ObjectiveTo explore the clinical efficacy of Juanbitang hot compress pack combined with intensive rehabilitation training in stroke patients with hemiplegia. MethodsA total of 80 stroke patients with hemiplegia were selected and assigned into a control group （40 cases） and an observation group （40 cases） according to the random number table method. The control group received conventional rehabilitation training and nursing intervention，while the observation group was additionally treated with Juanbitang hot compress pack. The two groups were compared in terms of the neurological function （national institute of health stroke scale score，NIHSS score），muscle strength，motor function （fugl-meyer assessment scale score，FMA score），daily living activity （modified barthel index，MBI），balance ability （berg balance scale score，BBS score），trunk control ability （Sheikh Trunk Control Test score，Sheikh TCT score），and homocysteine （Hcy） level before and after treatment. ResultsAfter treatment，the observation group had lower NIHSS score and Hcy level than the control group （P<0.05）. The total response rate of the observation group （97.50%） was higher than that of the control group （77.50%）. The scores of upper limb and lower limb FMA，MBI，BBS，and Sheikh TCT in the observation group were all higher than those in the control group （P<0.05）. ConclusionThe application of Juanbitang hot compress pack combined with rehabilitation training can effectively improve the neurological function，muscle strength，motor function，daily living ability，balance ability，and trunk control ability and reduce the Hcy level in stroke patients with hemiplegia，demonstrating enhanced clinical efficacy.

AIM: To investigate the effects of high-concentration glucose on the cell viability of retinal pigment epithelialcells(ARPE-19)/ human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC)cells, as well as on the expression levels of sirtuin 6(SIRT6).

METHODS:ARPE-19 and HUVEC cells were cultured for 48 h in media containing various glucose concentrations(5.5, 25, 50, 75, 100 mmol/L)and cellular morphology was observed under an optical microscope.Cell viability was assessed using the CCK-8 assay. Flow cytometry was utilized to evaluate apoptosis levels, and Western blot analysis was conducted to measure the expression of Bcl-2 and SIRT6. ARPE-19/HUVEC cells were treated with 50 mmol/L glucose for 48 h, after which immunofluorescence staining was performed to determine the subcellular localization and expression level of SIRT6 protein. In parallel, cells receiving the same treatment were harvested at different time points(0, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72 h), and the temporal changes in SIRT6 protein expression were assessed by Western blot analysis. SIRT6 overexpressing stable ARPE-19/HUVEC cell lines were constructed. Western blot was performed to detect the effects of SIRT6 overexpression on the expression levels of glucose transporters in ARPE-19/HUVEC cells treated with high glucose(50 mmol/L glucose).

RESULTS:Compared with the 5.5 mmol/L glucose group, cell number was decreased and cell viability was significantly reduced in ARPE19/HUVEC cells with increasing glucose concentrations(all P<0.01). Meanwhile, the protein expression level of SIRT6 was markedly downregulated(P<0.05). Such inhibitory effects exhibited both concentration-and time-dependent patterns(all P<0.05). Furthermore, high glucose induced cell apoptosis and downregulated the protein expression of Bcl-2(P<0.05). Immunofluorescence staining revealed that SIRT6 protein was predominantly localized in the nucleus after 48 h of high-glucose treatment, accompanied by pyknosis and nuclear fragmentation. After incubation with highg-lucose medium(50 mmol/L glucose)for different durations, long-term high-glucose intervention was found to reduce SIRT6 protein expression in ARPE19/HUVEC cells. Successful construction of the SIRT6-overexpressing stable ARPE-19/HUVEC cell lines was confirmed via immunofluorescence and Western blotting. Western blot analysis revealed that, compared with the HG+LV-con group, the HG+LV-SIRT6 group exhibited no significant differences in GLUT1 or GLUT4 expression in ARPE-19 cells, whereas GLUT3 expression was elevated(P<0.05). Compared with the HG+LV-con group, the HG+LV-SIRT6 group showed no significant change in GLUT1 expression, while GLUT3 and GLUT4 levels were increased(both P<0.05).

CONCLUSION:High-concentration glucose-reduce the proliferative activity of ARPE-19/HUVEC cells, induce apoptosis, and downregulate SIRT6 expression. SIRT6 may alleviate high glucose-induced retinal cell damage by promoting the expression of glucose transporters.

Objective To investigate the effect of triglyceride-glucose index(TyG)on the short-term prognosis of patients with initial acute ischemic stroke.Methods A total of 391 patients with initial acute ischemic stroke who were hospitalized in Kunshan Second People's Hospital and The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from Jun.2020 to Jun.2023 were retrospectively included.According to the modified Rankin scale(mRS)scores at 90 d follow-up,they were assigned to good prognosis group(286 cases)or poor prognosis group(105 cases).Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve were used to evaluate the effect of TyG on the short-term prognosis of patients with initial acute ischemic stroke.Results Compared with the good prognosis group,the patients of poor prognosis group had older age,higher proportion of atrial fibrillation,higher levels of homocysteine,triglyceride,total cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein,and TyG,and higher National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)score(all P＜0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age,homocysteine,TyG and NIHSS score were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with initial acute ischemic stroke(all P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that TyG combined with NIHSS score had good predictive value for poor prognosis of patients with initial acute ischemic stroke,and the area under curve value was 0.795.Conclusion The combination of TyG and NIHSS score is an independent influencing factor for poor short-term prognosis in patients with initial acute ischemic stroke.

Objective:To compare the application effects of upper arm autogenous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and forearm arteriovenous graft (AVG) in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients, and to analyze the factors influencing the long-term patency rate of arteriovenous fistulas in MHD patients.Methods:It was a retrospective cohort study. The data of MHD patients treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2021 to May 2023 was collected. Participants were stratified into two groups: forearm AVG and upper arm AVF. The parameters including urea clearance index (Kt/V), serum C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin levels, access-related costs, complication rates, and long-term primary patency were compared. The end event was defined as arteriovenous fistula failure, that was, the arteriovenous fistula could not be used for dialysis puncture, or the arteriovenous fistula lost function after adequate blood flow was achieved. Kaplan-Meier survival curves with log-rank tests were employed to compare access survival, while multivariable Cox regression was used to analyze the independent associated factors of patency.Results:A total of 71 MHD patients were enrolled in this study, including 35 males, with age of (64.9±11.7) years and fistula establishment time of 30.0(17.0, 58.0) months. There were 32 cases (45.1%) in the forearm AVG group and 39 cases (54.9%) in the upper arm AVF group. Compared with the forearm AVG group, the upper arm AVF group had higher serum albumin levels [38.9 (37.0, 42.1) g/L vs. 38.0 (34.6, 40.0) g/L, Z=-2.364, P=0.018], higher pain scores [3.0(2.0, 5.0) points vs. 2.0(1.0, 3.0) points, Z=-3.012, P=0.003], and higher long-term patency rates of arteriovenous fistulas (at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months, all P<0.01), while the complication rate[61.5% (24/39) vs. 93.7% (30/32), χ2=10.015, P=0.002], the cost of the access [0 (0, 9,117.0) yuan·year -1·person -1vs. 10 380.5 (7 186.0, 30 228.5) yuan·year -1·person -1, Z=-4.094, P<0.001] were lower, and the length of the available puncture vessel segment was shorter [3.5(3.0, 5.0) cm vs. 6.5(6.0, 8.0) cm, Z=-6.477, P<0.001].The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis results showed that the primary patency rate of the upper arm AVF group was significantly higher than that of the forearm AVG group (Log-rank test, χ2=23.690, P<0.001). The multivariate Cox regression analysis results indicated that the type of fistula being forearm AVG (with upper arm AVF as reference, HR=4.907, 95% CI 1.740-13.840) and increased complications number ( HR=1.234, 95% CI 1.040-1.464) were the independent factors promoting the arteriovenous fistula failure in MHD patients. Conclusions:The type of internal fistula and the complications are the factors affecting the long-term patency rate of internal fistula in MHD patients.Upper arm AVF offers cost-effectiveness and sustained patency advantages over forearm AVG but requires careful consideration of puncture challenges and patient discomfort. Individualized access selection should balance anatomical constraints with clinical priorities.

Objective To assess renal oxygen metabolism and iron deposition in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)patients using a combination of blood oxygen level-dependent(BOLD)and mDixon Quant techniques.Methods Clinical data of 58 T2DM patients from Tianjin First Central Hospital(September 2022-December 2023)were prospectively collected.According to urinary albumin-to-creation ratio(ACR),patients were divided into the normal albuminuria(NAU,ACR＜30 mg/g,n=35)group and the microalbuminuria(MAU,30 mg/g≤ACR＜300 mg/g,n=23)group.Thirty-three healthy volunteers were included as the control group during the same period.All participants underwent renal BOLD and mDixon Quant MRI to obtain cortical and medullary apparent relaxation rate(R2*)values.The differences of general data and image parameter values were compared between groups.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of relevant parameters for early renal function changes.Results There were significant differences in body weight,estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)and ACR between the control group,the NAU group and the MAU group(P＜0.01).The R2* value in renal cortex was lower than that in renal medulla(P＜0.01)in the same group.Apart from R2* value of BOLD renal cortex,which showed no significant difference between the three groups(P＜0.05),and the differences in the other parameters were statistically significant(P<0.05).When distinguishing between the control group and the NAU group,the NAU group and the MAU group,as well as between the control group and the early-stage T2DM(NAU+MAU)group,the combined two-sequence approach demonstrated higher area under the curve(AUCs)than any single sequence alone,with AUC value of 0.892(95%CI:0.809-0.975),0.785(95%CI:0.666-0.904)and 0.841(95%CI:0.756-0.926),respectively.Conclusion The combination of BOLD imaging with mDixon Quant enables noninvasive and quantitative assessment of alterations in renal oxygen metabolism and iron content in early-stage T2DM patients.The diagnostic performance of this combined approach surpasses that of individual methods.

AIM To investigate the protective effects of verbascoside on D-galactose-induced liver injury in mice and its underlying mechanisms.METHODS C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to the normal group,the model group,the vitamin E group(100 mg/kg),and the low-dose and high-dose verbascoside groups(40,80 mg/kg),with 10 mice in each group.Simultaneous administration of medicine and subcutaneous injection of D-galactose(600 mg/kg)went on among the groups except the normal group for 8 weeks.Serum ALT,AST,ALP activities,along with TBil levels were measured using biochemical kits.Hepatic GSH,MDA concentrations,as well as SOD and GSH-Px activities were quantified.Liver pathological morphology was evaluated by HE staining,while hepatic fibrosis area was assessed using Sirius red staining.Western blot analysis determined hepatic expression of IL-6,IL-1β,TNF-ɑ,TLR4,NF-κB p65,IκBɑ and p-IKBɑ proteins.RESULTS Compared to the model group,the groups treated with vitamin E or verbascoside demonstrated significantly reduced body weight(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);increased hepatic index(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);decreased serum activities of ALT,AST and ALP alongsided reduced TBil levels(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);attenuated pathological damage of liver tissue and fibrosis severity;reduced hepatic MDA level(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);and elevated GSH level with enhanced SOD and GSH-Px activities(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Furthermore,the high-dose verbascoside group showed significantly decreased hepatic expressions of IL-6,IL-1 β,TNF-ɑ,TLR4,NF-κB p65,and p-IKBɑ/IKBɑ proteins(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Verbascoside improves D-galactose-induced liver injury through its antioxidant activity,anti-inflammatory effects,and suppression of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective To assess renal oxygen metabolism and iron deposition in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)patients using a combination of blood oxygen level-dependent(BOLD)and mDixon Quant techniques.Methods Clinical data of 58 T2DM patients from Tianjin First Central Hospital(September 2022-December 2023)were prospectively collected.According to urinary albumin-to-creation ratio(ACR),patients were divided into the normal albuminuria(NAU,ACR＜30 mg/g,n=35)group and the microalbuminuria(MAU,30 mg/g≤ACR＜300 mg/g,n=23)group.Thirty-three healthy volunteers were included as the control group during the same period.All participants underwent renal BOLD and mDixon Quant MRI to obtain cortical and medullary apparent relaxation rate(R2*)values.The differences of general data and image parameter values were compared between groups.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of relevant parameters for early renal function changes.Results There were significant differences in body weight,estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)and ACR between the control group,the NAU group and the MAU group(P＜0.01).The R2* value in renal cortex was lower than that in renal medulla(P＜0.01)in the same group.Apart from R2* value of BOLD renal cortex,which showed no significant difference between the three groups(P＜0.05),and the differences in the other parameters were statistically significant(P<0.05).When distinguishing between the control group and the NAU group,the NAU group and the MAU group,as well as between the control group and the early-stage T2DM(NAU+MAU)group,the combined two-sequence approach demonstrated higher area under the curve(AUCs)than any single sequence alone,with AUC value of 0.892(95%CI:0.809-0.975),0.785(95%CI:0.666-0.904)and 0.841(95%CI:0.756-0.926),respectively.Conclusion The combination of BOLD imaging with mDixon Quant enables noninvasive and quantitative assessment of alterations in renal oxygen metabolism and iron content in early-stage T2DM patients.The diagnostic performance of this combined approach surpasses that of individual methods.

Objective:To investigate the effects of wheat-grain moxibustion at the Guanyuan point on testosterone(T)synthe-sis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal(HPG)axis in naturally aged mice.Methods:We fed 40 twelve-month-old SPF male C57BL/6J mice with a normal diet for 3 months,randomized them into a moxibustion and an aged group of an equal number,and se-lected 7 four-month-old ones as young controls.We treated the animals of the moxibustion group by wheat-grain moxibustion at the Guanyuan point,once 5 moxibustion sticks,qd,5 times a week,and fed those of the aged group normally,all for 12 weeks.After treatment,we obtained the testicular index of the mice,observed the histomorphology of the testis tissue by HE staining,measured the contents of T in the testis,gonadotropin-releasing hormone(GnRH)in the hypothalamus and total T(tT),free T(fT),luteinizing hormone(LH)and follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH)in the serum by ELISA,and determined the expressions of silence information regulator-1(SIRT1),P53,glutathione peroxidase(GPX4)and cholesterol side-chain?cleavage enzym e(CYP11A1)in the testis by Western blot.Results:Compared with the young controls,the mice in the aged group showed obviously losing and dull hair,energy declination,loose structure of the spermatogenic tubule with different degrees of cell loss and rupture,reduced testicular index,and ev-ident aging phenotype.In comparison with the aged mice,the animals of the moxibustion group were fairly energetic and exhibited dis-tinct structure of the spermatogenic tubules,orderly arranged and highly differentiated cells at all levels,significantly increased T lev-el,up-regulated expressions of SIRT1,GPX4 and CYP11 A1,and down-regulated expression of P53 in testis tissue,and elevated levels of GnRH,FSH,LH,tT and fT in the HPG axis.Conclusion:Wheat-grain moxibustion at the Guanyuan point protects testosterone synthesis in the testis tissue of naturally aged mice,promotes negative feedback regulation of the HPG axis,and improves low testoster-one.

Objective To design an 8-channel gene analyzer to take the place of the widely used gene analyzer with problems in inconvenient consumable replacement and short storage time of electrophoresis polymer.Methods The 8-channel gene analyzer had its mechanical components composed of an automatic sample loading table,a polymer injection module,a high-voltage temperature control module,an optical module and an integrated U box,its electrical control system made up of a host computer(an embedded computer)and three slave computers(a sampling control board,a polymer injection control board and a high-voltage temperature control board).The automatic sample loading table involved in four motors and transmission systems for x,y,z directions and optical alignment,the transmission systems adopted mainly belt drive mode and the optical alignment motor had its threads with an anti-backlash structure;the polymer injuection module was manipulated by the polymer injection control board,and the polymer block was made of highly transparent acrylic material;the high-voltage temperature control module realized the regulation of electrophoresis voltage and the detection of electrophoresis current by the low-ripple precision high-voltage power supply,and controlled the temperature of the heating furnace by the proportional-integral-differential(PID)algorithm;the optical module consisted of an excitation module and a light-receiving module,which had the base of the reflector made of low expansion coefficient alloy material;the integrated U box had the electrophoresis polymer,capillary array,polymer block and anode buffer in a plastic housing;the host computer had the data acquisition software programmed with C# and C++,and the slave computers were controlled by STM32 SCM.Results The 8-channel gene analyzer had no significant differences with the widely used ABI3500 gene analyzer in resolution,precision accuracy and clinical results.Conclusion The 8-channel gene analyzer gains advantages in consumable replacement and storage time of electrophoresis polymer,and can meet the requirements for gene sequencing.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(2):24-30]

To understand the epidemiological and clinical features of patients with non-tuberculous mycobacteria(NTM)lung disease in a hospital for infectious diseases in Xinjiang,and to provide basis for prevention and control of NTM in Xinjiang.The strain distribution,epidemiological features and clinical features of 78 patients with NTM lung disease in the Sixth People′s Hospital of Xinji-ang Uygur Autonomous Region were analysed from June 2021 to June 2024,and a comparative analysis of the clinical features of 156 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in this hospital during the same period was performed.Among 78 patients with NTM lung disease,the bacteria identified by molecular biology accounted for the top three cases:24 cases of Mycobacterium avium intracellulare complex,16 cases of Mycobacterium Kansaii and 11 cases of Mycobacterium Gordonae.There was no statistically significant difference in gender(χ2=0.009),age(χ2=2.670),smoking history(χ2=0.064),and BMI(χ2=0.896)between the NTM lung disease group and the pulmonary tuberculosis group(P>0.05).However,there were statistically significant differences in the combined bronchiectasis(χ2=19.068),immune-related indicators CD4(Z=-3.498)and CD3(Z=-3.187),and chest CT cavities on imaging(χ2=9.308)be-tween the two groups(P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in clinical symptoms such as cough(χ2=0.188)and expectoration(χ2=0.044)between the two groups(P>0.05).The common underlying diseases of NTM lung disease were diabetes mellitus(23.08%),hypertension(21.79%),bronchiectasis(20.51%)and others.The common clinical symptoms of NTM lung disease include cough,sputum,fatigue,poor appetite and others.The common manifestations of chest CT in NTM lung disease were Patchy cord shadows(62.82%),nodule(51.28%),pleural thickening(46.15%),calcification(41.03%)and others.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that bronchiectasis(OR=8.019)is risk factor for NTM lung disease.The dominant strains of NTM in this study were My-cobacterium avium intracellulare complex,Mycobacterium kansasii and Mycobacterium Gordonae.NTM lung disease and pulmonarytuber-culosis have similar clinical manifestations and are difficult to distinguish,especially for patients with bronchiectasis,it is necessary to actively investigate NTM lung disease,provide basis for early diagnosis and treatment of NTM lung disease,and gradually form a system-atic and standardized NTM lung disease diagnosis and treatment system according to local conditions.