Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium with strong pathogenicity. With the widespread use of antibiotics， its multi-drug resistance has gradually increased. Among them， methicillin-resistant S. aureus （MRSA） is one of the main pathogens of hospital and community infections. Antimicrobial peptides are short-chain peptides with good antibacterial effects and low drug resistance， which have been widely studied in recent years. This study summarizes the mechanism of action of antimicrobial peptides and related study on antimicrobial peptides against MRSA from different sources. It is found that the mechanisms of action of antimicrobial peptides include targeting bacterial cell membranes， bacterial cells， and bacterial cell walls， etc. Besides isolating antimicrobial peptides with anti-MRSA activity from animals， plants， and microorganisms， antimicrobial peptides can also be obtained through synthetic methods. Among them， GHa-derived peptides from animal sources， Ib-AMP4 from plant sources， Ph-SA from microbial sources， the synthetic peptide LLKLLLKLL-NH2， and so on， due to their effective antibacterial activity， rapid bactericidal speed， and low toxicity， are promising candidates for anti-MRSA drugs.

As a traditional nutritional and healthy cash crop in China, tea has certain significance in promoting human health and preventing and controlling chronic diseases. Studies have shown that the nutritional health effect of tea is due to its rich functional components, mainly including tea polyphenols, tea pigments, tea polysaccharides, theanine, alkaloids and other bioactive substances. At present, researchers from the academic circles have continuously carried out animal and human experiments on the health effects of various functional components of tea, which has accumulated abundant research data and materials. Based on this, this article reviews the literature on the nutritional and health effects of the main functional components of tea, and adopts the method of evidence-based research to screen and extract relevant data for qualitative and quantitative meta-analysis. Subsequently, the nutritional health effects of the five functional components of tea, namely tea polyphenols, tea pigments, tea polysaccharides, theanine, and alkaloids, are summarized and outlined. Studies have shown that tea polyphenols, tea pigments, tea polysaccharides, theanine and alkaloids have different health effects and are expected to play their unique roles in promoting human health and preventing and controlling diseases.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of the Tai Chi training on bone density， bone turnover markers， and heart rate variability for people with high-risk osteoporosis， and to provide evidence for the prevention of osteoporosis at early stage. MethodsSixty-six cases of people with high risk of osteoporosis were included， and they were divided into 33 cases each in the intervention group and the control group using the random number table method. The control group received osteoporosis health education three times a week， and the intervention group received Tai Chi training under the guidance of a trainer three times a week for 40 mins each time on the basis of the control group， and both groups were intervened for 12 weeks. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure the bone density of L₁~L₄ vertebrae， bilateral femoral necks and bilateral total hips in the two groups before and after the intervention； enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine bone turnover markers before and after the intervention， including pro-collagen type Ⅰ pro-amino-terminal prepropyl peptide （P1NP） and β-collagen type Ⅰ cross-linking carboxy-terminal peptide （β-CTX）. Seven cases with good compliance in the intervention group were selected. After wearing the heart rate sensor， they successively performed Tai Chi training and walking activities recommended by the guideline for 20 mins each， and the heart rate variability （HRV） during exercise was collected， including time-domain indexes such as standard deviation of normal sinus intervals （SDNN）， root-mean-square of the difference between adjacent RR intervals （RMSSD）， frequency-domain metrics such as low-frequency power （LF）， high-frequency power （HF）， and low-frequency/high-frequency power ratio （LF/HF）， as well as nonlinear metrics such as approximate entropy （ApEn）， sample entropy （SampEn）. ResultsFinally， 63 cases were included in the outcome analysis， including 30 cases in the intervention group and 33 cases in the control group. After the intervention， the differences of L₁~L₄ vertebrae， bone density of bilateral femoral neck and bilateral total hip in the intervention group were not statistically significant when compared with those before intervention （P＞0.05）， while the bone density of all parts of the control group decreased significantly compared with that before intervention （P＜0.05）， and the difference in the bone density of the L₁~L₄ vertebrae， bilateral femoral neck， and the right total hip before and after the intervention of the intervention group was smaller than that of the control group （P＜0.05）. The differences in P1NP and β-CTX between groups before and after intervention was not statistically significant （P＞0.05）. Compared with walking exercise， LF decreased， HF increased and LF/HF decreased during Tai Chi exercise （P＜0.05）； the time domain indexes and non-linear indexes between groups had no statistically significant difference （P＞0.05）. ConclusionTai Chi exercise can maintain lumbar， hip， and femoral bone density and improve sympathetic/parasympathetic balance in people at high risk for osteoporosis， but cannot significantly improve bone turnover markers.

BACKGROUND: Preclinical studies have indicated that Angong Niuhuang Pills (ANP) reduce cerebral infarct and edema volumes. This study aimed to investigate whether ANP safely reduces cerebral infarct and edema volumes in patients with moderate to severe acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial included patients with acute ischemic stroke with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores ranging from 10 to 20 in 17 centers in China between April 2021 and July 2022. Patients were allocated within 36 h after onset via block randomization to receive ANP or placebo (3 g/day for 5 days). The primary outcomes were changes in cerebral infarct and edema volumes after 14 days of treatment. The primary safety outcome was severe adverse events (SAEs) for 90 days. RESULTS: There were 57 and 60 patients finally included in the ANP and placebo groups, respectively for modified intention-to-treat analysis. The median age was 66.0 years, and the median NIHSS score at baseline was 12.0. The changes in cerebral infarct volume at day 14 were 0.3 mL and 0.4 mL in the ANP and placebo groups, respectively (median difference: -7.1 mL; interquartile range [IQR]: -18.3 to 2.3 mL, P = 0.30). The changes in cerebral edema volume of the ANP and placebo groups on day 14 were 11.4 mL and 4.0 mL, respectively ( median difference: 3.0 mL, IQR: -1.3 to 9.9 mL, P = 0.15). The rates of SAE within 90 days were similar in the ANP (3/57, 5%) and placebo (7/60, 12%) groups ( P = 0.36). Changes in serum mercury and arsenic concentrations were comparable. In patients with large artery atherosclerosis, ANP reduced the cerebral infarct volume at 14 days (median difference: -12.3 mL; IQR: -27.7 to -0.3 mL, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: ANP showed a similar safety profile to placebo and non-significant tendency to reduce cerebral infarct volume in patients with moderate-to-severe stroke. Further studies are warranted to assess the efficacy of ANP in reducing cerebral infarcts and improving clinical prognosis. TRAIL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov , No. NCT04475328.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Ischemic Stroke/drug therapy* ; Pilot Projects ; Stroke/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

The present study aimed to explore whether hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) improved hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) in rats by inhibiting aerobic glycolysis-pyroptosis. Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into normal group, normal+NaHS group, hypoxia group, and hypoxia+NaHS group, with 6 rats in each group. The control group rats were placed in a normoxic (21% O₂) environment and received daily intraperitoneal injections of an equal volume of normal saline. The normal+NaHS group rats were placed in a normoxic environment and intraperitoneally injected with 14 μmol/kg NaHS daily. The hypoxia group rats were placed in a hypoxia chamber, and the oxygen controller inside the chamber maintained the oxygen concentration at 9% to 10% by controlling the N₂ flow rate. An equal volume of normal saline was injected intraperitoneally every day. The hypoxia+NaHS group rats were also placed in an hypoxia chamber and intraperitoneally injected with 14 μmol/kg NaHS daily. After the completion of the four-week modeling, the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) of each group was measured using right heart catheterization technique, and the right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI) was weighed and calculated. HE staining was used to observe pathological changes in lung tissue, Masson staining was used to observe fibrosis of lung tissue, and Western blot was used to detect protein expression levels of hexokinase 2 (HK2), pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), pyruvate kinase isozyme type M2 (PKM2), nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), GSDMD-N-terminal domain (GSDMD-N), Caspase-1, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18 in lung tissue. ELISA was used to detect contents of IL-1β and IL-18 in lung tissue. The results showed that, compared with the normal control group, there were no significant changes in all indexes in the normal+NaHS group, while the hypoxia group exhibited significantly increased mPAP and RVHI, thickened pulmonary vascular wall, narrowed lumen, increased collagen fibers, up-regulated expression levels of aerobic glycolysis-related proteins (HK2 and PKM2), up-regulated expression levels of pyroptosis-related proteins (NLRP3, GSDMD-N, Caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18), and increased contents of IL-1β and IL-18. These changes of the above indexes in the hypoxia group were significantly reversed by NaHS. These results suggest that H₂S can improve rat HPH by inhibiting aerobic glycolysis-pyroptosis.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Male ; Hypertension, Pulmonary/metabolism* ; Glycolysis/drug effects* ; Hydrogen Sulfide/therapeutic use* ; Hypoxia/complications* ; Rats ; Pyroptosis/drug effects*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effectiveness of arthroscopic release of elbow joint assisted by medial small incision ulnar nerve release in the treatment of non-traumatic elbow stiffness. METHODS: The clinical data of 15 patients with non-traumatic elbow stiffness treated with arthroscopic release of elbow joint assisted by medial small incision ulnar nerve release between April 2019 and September 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 6 males and 9 females with an average age of 46 years ranging from 34 to 56 years. The causes included rheumatoid arthritis in 3 cases, gouty arthritis in 2 cases, loose bodies in 3 cases, and elbow osteoarthritis in 7 cases. There were 4 cases with ulnar neuritis and 3 cases with synovial osteochondromatosis. The duration of elbow stiffness ranged from 6 to 18 months, with an average of 10 months. The operation time and intraoperative blood loss were recorded. The effectiveness was evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS) score, range of elbow motion (maximum flexion, maximum extension, and total flexion and extension), Mayo score, and Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) elbow score. RESULTS: The operation time was 60-90 minutes, with an average of 65 minutes, and the intraoperative blood loss was 40-100 mL, with an average of 62 mL. All patients were followed up 13-18 months, with an average of 14 months. There was no complication such as vascular and nerve injury, poor wound healing, collateral ligament injury, elbow joint space narrowing, osteophyte proliferation, or loose body formation around the joint. At last follow-up, the elbow range of motion (maximum flexion, maximum extension, and total flexion and extension), VAS score, and Mayo score significantly improved when compared with those before operation ( P<0.05). The HSS elbow score was 85-95, with an average of 92; 12 cases were excellent, 3 cases were good, and the excellent and good rate was 100%. CONCLUSION Arthroscopic release of elbow joint assisted by medial small incision ulnar nerve release is an effective way to treat non-traumatic elbow stiffness, which has the advantages of small trauma, short operation time, and good effectiveness. It can carry out early elbow rehabilitation training and significantly improve elbow function.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Arthroscopy/methods* ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Elbow Joint/physiopathology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Treatment Outcome ; Ulnar Nerve/surgery* ; Operative Time

Hydroxyectoine, a vital compatible solute, is widely utilized in cosmetics, food, pharmaceutical industries, and biologics. However, the current microbial fermentation methods for hydroxyectoine production face challenges including insufficient precursor supply and low yields. Therefore, developing engineering microbial strains capable of efficiently synthesizing hydroxyectoine is of great significance. In this study, we first constructed a high-yield ectoine-producing strain ECT04 by multi-copy integration of the ectoine synthesis genes ectABC into the pseudogene loci of Escherichia coli MG1655(DE3), achieving an ectoine titer of 6.03 g/L. Subsequently, we employed plasmids with varying copy numbers to express ectD from Chromohalobacter salexigens to enable the conversion for hydroxyectoine production. We further investigated the effects of promoter, co-substrate ɑ-ketoglutarate, Fe²⁺ concentration, and dissolved oxygen on hydroxyectoine synthesis. Through fed-batch fermentation in a 7-L bioreactor, we significantly enhanced the hydroxyectoine production efficiency, attaining a final titer of 8.58 g/L and a productivity of 0.24 g/(L·h). This work successfully achieved the de novo synthesis of hydroxyectoine in E. coli, laying a foundation for the efficient bioproduction of this compound.
Escherichia coli/genetics* ; Fermentation ; Amino Acids, Diamino/biosynthesis* ; Bioreactors/microbiology* ; Metabolic Engineering/methods* ; Chromohalobacter/genetics* ; Plasmids/genetics*

Objective To study the effects of antibiotics and high-fat diet on energy metabolism and the browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) in mice, so as to provide new ideas for the possible mechanism of adipose tissue in the prevention and treatment of obesity. Methods A total of 80 10-week-old C57BL/6 male mice were fed with normal diet in the early stage, and the antibiotic gavage group (AG) and antibiotic high-fat group (AFG) were given mixed antibiotics by gavage. The blank group (BG) and the high-fat diet group (FG) were given normal saline intragastric solution for 2 weeks, and after the gavage operation, the FG group and the AFG group were given high-fat diet for obesity modeling, and the BG group and AG group continued to be fed with normal diet for 8 weeks (N=20). After the experiment, each group was injected with β3-adrenergic receptor agonists for 5 days, and the high-fat/ordinary diet remained unchanged. At the end of the experiment, basal metabolic rate (BMR), fasting blood glucose (FBG) and rectal temperature were measured, and feces, blood, subcutaneous white fat, epididymis and brown adipose tissue in the scapular area of mice were collected. The automatic biochemical analyzer was used to determine the blood biochemical indexes; reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to measure the expression of genes related to browning of WAT and BAT adipose tissue, respectively. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to determine the expression of WAT mitochondrial DNA (mt DNA). Results From the 4th week to the end of the experiment, the weight of the AFG group was significantly higher than that of the AG group and significantly lower than that of the FG group (P<0.05). The body weight, organ coefficient, serum TC level, rectal temperature and WAT cell diameter in the AFG group were significantly higher than those in the AG group. The serum levels of FBG, TC and LDL in the AFG group were significantly lower than those in the FG group (P<0.05). The overall BMR(mlO2/h) FG group was significantly higher than that of BG group, and the AFG group was significantly higher than that of AG. BMR per unit body weight (mlO2/h/g) AFG was significantly higher than that of FG group (P<0.05). The expressions of RIP140, PPAR-γ and UCP-1 in BAT in the AFG group were significantly higher than those in the FG group, and the mt DNA copy number of WAT in the AFG group was significantly higher than that in the FG group (P<0.05). Conclusion Antibiotic intervention can up-regulate the expression of brown fat-related genes in high-fat diet mice, increase brown fat activity, increase the relative mitochondrial number of white fat, increase the level of browning of white fat, promote thermogenesis, increase the BMR per unit body weight of adult obese mice, and then improve the overall energy metabolism of the body, and slow down the weight gain induced by high-fat diet to a certain extent.

Objective To meet the treatment requirements for mitral regurgitation disease,this study designed a novel valve repair system and evaluated its hydrodynamic performance.Methods A mitral regurgitation model was created.The valve repair system was loaded onto the regurgitation model,and pulsatile flow tests and steady backflow leakage tests were conducted.Results The pulsatile flow test results indicated that the percentage of reflux after product implantation was lower than that before implantation under different concentric outputs and reverse pressures.The average cross-valve pressure difference after implantation was less than 5 mmHg.The steady backflow leakage test results showed that as the reverse pressure increased,the leakage amount of the valve repair system after implantation also increased.Conclusion The developed valve repair system exhibits excellent hydrodynamic performance,suggesting the feasibility of its application in the treatment of clinical mitral regurgitation.

Objective To explore the implementation effect of PDCA(plan-do-check-action)style training of severe ultrasound and hemodynamics in standardized training(residential training)for residents majoring in internal medicine on improving their clinical decision-making ability.Methods A retrospective research method was conducted,60 residents in Xinyang Central Hospital from July 2017 to July 2023 were selected as the research objects,and patients were randomly divided into experimental group and control group,with 30 residents in each group.After the routine entrance education,the experimental group applied the PDCA mode training of severe ultrasound and hemodynamics.The control group was trained with the training objectives and requirements of the department of critical care medicine in the contents and standards of standardized training for internal medicine residents for 2 months.At the end of the training period,the residents of the two groups were assessed and investigated by questionnaire,and the differences of theoretical knowledge assessment,clinical practice skills assessment,case assessment scores and satisfaction between the two groups were compared.Results The results of theoretical knowledge examination,diagnosis and differential diagnosis,and clinical decision-making in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group(theoretical knowledge examination score:90.5±2.7 vs.85.7±3.8,diagnosis and differential diagnosis score:92.0±2.4 vs.87.9±3.7,clinical decision-making score:90.3±3.1 vs.85.5±3.9,all P<0.05),satisfaction with teaching methods,stimulating learning interest,firmly mastering knowledge,enhancing problem-solving ability,improving learning enthusiasm,improving clinical thinking ability and enhancing team consciousness was also significantly higher than that of the control group[teaching methods:80.0%(24/30)vs.46.7%(14/30),stimulate learning interest:83.3%(25/30)vs.56.7%(17/30),firmly mastering knowledge:80.0%(24/30)vs.40.0%(12/30),enhance problem-solving ability:70.0%(21/30)vs.43.3%(13/30),improving learning enthusiasm:83.3%(25/30)vs.50.0%(15/30),improving clinical thinking ability:60.0%(18/30)vs.40.0%(12/30),enhancing team consciousness:73.3%(22/30)vs.46.7%(14/30),all P<0.05].Conclusion The application of PDCA-style training of severe ultrasound and hemodynamics can help internal medicine residents master the basic theory and skills of severe diseases faster and better in the rotation of critical medicine departments,which is more conducive to improving the clinical decision-making ability of internal medicine residents.