middle Aged ; Biofeedback, Psychology ; Adult ; Exercise Therapy/methods* ; Proprioception ; Electroacupuncture/methods* ; Quality of Life ; Electric Stimulation Therapy/methods* ; Treatment Outcome ; Combined Modality Therapy

OBJECTIVE To optimize the processing technology of wine steamed Cnidii Fructus. METHODS The content of xanthotoxol, xanthotoxin, bergapten, isobergapten, imperatorin and osthole was used as the evaluation index. The response surface methodology combined with entropy weight method was used to investigate the adding amount of rice wine, the soaking time and the steaming time with aim to find the best processing technology. RESULTS The best processing technology for Cnidii Fructus with wine steaming was: adding 30 g of rice wine 4 mL for infiltrating 18.5 h, and steaming for 10 h. CONCLUSION The optimized wine steaming process is stable and feasible. The establishment of an HPLC analytical method for the determination of 6 components in wine steamed Cnidii Fructus is accurate and reliable, which can be used for the quality control of wine steamed Cnidii Fructus decoction pieces.

With the extensive application of uranium in military, industrial and civil fields, the possibility of human exposure to uranium has become increasingly likely. When uranium is accidentally released into the environment, it can enter the human body by various pathways and accumulate in the kidneys, leading to proximal tubule epithelial cell damage or even death, and in severe cases, nephrotoxicity. Uranium exerts both chemical and radiological toxicity, with its kidney-damaging effects primarily attributed to chemical toxicity. Low-level uranium exposure causes mild kidney damage, while prolonged or high-level exposure alters kidney structure and biomarker level of uranium-induced nephrotoxicity (such as creatinine, urea nitrogen and kidney injury molecule-1, etc.). Uranium exposure also induces DNA damage and mutations, kidney inflammation, and renal cell autophagy. Current research on uranium nephrotoxicity primarily focuses on uranium-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, which leads to oxidative stress and apoptosis (mainly by mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum pathway), ultimately causing renal tissue damage. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying uranium-induced kidney toxicity remain incomplete. Future research on mechanism of uranium-induced cell damage, especially metabolism, intracellular distribution, and additional mechanisms, remains a long-term and challenging endeavor.

Objective:To evaluate the incidence of arrhythmias and electrocardiographic (ECG) characteristics in cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).Methods:This was a cohort study conducted in the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University. Cancer patients initiating ICIs treatments from November 2020 to September 2022 were included in this study. Baseline 12-leads ECG before ICIs initiation and post-treatment ECG were analyzed. An abnormal ECG was defined as the presence of any of the following changes: sinus arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, premature contractions, conduction disorder, and ST-T changes.Results:A total of 87 patients were enrolled, aged 63 (57, 68) years, with 66 (75.9%) males. And 44.8% (39/87) of patients presented with at least one confirmed cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular risk factor at baseline. The incidence of abnormal ECG increased from 31.0% (27/87) at baseline to 65.5% (57/87) after receiving (5.0±2.7) cycles of ICIs treatment ( P<0.001). The incidence of sinus arrhythmias was significantly increased after ICIs treatment (23.0% (20/87) vs. 9.2% (8/87), P=0.023), of which only the incidence of sinus tachycardia was significantly increased (11.5% (10/87) vs. 2.3% (2/87), P=0.039). There was also a significantly increased incidence of ST-T changes after ICIs treatment (31.0% (27/87) vs. 17.2% (15/87), P=0.012), which mainly attributed to the T wave changes (29.9% (26/87) vs. 13.8% (12/87), P=0.001). The incidence of premature contractions was also significantly increased after ICIs treatment (9.2% (8/87) vs. 0, P=0.008). Additionally, compared with baseline, the P wave axis was significantly increased after ICIs treatment ((56.94±21.01)° vs. (52.00±22.69)°, P=0.043). After ICIs treatment, the heart rate was significantly increased ((79.07±15.37) beats/min vs. (75.64±13.37) beats/min, P=0.029). Sokolow-Lyon index ((2.21±0.81)mV vs. (2.33±0.75)mV, P=0.138), QTc interval ((431.44±36.04)ms vs. (428.00±30.05)ms, P=0.415) all showed signs of change after treatment, but did not reach the traditional significant level. Conclusions:The incidence of abnormal ECG is significantly increased after ICIs treatment, especially for sinus tachycardia, premature contractions and T wave changes; the P wave axis and heart rate is also significantly increased after treatment. It is important to perform regular ECG monitoring in patients receiving ICIs treatment.

Objective:To comprehensively search the relevant literature on prone position-cardiopulmonary resuscitation (PP-CPR) in adults at home and abroad, analyze the content, summarize the evidence, and provide reference for clinical health care professionals.Methods:Systematic search of CNKI, China Biomedical Literature Service System (SinoMed), Wanfang Data, VIP database, PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochran Library, Web of Science, Scopus literature database and other Chinese and English databases was conducted. The search period was from inception to June 15 in 2024. The contents of PP-CPR from randomized controlled trial (RCT), non-RCT (prospective or retrospective), cohort studies and case reports were extracted and systematically analyzed. The search results were standardized by the method of scoping review.Results:A total of 523 articles were obtained through preliminary search, and 14 references and gray literature were retrieved, totaling 537 articles. After strict screening by two researchers, a total of 26 literatures were included, 3 were non-RCT and 23 were case reports, involving 12 countries, including 3 in Chinese, 19 in English, 2 in French, 1 in German, and 1 in Korean. Three non-RCT demonstrated that compared with standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), PP-CPR could produce higher pressure, and provide good respiratory and circulatory support. A total of 25 adult patients were included in the 23 case reports, of which 17 reported total recovery time and 13 reported PP-CPR time ≤ 5 minutes, all of which recovered spontaneous circulation, indicating the effectiveness of PP-CPR technology. In terms of final outcome, 4 patients (16.0%) died and 21 patients (84.0%) survived, indicating that PP-CPR technology could provide timely blood circulation and improve clinical outcomes for prone cardiac arrest patients. Among the 11 patients who reported complications after resuscitation, no neurological damage was found in the short-term outcomes, indicating that PP-CPR technology had a certain level of safety.Conclusions:PP-CPR can provide timely blood circulation for patients with cardiac arrest who are unable to lie supine quickly, and win "golden time" for defibrillation and further treatment. In clinical practice, medical staff need to evaluate the emergency environment, the number of rescuers and the specific condition of the patient, and implement first aid as soon as possible, so as to reduce the time of no blood flow in the vital organs of patients with cardiac arrest in prone position, and improve the clinical prognosis.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Qingfei Huatan Zhuyu decoction on the lung and intestinal function of rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases （COPD） and explore the deep-seated mechanism of its embodiment of lung and intestinal co-treatment. MethodA total of 60 Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups， with 10 rats in each group， and the groups were control group， model group， acute syrup group （10 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and low， medium， and high-dose groups （10， 15， 20 g·kg^-1·d^-1） of Qingfei Huatan Zhuyu decoction. The COPD rat model was established by lipopolysaccharide tracheal drip combined with the smoke inhalation method， and the acute syrup group and the Qingfei Huatan Zhuyu decoction group were administered by gavage with corresponding dose concentrations respectively， while the rest groups were controlled by saline gavage， and the lung function and blood gas indexes of rats were monitored after the last administration. The histopathological changes in the lung and intestine were observed microscopically. The expression of serum interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， and secretory immunoglobulin A （IgA） in colon tissue were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The biochemical indexes such as serum diamine oxidase （DAO）， D-lactic acid， and malondialdehyde （MDA） were measured. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of tight junction protein （Occludin） in rat colon tissue. The expression of F4/80 positive alveolar macrophages in rat lung tissue， and the expression of α-actin （α-SMA） and colonic atresia small band protein-1 （ZO-1） were determined by immunofluorescence. The protein expression of p-NF-κB p65， NF-κB p65， p-p38 MAPK， and p-p38 MAPK and the expression of Occludin and ZO-1 in colon tissue were detected in rat lung tissue by Western blot. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group had pulmonary dysfunction， reduced forced vital capacity （FVC）， arterial partial oxygen pressure （PaO₂）， arterial oxygen saturation （SaO₂）， and dynamic lung compliance （Cdyn） （P<0.01）， and the pathological changes in the lung and intestine were obvious. The expressions of IL-6， TNF-α， DAO， D-lactic acid， and MDA in serum were increased （P<0.05，P<0.01）， and the protein expression ratio of p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 and p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK in lung tissue was increased. The expression of F4/80 positive macrophages in lung tissue was enhanced. The expression of IgA， Occludin， and ZO-1 in colon tissue decreased （P<0.05，P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the pulmonary function of the rats in the acute syrup group and groups of Qingfei Huatan Zhuyu decoction was significantly improved， and the FVC， PaO₂， SaO₂， and Cdyn were increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The pathological changes in the lung and intestine were significant. The expressions of IL-6， TNF-α， DAO， D-lactic acid， and MDA in serum were decreased （P<0.05，P<0.01）， and the expressions of F4/80 positive macrophages in lung tissue were decreased （P<0.01）. The protein expression ratio of p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 and p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK in lung tissue decreased （P<0.01）， and the expression of IgA， Occludin， and ZO-1 in colon tissue increased （P<0.01）. ConclusionQingfei Huatan Zhuyu decoction can effectively reduce the symptoms of COPD rats， and its mechanism of action is related to inhibiting the inflammatory response of lung tissue and improving the barrier function of the intestinal mucosa.

BACKGROUND:Increased homocysteine level induces apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells,but the mechanism remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the role of hsa-circ-0001360 in human umbilical vein endothelial cell apoptosis induced by homocysteine. METHODS:In vitro cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells were divided into control group,homocysteine group,interference control group,interference control + homocysteine group,hsa-circ-0001360 interference group,hsa-circ-0001360 + homocysteine interference group,overexpression control group,overexpression control + homocysteine group,hsa-circ-0001360 overexpression group and hsa-circ-0001360 + homocysteine overexpression group.All groups were treated with 100 μmol/L homocysteine.After 72 hours of intervention,the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins Bax,Bcl-2,and Caspase-3 were detected by western blot assay.The apoptotic rate was detected by flow cytometry.Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of hsa-circ-0001360. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the control group,the expression of Caspase-3 and Bax was significantly increased(P<0.01),and the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly decreased(P<0.01),and the apoptotic rate was significantly increased(P<0.01)in the homocysteine group.(2)Compared with control group,the expression of hsa-circ-0001360 was significantly increased in the homocysteine group(P<0.01).(3)The expression of hsa-circ-0001360 was significantly higher in the cytoplasm than that in the nucleus(P<0.01).(4)Compared with the interference control C group and interference control + homocysteine group,the expressions of Caspase-3 and Bax were significantly decreased(P<0.01),while the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly increased(P<0.01);the apoptotic rate was significantly decreased(P<0.01)in sh-hsa-circ-0001360 interference group and sh-hsa-circ-0001360 + homocysteine interference group.(5)Compared with overexpression control group and overexpression control + homocysteine group,the expressions of Caspase-3 and Bax were significantly increased(P<0.01),while the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly decreased(P<0.01);the apoptotic rate was significantly increased(P<0.01)in the hsa-circ-0001360 overexpression group and the hsa-circ-0001360 + homocysteine overexpression group.(6)In conclusion,hsa-circ-0001360 can promote the apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells induced by homocysteine.

Objective:To analyze the value of the modified 5-factor frailty index in assessing postoperative complications and mortality in elderly hip fracture patients.Methods:In this retrospective study, clinical data were collected of hip fracture patients aged 60 years and above surgically treated at Beijing Luhe Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University between January 2015 and December 2019.Patients' group assignment was based on whether the modified frailty index score was ≤1 or ≥2, and a post-surgery follow-up was conducted for survival at 30 days, 1 year, 2 years, and 4 years, which was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method.Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to identify factors affecting death in elderly patients.Results:A total of 1 208 patients were included, with 890 in the group with the index score ≤1 and 318 in the group with the index score ≥2.There was no difference in mortality at 30 days(1.6% or 14/890 vs.1.9% or 6/318, P=0.707), 1-year(11.3% or 99/874 vs.11.6% or 36/310, P=0.917), 2-years(19.7% or 168/852 vs.24.3% or 73/300, P=0.099)and 4-years(44.0% or 238/541 vs.51.5% or 106/206, P=0.071). The incidence of postoperative complications in the group with the score ≥2 was higher(14.8% or 47/318 vs.9.7% or 86/890, P=0.012), including the incidence of stroke(6.3% or 20/318 vs.1.8% or 16/890, P<0.001)and the incidence of postoperative pneumonia(6.0% or 19/318 vs.3.1% or 28/890, P=0.029), and the differences were statistically significant.Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that age, being female, the Charlson comorbidity index score and low hemoglobin at admission were risk factors for 1-year, 2-year and 4-year mortality post-surgery(all P<0.05), while the modified frailty index score had no correlation with postoperative mortality. Conclusions:A modified frailty index ≥2 is predictive of increased risk of postoperative pneumonia and stroke in patients with hip fractures, but is not correlated with the risk of postoperative mortality.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the immunogenicity and osteogenic ability of animal-derived bone graft material decellularized with supercritical carbon dioxide. METHODS: Porcine femurs were randomly divided into two groups after preliminary treatment, and decellularized with conventional method (control group) or supercritical carbon dioxide (experimental group). Allogenic demineralized bone matrix was used as positive control. Clearance rate of galactose-α-1, 3-galactose (α-Gal) antigen was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and residual DNA was detected by a fluorescence method. Nine SPF-grade male athymic nude mice of 6 weeks old were randomly divided into experimental, control and positive control groups. Samples were implanted over biceps femoris muscle of athymic nude mice. The explants were collected 4 weeks post implantation. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and immunohistochemistry were applied to determine the osteogenic ability and bone tissue-associated protein expressions of the implants. RESULTS: The clearance rates of α-Gal antigen in the experimental group and the control group were (99.09±0.26)% and (30.18±2.02)%, respectively (t=58.67, P<0.01). The residual DNA of the experimental, control and positive control groups were (13.49±0.07), (15.20±0.21) and (14.70±0.17) ng/mg. The residual DNA in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group (t=－13.41, P<0.01) and positive control group (t=－11.30, P<0.01). HE staining results showed that multiple bone formation centers with active osteogenesis and rich bone marrow were observed in experimental group 4 weeks after implantation, but only a small number of bone formation centers were observed in the control and positive control groups, with no obvious osteoblasts present. Immunohistochemistry results indicated that the expressions of alkaline phosphatase, Runt-related transcription factor 2, collagen typeⅠand osteocalcin in the experimental group showed an increasing trend compared with those in the control and positive control groups. CONCLUSIONS Compared with clinically used allogenic demineralized bone matrix and bone graft material decellularized with conventional method, bone graft material decellularized with supercritical carbon dioxide exhibits lower immunogenicity and better osteogenic ability.
Animals ; Mice ; Swine ; Male ; Bone Transplantation/methods* ; Mice, Nude ; Carbon Dioxide ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Femur ; Bone Substitutes ; Tissue Engineering/methods*

OBJECTIVES: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a common condition in postmenopausal women, with an increasing prevalence due to aging. Some women experience POP recurrence after surgical treatment, significantly affecting their physical and mental health. The uterosacral ligament is a critical pelvic support structure. This study aims to investigate the molecular pathological changes in the uterosacral ligament of postmenopausal women with recurrent POP using transcriptomic analysis. METHODS: Transcriptomic data of uterosacral ligament tissues were obtained from the public dataset GSE28660, which includes samples from 4 postmenopausal women with recurrent POP, 4 with primary POP, and 4 without POP. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between recurrent POP and both primary and non-POP groups. Further analysis included intersection analysis of DEGs, gene ontology enrichment, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), single-sample GSEA, and xCell immune cell infiltration analysis to explore molecular pathological changes in recurrent POP. Additionally, histological and molecular differences in the uterosacral ligament were compared between simulated vaginal delivery (SVD) rat models with and without ovariectomy. RESULTS: Compared with primary POP and non-POP groups, recurrent POP exhibited activation of adipogenesis and inflammation-related pathways, while pathways related to muscle proliferation and contraction were downregulated in the uterosacral ligament. Nine key DEGs (ADIPOQ, FABP4, IL-6, LIPE, LPL, PCK1, PLIN1, PPARG, and CD36) were identified, with most enriched in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway. These genes were significantly correlated with lipid accumulation, monocyte infiltration, and neutrophil infiltration in the uterosacral ligament. Urodynamic testing revealed that the bladder leak point pressure was significantly higher in ovariectomized SVD rats, both of which had higher values than the sham group. Masson staining showed pronounced adipogenesis in the uterosacral ligament of ovariectomized SVD rats, along with reduced collagen and muscle fibers compared to the sham and non-ovariectomized SVD groups. Furthermore, real-time RT-PCR confirmed significantly elevated expression of key DEGs, including ADIPOQ, IL-6, PCK1, and PLIN1, in the uterosacral ligaments of ovariectomized SVD rats. CONCLUSIONS Adipogenesis and inflammation in the uterosacral ligament may contribute to its reduced supportive function, potentially leading to recurrence POP in postmenopausal women.
Female ; Humans ; Ligaments/pathology* ; Pelvic Organ Prolapse/metabolism* ; Postmenopause ; Animals ; Rats ; Adipogenesis/genetics* ; Recurrence ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Transcriptome ; Middle Aged ; Ovariectomy ; Protein Interaction Maps ; Aged ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Uterus