This study aims to explore the protective effect of Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Decoction on rats with heart failure after myocardial infarction, and to clarify its possible mechanisms, providing a new basis for basic research on the mechanism of classic Chinese medicinal formula-mediated inflammatory response in preventing and treating heart failure induced by apoptosis after myocardial infarction. A heart failure model after myocardial infarction was established in rats by coronary artery ligation. The rats were divided into sham group, model group, and low, medium, and high-dose groups of Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Decoction, with 10 rats in each group. The low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose groups of Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Decoction were given 6.3, 12.6, and 25.2 g·kg~(-1) doses by gavage, respectively. The sham group and model group were given an equal volume of distilled water by gavage once daily for four consecutive weeks. Cardiac function was assessed using color Doppler echocardiography. Myocardial pathology was detected by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, apoptosis was measured by TUNEL assay, and mitophagy was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin(IL)-1β, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP) in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The expression of apoptosis-related proteins B-cell lymphoma 2(Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), and cleaved caspase-3 was detected by Western blot. Additionally, the expression of phosphorylated nuclear transcription factor-κB(NF-κB) p65(p-NF-κB p65)(upstream) and nuclear factor kappa B inhibitor alpha(IκBα)(downstream) in the NF-κB signaling pathway was assessed by Western blot. The results showed that compared with the sham group, left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) and left ventricular short axis shortening(LVFS) in the model group were significantly reduced, while left ventricular end diastolic diameter(LVEDD) and left ventricular end systolic diameter(LVESD) increased significantly. Myocardial tissue damage was severe, with widened intercellular spaces and disorganized cell arrangement. The apoptosis rate was increased, and mitochondria were enlarged with increased vacuoles. Levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and NT-proBNP were elevated, indicating an obvious inflammatory response. The expression of pro-apoptotic factors Bax and cleaved caspase-3 increased, while the anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 decreased. The expression of p-NF-κB p65 was upregulated, and the expression of IκBα was downregulated. In contrast, the Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Decoction groups showed significantly improved of LVEF, LVFS and decreased LVEDD, LVESD compared to the model group. Myocardial tissue damage was alleviated, and intercellular spaces were reduced. The apoptosis rate decreased, mitochondrial volume decreased, and the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and NT-proBNP were lower. The expression of pro-apoptotic factors Bax and cleaved caspase-3 decreased, while the expression of the anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 increased. Additionally, the expression of p-NF-κB p65 decreased, while IκBα expression increased. In summary, this experimental study shows that Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Decoction can reduce the inflammatory response and apoptosis rate in rats with heart failure after myocardial infarction, which may be related to the regulation of the IκBα/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Animals ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Rats ; Myocardial Infarction/physiopathology* ; Male ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Heart Failure/etiology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha/genetics* ; Humans ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics*

Ferroptosis of chondrocytes is a significant contributor to osteoarthritis (OA), for which there is still a lack of safe and effective therapeutic drugs targeting ferroptosis. Here, we screen for anti-ferroptotic drugs in Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug library via a high-throughput manner in chondrocytes. We identified a group of FDA-approved anti-ferroptotic drugs, among which vitamin K showed the most powerful protective effect. Further study demonstrated that vitamin K effectively inhibited ferroptosis and alleviated the extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation in chondrocytes. Intra-articular injection of vitamin K inhibited ferroptosis and alleviated OA phenotype in destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) mouse model. Mechanistically, transcriptome sequencing and knockdown experiments revealed that the anti-ferroptotic effects of vitamin K depended on growth arrest-specific 6 (Gas6). Furthermore, exogenous expression of Gas6 was found to inhibit ferroptosis through the AXL receptor tyrosine kinase (AXL)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT serine/threonine kinase (AKT) axis. Together, we demonstrate that vitamin K inhibits ferroptosis and alleviates OA progression via enhancing Gas6 expression and its downstream pathway of AXL/PI3K/AKT axis, indicating vitamin K as well as Gas6 to serve as a potential therapeutic target for OA and other ferroptosis-related diseases.

Objective To analyze the clinical application value of modified contrast agent injection protocol in computed tomography pulmonary angiography(CTPA)examinations.Methods A total of 124 patients with high clinical suspicion of pulmonary embolism(PE)who underwent CTPA were selected,and 104 patients were finally included in the study.These patients were randomly divided into traditional group and modified group based on different contrast agent injection protocols,with 52 patients in each group.The CT values,image noise,signal-to-noise ratio(SNR),contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR),visualized segment number,image score,contrast agent dosage,and radiation dose of pulmonary artery and its branches were compared between the two groups.Results There were no significant differences in age,body mass index(BMI),Qanadli embolism index,volume CT dose index(CTDIvol),dose length product(DLP),effective dose(ED),CT values of pulmonary artery and its branches,image noise,SNR and CNR between the two groups(P＞0.05).However,there were statistically significant differences in the subjective image score and contrast agent dosage between the two groups(P＜0.05).The subjective image score in the modified group was significantly higher than that in the traditional group,and the contrast agent dosage in the modified group was approximately half of that in the traditional group.Conclusion The modified contrast agent injection protocol in CTPA examinations can not only ensure the image quality of pulmonary artery and its branches meeting the diagnostic standards,but also significantly reduce the contrast agent dosage,which indicates a high clinical application value.

Objective:To elucidate the genomic characteristics of the immunoglobulin (IG) heavy-chain variable region and light-chain variable region, the expression of subclones, and the prognostic significance in patients with CLL.Methods:Blood and/or bone marrow specimens were gathered from a cohort of 36 patients with CLL diagnosed at Jiangsu Province Hospital from December 2018 to May 2023, including 12 cases of B cell receptor (BCR) stereotyped patients. IG heavy-chain (IGH) and light-chain (IG Kappa [IGK] and IG lambda [IGL]) gene rearrangements were performed using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology to analyze the characteristics and prognostic value in CLL.Results:NGS detection of IG variable region (IGHV) demonstrated a significant correlation and superior consistency with Sanger sequencing ( r=0.957, P < 0.001). Among the 36 patients, the IGH variant (IGHV) was observed in 9 (25.0%) but not in 27 (75.0%) participants. The incidence of the MYD88 mutation was higher among patients with mutated IGHV [1/27 (3.7%) vs 4/9 (44.4%), P=0.00]. A high incidence of trisomy 12 was observed in the IGHV #8/#8B subset [4/11 (36.4%) vs 1/25 (4.0%), P=0.023], which were more likely to develop Richter transformation [8/11 (72.7%) vs 4/25 (16.0%), P=0.002]. In the patient cohort, 36 individuals (36/36, 100.0%) used the IGK variable, whereas 15 individuals (15/36, 41.7%) employed the IGL variable (IGLV). IGLV3 - 21 reported the highest utilization rate in IGLV (5/15, 33.3%). Remarkably, patients with CLL with IGLV3-21 fragments were exclusively observed in the Binet C stage and Rai Phase Ⅲ-Ⅳ, with an incidence of del (13) (q14) at 60.0% (3/5). The median time to first treatment (TTFT) of patients with or without IGLV3 - 21 fragments was 5.2 (1.1 - 41.5) and 9.9 (0.1 - 94.4) months, respectively. Using the total reads threshold of 2.5%, 4 (4/36, 11.1%) samples were detected to have two IGHV productive clones. The median TTFT and overall survival (OS) time were 2.8 (0.9-72.7) and 12.8 months in patients with one mutated clone and 57.5 (32.0-120.7) and 51.8 months in those with two mutated clones, respectively. The median TTFT and OS time were 10.9 (0.3-94.4) and 6.3 (0.1 - 12.5) months in patients with one unmutated clone and 49.9 (22.2 - 211.1) and 30.0 (9.6 - 50.3) months in those with multiple unmutated clones, respectively ( P>0.05) . Conclusions:Detection of IG gene rearrangements using NGS technology not only facilitates the analysis of the IGHV mutation status, dominant clones, and prognostic value but also contributes to the exploration of IGK/IGL gene rearrangement fragments and the utilization of subclones. Further, it provides information about the poor prognosis of IGLV3 - 21 CLL. The shortened survival of the two unmutated clone groups in the IGHV unmutated group may indicate a poor prognosis.

Acute lateral ankle sprain (ALAS) is one of the most common sport injuries, with high incidence, recurrence and disability rates. Currently, exercise rehabilitation-based non-surgical treatment is the primary management approach for ALAS. However, there remain improper practices such as excessive immobilization or uncontrolled activity, which contribute to recurrent sprains and chronic ankle instability, significantly impairing patients′ athletic function and quality of life. To standardize the non-surgical management of ALAS, improve the cure rates, and reduce the recurrence and disability rates, Chinese Sports Rehabilitation Medicine Training Project of Chinese Medical Association, Foot and Ankle Basics and Orthopedics Group, Orthopedic Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, and Sports Medicine Branch of Jiangsu Medical Association organized relevant experts to formulate Expert consensus on non-surgical treatment for acute lateral ankle sprain ( version 2025), following the principles of scientific vigor, practicality, and innovation. Thirteen recommendations were proposed for standardized treatment protocols across different healing phases, aiming to provide references for standard management of ALAS and improve the therapeutic outcomes.

Objective:To investigate the impact of peripheral blood prolymphocyte percentage on the prognosis of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) .Methods:This study included 300 patients diagnosed with CLL at the Department of Hematology of Jiangsu Provincial People’s Hospital from October 2011 to December 2020. The association between prolymphocyte percentage and other parameters was analyzed, and the optimal cutoff prolymphocyte percentage was determined by X-tile analysis. Further survival analysis and prognostic model construction were used to validate the predictive value of prolymphocyte percentage.Results:Of the 300 eligible patients with CLL who were enrolled, 50 received Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi) as first-line treatment. The group with higher prolymphocyte percentage comprised more patients in the advanced stages ( P=0.010) and had higher β 2-microglobulin ( P<0.001), unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region gene ( P<0.001), and TP53 aberration ( P=0.004). The optimal cutoff percentage of prolymphocytes was 1%. Patients with a prolymphocyte percentage >1% had significantly shorter treatment-free survival (TFS) ( P<0.001) and overall survival time ( P=0.007) than patients with a prolymphocyte percentage ≤1%. On multivariate analysis, prolymphocyte percentage >1% tended to have an independent prognostic value for TFS [ HR=1.405 (95% CI 0.971~2.032), P=0.071]. Compared with the nomogram of CLL international prognostic index (CLL-IPI) alone, the nomogram of CLL-IPI combined with prolymphocyte percentage showed better discrimination (area under the curve: 0.778 vs. 0.637; P=0.006). In addition, patients with a prolymphocyte percentage >1% were more likely to progress after BTKi treatment ( P=0.038) . Conclusion:Peripheral blood prolymphocyte percentage was associated with various clinical and biological parameters and prognosis among patients with treatment-naive CLL.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of indocyanine green angiography (ICGA)-assisted design and harvest of expanded flaps for scar reconstruction.Methods:This study was a retrospective observational study. From April 2019 to August 2023, 19 patients with scars (8 males, 11 females; aged 3-38 years) treated at the Plastic Surgery Hospital of Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences met the inclusion criteria. The scars were distributed on the head, face, trunk, and extremities. In stage Ⅰ surgery, skin soft tissue expanders were implanted in suitable areas around the scars for skin soft tissue expansion. In stage Ⅱ surgery, the scar tissue was excised, resulting in wound areas ranging from 100 to 210 cm 2, and expanded flaps were designed. ICGA was used to identify target perforators and their accompanying veins, and the flap design was adjusted to ensure the inclusion of complete arterial and venous axes. The expanded flap with an area of 120 to 240 cm2 was harvested using unilateral back-cut technique and transferred to the recipient site, and the donor site wound was sutured directly. The durations of the arterial and venous phases of ICGA during flap design were recorded. The length-to-width ratios of the back-cut flaps were calculated for different regions. After stage Ⅱ surgery, the blood perfusion and survival of the flap, the wound healing at the donor site, and the occurrence of complications were observed. During follow-up, the appearance, color, and texture of the patient's flap were observed. Results:The arterial phase of ICGA lasted 10-27 (18±5) s, and the venous phase lasted 78-116 (100±10) s. The length-to-width ratios of the back-cut flaps were 1.22±0.32, 1.63±0.12, and 1.15±0.21 for the head and neck, trunk, and limb regions, respectively. After stage Ⅱ surgery, one patient had a large area of insufficient blood perfusion in the flap. By comparing ICGA images before and after flap transfer, the sutures at the oral commissure were loosened, the blood flow of the flap was restored. The blood perfusion of the flaps in other patients was good. All flaps survived completely, with well-healed donor site wounds and no complications. During 0.5-14.0 months of follow-up, all flaps of patients demonstrated excellent appearance, with color and texture matching the surrounding skin.Conclusions:As a means of superficial blood flow visualization, ICGA can not only clearly show the microvascular distribution of the expanded flap before operation, assist in optimizing the design of the flap, but also evaluate the blood perfusion of the flap after operation, reduce the occurrence of complications, and provide a full-process navigation for the harvesting of expanded flaps, thereby improving the safety of flap transfer for scar reconstruction.

Ferroptosis of chondrocytes is a significant contributor to osteoarthritis(OA),for which there is still a lack of safe and effective therapeutic drugs targeting ferroptosis.Here,we screen for anti-ferroptotic drugs in Food and Drug Administration(FDA)-approved drug library via a high-throughput manner in chondrocytes.We identified a group of FDA-approved anti-ferroptotic drugs,among which vitamin K showed the most powerful protective effect.Further study demonstrated that vitamin K effectively inhibited ferroptosis and alleviated the extracellular matrix(ECM)degradation in chondrocytes.Intra-articular injection of vitamin K inhibited ferroptosis and alleviated OA phenotype in destabilization of the medial meniscus(DMM)mouse model.Mechanistically,transcriptome sequencing and knockdown experiments revealed that the anti-ferroptotic effects of vitamin K depended on growth arrest-specific 6(Gas6).Furthermore,exogenous expression of Gas6 was found to inhibit ferroptosis through the AXL receptor tyrosine kinase(AXL)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/AKT serine/threonine kinase(AKT)axis.Together,we demonstrate that vitamin K inhibits ferroptosis and alleviates OA progression via enhancing Gas6 expression and its downstream pathway of AXL/PI3K/AKT axis,indicating vitamin K as well as Gas6 to serve as a potential therapeutic target for OA and other ferroptosis-related diseases.

Objective:To elucidate the genomic characteristics of the immunoglobulin (IG) heavy-chain variable region and light-chain variable region, the expression of subclones, and the prognostic significance in patients with CLL.Methods:Blood and/or bone marrow specimens were gathered from a cohort of 36 patients with CLL diagnosed at Jiangsu Province Hospital from December 2018 to May 2023, including 12 cases of B cell receptor (BCR) stereotyped patients. IG heavy-chain (IGH) and light-chain (IG Kappa [IGK] and IG lambda [IGL]) gene rearrangements were performed using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology to analyze the characteristics and prognostic value in CLL.Results:NGS detection of IG variable region (IGHV) demonstrated a significant correlation and superior consistency with Sanger sequencing ( r=0.957, P < 0.001). Among the 36 patients, the IGH variant (IGHV) was observed in 9 (25.0%) but not in 27 (75.0%) participants. The incidence of the MYD88 mutation was higher among patients with mutated IGHV [1/27 (3.7%) vs 4/9 (44.4%), P=0.00]. A high incidence of trisomy 12 was observed in the IGHV #8/#8B subset [4/11 (36.4%) vs 1/25 (4.0%), P=0.023], which were more likely to develop Richter transformation [8/11 (72.7%) vs 4/25 (16.0%), P=0.002]. In the patient cohort, 36 individuals (36/36, 100.0%) used the IGK variable, whereas 15 individuals (15/36, 41.7%) employed the IGL variable (IGLV). IGLV3 - 21 reported the highest utilization rate in IGLV (5/15, 33.3%). Remarkably, patients with CLL with IGLV3-21 fragments were exclusively observed in the Binet C stage and Rai Phase Ⅲ-Ⅳ, with an incidence of del (13) (q14) at 60.0% (3/5). The median time to first treatment (TTFT) of patients with or without IGLV3 - 21 fragments was 5.2 (1.1 - 41.5) and 9.9 (0.1 - 94.4) months, respectively. Using the total reads threshold of 2.5%, 4 (4/36, 11.1%) samples were detected to have two IGHV productive clones. The median TTFT and overall survival (OS) time were 2.8 (0.9-72.7) and 12.8 months in patients with one mutated clone and 57.5 (32.0-120.7) and 51.8 months in those with two mutated clones, respectively. The median TTFT and OS time were 10.9 (0.3-94.4) and 6.3 (0.1 - 12.5) months in patients with one unmutated clone and 49.9 (22.2 - 211.1) and 30.0 (9.6 - 50.3) months in those with multiple unmutated clones, respectively ( P>0.05) . Conclusions:Detection of IG gene rearrangements using NGS technology not only facilitates the analysis of the IGHV mutation status, dominant clones, and prognostic value but also contributes to the exploration of IGK/IGL gene rearrangement fragments and the utilization of subclones. Further, it provides information about the poor prognosis of IGLV3 - 21 CLL. The shortened survival of the two unmutated clone groups in the IGHV unmutated group may indicate a poor prognosis.

Objective To compare the effects of remimazolam and propofol on the quality of recovery in children with strabismus surgery under general anesthesia.Methods A total of 100 children scheduled for strabismus surgery were enrolled and randomly assigned to the remimazolam group(R group)or the propofol group(P group).Children in the R group received intravenous remimazolam 0.2 mg/kg,followed by remimazolam infusion at a rate of 1-3 mg·kg-1·h-1.Children in the P group received intravenous propofol 2.5 mg/kg,followed by propofol infusion at a rate of 4-12 mg·kg-1·h-1.The intraoperative hypotension,extubation time,post-anesthesia care unit(PACU)stay time,postoperative nausea and vomiting(PONV),and incidence of emergence agitation were recorded in the two groups of patients.Emergence agitation was assessed using the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium(PAED)scale.Results A total of 49 and 50 children were included in the R group and the P group,respectively.Compared with the P group,the R group showed a significant increase in mean arterial pressure and heart rate at 15 minutes after the start of surgery(P<0.05).The incidence of intraoperative hypotension(14.3%vs.46.0%)and emergence agitation(14.3%vs.38.0%)were significantly lower in the R group than those in the P group(P<0.05).The extubation time[(15.7±5.8)min vs.(11.3±4.6)min],PACU stay time[(27.5±7.3)min vs.(23.2±6.5)min]were significantly longer in the R group than those in the P group,while the highest PAED score[(7.6±2.9)vs.(9.4±3.3)]was significantly lower in the R group than that in the P group,(P<0.05).Conclusion Compared with propofol,remimazolam can reduce the risk of emergence agitation in children undergoing strabismus surgery under general anesthesia,and has advantages in maintaining hemodynamic stability during surgery.