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

With the growing emphasis on maternal and child oral health, the significance of managing oral health across preconception, pregnancy, and infancy stages has become increasingly apparent. Oral health challenges extend beyond affecting maternal well-being, exerting profound influences on fetal and neonatal oral development as well as immune system maturation. This expert consensus paper, developed using a modified Delphi method, reviews current research and provides recommendations on maternal and child oral health management. It underscores the critical role of comprehensive oral assessments prior to conception, diligent oral health management throughout pregnancy, and meticulous oral hygiene practices during infancy. Effective strategies should be seamlessly integrated across the life course, encompassing preconception oral assessments, systematic dental care during pregnancy, and routine infant oral hygiene. Collaborative efforts among pediatric dentists, maternal and child health workers, and obstetricians are crucial to improving outcomes and fostering clinical research, contributing to evidence-based health management strategies.
Humans ; Pregnancy ; Female ; Infant ; Consensus ; Mouth Diseases/therapy* ; Pregnancy Complications/therapy* ; Oral Health ; Infant, Newborn ; Delphi Technique ; Oral Hygiene

Objective To establish a stable,reliable,and clinically relevant porcine model of endotoxin-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS).Methods Ten 8-month-old male Bama minipigs were deeply sedated,followed by invasive mechanical ventilation and electrocardiographic monitoring.Lipopolysaccharide(LPS)was intravenously pumped at 600 μg/(kg·h)for 3 hours,then maintained at 15 μg/(kg·h)thereafter.Dynamic monitoring was performed at five time points after LPS injection(LPS 0,1,3,5,and 8 h),including arterial blood gas analysis and chest computed tomography(CT)scans.Pathological examination of lung tissues obtained via bronchoscopic biopsy(HE staining and transmission electron microscopy)was conducted.These indicators were comprehensively used to evaluate the success of the animal model.Results At 5 hours after LPS administration,8 minipigs developed symptoms such as skin cyanosis,elevated body temperature,and respiratory distress.The oxygenation index decreased to<300 mmHg.Chest CT scans showed diffuse pulmonary infiltrates.Histopathology revealed alveolar edema and hyaline membrane formation.Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated disruption of pulmonary blood-air barrier,depletion of lamellar bodies in type Ⅱ pneumocytes,inflammatory cell infiltration,and exudation of plasma proteins and fibrin.Compared with LPS 0 h,at LPS 8 h,the oxygenation index and arterial blood pH were significantly decreased(P<0.001),while blood lactic acid and serum potassium were significantly increased(P<0.05);serum calcium and base excess were significantly decreased(P<0.05),and the lung injury score based on HE-stained lung sections was significantly increased(P<0.01).Conclusion The porcine ARDS model established by continuous LPS injection can dynamically simulate the pathophysiological characteristics and typical pathological manifestations of clinical septic ARDS,making it an effective tool to study the pathogenesis,prevention,and treatment strategies of septic ARDS.

Objective To construct a database for molecular mass spectra of toxins and drugs in order to facilitate the management and retrieval of mass spectra for nerve agents,metabolites and other small molecules.Methods Requirement analysis and functional design were performed using software engineering methods.The Spec2Vec algorithm was used for vector representation of mass spectra,while SMILES molecular structures were vectorized using the extended connectivity fingerprint(ECFP).A data storage model integrating structured information and vector representations was established using the Milvus database.Similarity search of mass spectra and molecular structures was conducted via vector similarity comparison and the FlashEntropySearch algorithm.Results The constructed database of mass spectra encompassed over 400,000 entries from such sources as OCAD,NIST,MASSBANK,metabolic products,and natural products of TCM,which was capable of searching for similarities in mass spectra and molecular structures.On a standard server,similarity search of mass spectra took no more than 5 seconds,while that of molecular structures took no more than 1 second.Conclusion The system enables efficient management of complex mass spectra and provides rapid retrieval and comparison of mass spectra-related information through advanced vector indexing technology,offering robust data support and research tools for toxicology and pharmacology.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of brexpiprazole in treating acute schizophrenia.Methods Patients with schizophrenia were randomly divided into treatment group and control group.The treatment group was given brexpiprozole 2-4 mg·d-1 orally and the control group was given aripiprazole 10-20 mg·d-1orally,both were treated for 6 weeks.Clinical efficacy of the two groups,the response rate at endpoint,the changes from baseline to endpoint of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS),Clinical Global Impression-Improvement(CGI-S),Personal and Social Performance scale(PSP),PANSS Positive syndrome subscale,PANSS negative syndrome subscale were compared.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events in two groups were compared.Results There were 184 patients in treatment group and 186 patients in control group.After treatment,the response rates of treatment group and control group were 79.50％(140 cases/184 cases)and 82.40％(150 cases/186 cases),the scores of CGI-I of treatment group and control group were(2.00±1.20)and(1.90±1.01),with no significant difference(all P＞0.05).From baseline to Week 6,the mean change of PANSS total score wese(-30.70±16.96)points in treatment group and(-32.20±17.00)points in control group,with no significant difference(P＞0.05).The changes of CGI-S scores in treatment group and control group were(-2.00±1.27)and(-1.90±1.22)points,PSP scores were(18.80±14.77)and(19.20±14.55)points,PANSS positive syndrome scores were(-10.30±5.93)and(-10.80±5.81)points,PANSS negative syndrome scores were(-6.80±5.98)and(-7.30±5.15)points,with no significant difference(P＞0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of treatment-related adverse events between the two group(69.00％vs.64.50％,P＞0.05).Conclusion The non-inferiority of Brexpiprazole to aripiprazole was established,with comparable efficacy and acceptability.

There is still a lack of experience in the perioperative strategy for esophageal cancer patients in China during the epidemic of COVID-19. In December 2022, a 59-year-old male patient with esophageal cancer was admitted to our department. He received 2 cycles of neoadjuvant therapy before surgery, and developed COVID-19 perioperatively. After treatment, the infection symptoms of the patient were improved, and the postoperative recovery was satisfactory.

This paper summarized Professor LI Yueqing's clinical experience in treating prostate cancer by stages from the perspective of deficiency and stasis. It is believed that the onset of prostate cancer is due to kidney deficiency， while blood stasis is the core pathogenesis， and dampness-heat， phlegm-turbid， and cancer toxins are the key pathological factors in the progression of the disease. The pathogenesis in the early stage of the disease is kidney qi depletion and dampness， heat and phlegm coagulation； in the middle stage， it is spleen and kidney depletion， phlegm coagulation and blood stasis； and in the late stage， the pathogenesis changes into yin deficiency and essence depletion， and stasis-turbid toxin obstruction. For treatment， the basic principle is to supplement and boost kidney qi， enrich and nourish the kidney yin. The main treatment methods are draining dampness， dissolving phlegm， dispelling stasis， clearing heat and resolving toxins， and the method of invigorating blood and dispelling stasis runs through the whole course of treatment. In the early stage， radical treatment is mainly used， and Longshe Yangquan Decoction （龙蛇羊泉汤） with modifications is supplemented to clear and drain dampness and heat. In the middle stage， androgen deprivation therapy is the basic treatment， and Bushen Tongqiao Decoction （补肾通窍汤） with modifications is used in combination to nourish the spleen and kidney， dissolve phlegm and dispel stasis. In the late stage， Dabuyin Pills and Liuwei Dihuang Pills （大补阴丸合六味地黄丸） with modifications is mainly used to enrich yin and supplement essence， resolve toxins and dissolve stasis， and prevent cancer recurrence.

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are major outer membrane components of Gram-negative bacteria. Unlike most Gram-negative bacteria, Acinetobacter baumannii can still survive and acquire polymyxin resistance after complete loss of LPS. Previous studies of LPS-deficient Acinetobacter baumannii mostly focused on LPS-deficient strains induced by polymyxin, whose background was complex and unstable. To investigate LPS loss-mediated polymyxin resistant-Acinetobacter baumannii, this study constructed a stable and clear background LPS-deficient strain by knocking out lpxC gene in Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 19606 with CIRSPR/Cas9, and then studied the phenotypic changes of the lpxC-deficient strain including morphology, growth rate, antibiotic susceptibility, virulence, membrane permeability, and membrane potential. Animal experiments were approved by the Animal Care and Welfare Committee Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, CAMS and PUMC (approval number: IMB-20240119D₉). The results indicated that the lpxC gene of Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 19606 was successfully knocked out. After losing the lpxC, the strain underwent the morphological change from rod-shaped to spherical. Furthermore, it leads to reduced growth rate, enhanced membrane permeability, decreased membrane potential, lower virulence, and increased antibiotic susceptibility to β-lactams, quinolones, aminoglycosides, macrolides, glycopeptides. The lpxC deletion results in significant changes in membrane homeostasis and adaptability of Acinetobacter baumannii. Understanding the phenotypic changes of colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii mediated by LPS loss is useful for exploring the resistance mechanism of Acinetobacter baumannii and developing new therapeutic strategies.

Objective    To explore the key points and difficulties of intraoperative frozen section diagnosis of pulmonary diseases. Methods    The intraoperative frozen section and postoperative paraffin section results of pulmonary nodule patients in Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2021 to January 2022 were collected. The main causes of misdiagnosis in frozen section diagnosis were analyzed, and the main points of diagnosis and differential diagnosis were summarized. Results    According to the inclusion criteria, a total of 1 263 frozen section diagnosis results of 1 178 patients were included in the study, including 475 males and 703 females, with an average age of 58.7 (23-86) years. In 1 263 frozen section diagnosis results, the correct diagnosis rate was 95.65%, and the misdiagnosis rate was 4.35%. There were 55 misdiagnoses, including 18 (3.44%) invasive adenocarcinoma, 17 (5.82%) adenocarcinoma in situ, 7 (35.00%) mucinous adenocarcinoma, 4 (2.09%) minimally invasive adenocarcinoma, 3 (100.00%) IgG4 related diseases, 2 (66.67%) mucinous adenocarcinoma in situ, 1 (16.67%) atypical adenomatous hyperplasia, 1 (14.29%) sclerosing pulmonary cell tumor, 1 (33.33%) bronchiolar adenoma, and 1 (100.00%) papillary adenoma. Conclusion    Intraoperative frozen section diagnosis still has its limitations. Clinicians need to make a comprehensive judgment based on imaging examination and clinical experience.