BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that short-term exposure to ambient particulate matter elevates the risk of ischemic stroke in major urban areas of various countries. However, there is a notable gap in research focusing on remote areas inhabited by ethnic minorities and the cumulative effects of air pollutants. Our study conducted in the area aims to explore the potential association between ischemic stroke and air pollutants and contribute to improving health outcomes among the community. METHODS: This retrospective observational study was conducted at the Xing'an League People's Hospital in Inner Mongolia. The medical records of 4,288 patients admitted for IS between November 1, 2019, and October 31, 2020, were reviewed. Data on demographics (age and sex), air pollutants (PM₁₀, PM_2.5, NO₂, NO, CO, and O₃), and meteorological factors (daily average temperature, daily average wind speed, and daily average atmosphere pressure) were collected and analyzed. The statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Poisson distribution analysis to evaluate the adverse effects of atmospheric pollutants on daily hospitalizations, and subgroup analysis to determine whether gender and age could modify the impact on hospitalizations. RESULTS: A substantial correlation was revealed in single-day lags model. The peak delayed effects of PM₁₀, PM_2.5, SO₂, and NO₂ were observed at lag8 (PM₁₀ (OR = 1.016, 95%CI 1.002, 1.030), PM_2.5 (OR = 1.027, 95%CI 1.007, 1.048), SO₂ (OR = 1.153, 95%CI 1.040, 279) and NO₂ (OR = 1.054, 95%CI 1.005, 1.105)) while males exhibited a consistent trend from lag0 to lag8 (PM₁₀ (OR = 1.035, 95%CI 1.018, 1.053), PM_2.5 (OR = 1.056, 95%CI 1.030, 1.082), SO₂ (OR = 1.220, 95%CI 1.072, 1.389), NO₂ (OR = 1.126, 95%CI 1.061, 1.120), CO (OR = 10.059, 95%CI 1.697, 59.638) and O₃ (OR = 0.972, 95%CI 0.946, 0.999)). When gender and age were considered, a positive impact was also observed after three days cumulative effect in males. CONCLUSIONS There is a significant cumulative effect of exposure to air pollution on IS hospital admissions, especially the males and patients under the age of 65. Our results also suggested that a notable association between CO and NO₂ in two-pollutant models.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Air Pollution/analysis* ; China/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Aged ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data* ; Adult ; Ischemic Stroke/chemically induced* ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Aged, 80 and over

Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma is the most commonly used herb in ZHANG Zhongjing′s Treatise on Cold Pathogenic Diseases and Synopsis of Golden Chamber. It serves as a crucial entry point for understanding ZHANG Zhongjing′s prescription system. The role of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma in ZHANG Zhongjing′s prescription system differs from its current recognized efficacy. By analyzing the typhoid prescriptions and referring to ancient materia medica texts from various dynasties, this study categorizes the formulas containing Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and identifies four fundamental efficacies associated with it: fluid retention, preservation of gastric qi, support of yang qi, and protection of the triple energizer. These basic efficacy principles align with the core treatment principles implied in ZHANG Zhongjing′s prescription system, suggesting that Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma is one of the key herbs in constructing ZHANG Zhongjing′s prescription system. To elucidate the logical expansion of prescriptions, formulas containing Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma are deconstructed and classified into first-order, second-order, tertiary-order, quaternary-order, and other formulas based on the affinity of the paired herbs. Similarly, the corresponding herbs are classified accordingly. Using Cinnamomi Ramulus, Zingiberis Rhizoma, Paeonia lactiflora Pall., and Ephedrae Herba as examples, the study analyzes the principles behind formulas containing Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. ZHANG Zhongjing′s prescription system strategically added or subtracted other herbs to fully utilize or extend the four fundamental effects of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, resulting in the majority of existing formulas through continuous expansion. This provides new insights and approaches for further in-depth study of ZHANG Zhongjing′s prescription system.

Objective To study the changes of serum metabolites in the patients with chronic kidney disease osteoporosis(CKD-OP)to provide the new biomarkers for the early diagnosis of CKD-OP.Methods A total of 22 patients with definitely diagnosed CKD visiting in this hospital from April to Novem-ber 2023 were selected as the study subjects,and 22 subjects with physical examination in this hospital at the same period were included for conducting the control study.With the lumbar vertebral T value ≤-2.5 as the standard,the subjects were divided into the CKD-OP group(n=11),CKD non-OP group(CKD-NOP group,n=11),simple osteoporosis group(OP group,n=11)and healthy control group(NC group,n=11).The liq-uid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS)coupling technique was used to analyze the differences in se-rum metabolites among the four groups,the potential biomarkers of CKD-OP was screened,and the correla-tion between the potential biomarkers with lumbar vertebra bone mineral density(BMD),serum bone-derived alkaline phosphatase(BALP)and serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b(TRACP-5b)was studied.Re-sults With the receiver's operating characteristic(ROC)curve's area under curve(AUC)＞0.9 as the con-dition,and four potential biomarkers of CKD-OP were screened,which were phosphorylcholine,lysophosphati-dylcholine(18∶2/0∶0),capric acid,and allantoin respectively.Serum phosphorylcholine was positively corre-lated with lumbar vertebra BMD(r=0.601,P＜0.05)and negatively correlated with serum BALP and TRACP-5b(r=-0.729,-0.623,P＜0.05).Serum allantoin was positively correlated with lumbar vertebra BMD(r=0.483,P＜0.05)and negatively correlated with serum BALB(r=-0.494,P＜0.05).Serum lyso-phosphatidylcholine(18∶2/0∶0)was positively correlated with lumbar vertebra BMD(r=0.640,P＜0.05),and negatively correlated with serum BALP and TRACP-5b(r=-0.628,-0.548,P＜0.05).Serum capric acid was negatively correlated with lumbar vertebra BMD(r=-0.444,P＜0.05)and positively corre-lated with serum BALB(r=0.587,P＜0.05).Conclusion The screened four endogenous potential biomarkers provide the new research ideas for the early diagnosis and treatment efficacy monitoring of CKD-OP.

ObjectiveTo study the effects of Huangjing Jiannao granules on learning and memory abilities and cerebral blood flow in the rat model of vascular cognitive impairment （VCI） and to explore the mechanism of Huangjing Jiannao granules in the treatment of VCI. MethodSeventy-two SPF-grade male SD rats were randomly selected， with 12 rats as the sham operation group. The remaining rats were subjected to bilateral carotid artery ligation （2-VO） for the modeling of VCI. According to the randomized block design， the successfully modeled rats were grouped as follows： model， donepezil hydrochloride （0.50 mg·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （2.36， 4.72， 9.44 g·kg^-1， respectively） Huangjing Jiannao granules. After 6 weeks of treatment， Morris water maze test and new object recognition test were conducted to evaluate the learning and memory abilities of the rats. After continuous gavage for 8 weeks， the cerebral blood flow was recorded by a laser microcirculation blood flow imager， and the survival and injury of hippocampal neurons were observed by Nissl staining. The expression of neuronal nuclear antigen （NeuN） in the hippocampus was detected by immunohistochemistry （IHC）. The levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in the serum were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The protein levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）， phosphorylated protein kinase B （p-Akt）， nuclear factor-κB p65 （NF-κB p65）， and nuclear factor-κB inhibitor α （IκBα） in the hippocampus were determined by Western blot. ResultCompared with the sham operation group， the model group showed weakened learning and memory abilities （P<0.01）， reduced blood flow in the whole brain， forebrain， and hindbrain （P<0.01）， damaged neurons and reduced survived neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region （P<0.01）， down-regulated expression of NeuN （P<0.01）， elevated levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in the serum （P<0.01）， up-regulated protein levels of PI3K， p-Akt， and NF-κB p65 in the hippocampal tissue， and down-regulated protein level of IκBα （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， medium- and high-dose Huangjing Jiannao granules improved the learning and memory abilities （P<0.05，P<0.01）. High-dose Huangjing Jiannao granules increased the blood flow in the whole brain， forebrain， and hindbrain （P<0.05，P<0.01）， and medium-dose Huangjing Jiannao granules increased the blood flow in the whole brain （P<0.05）. All the doses of Huangjing Jiannao granules increased the number of survived neurons （P<0.05，P<0.01） and up-regulated the protein level of NeuN （P<0.05，P<0.01）. Medium and high-dose Huangjing Jiannao granules lowered the level of TNF-α （P<0.05，P<0.01）， down-regulated the protein levels of PI3K， p-Akt， and NF-κB p65 （P<0.05，P<0.01）， and up-regulated the protein level of IκBα （P<0.01）. ConclusionHuangjing Jiannao granules can improve the learning and memory abilities and promote the recovery of cerebral blood flow in the rat model of VCI induced by 2-VO by regulating the expression of proteins involved in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway， inhibiting inflammation， and reducing hippocampal neuron injury.

Humans ; Asthma/drug therapy* ; Biological Therapy

Objective: To investigate the associations between early life exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM 2.5 ) and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among school aged children. Methods: A total of 165 children with ASD and 165 age and gender matched typical development (TD) children were recruited. Children s basic information were obtained via questionnaires, and the severity of ASD symptoms was assessed with Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Early life PM 2.5 exposure (preconception, entire pregnancy, and the first two years after birth) were extracted from the Tracking Air Pollution in China (TAP) datasets. Conditional Logistic regression and generalized linear model were used to evaluate the associations of early life exposure to PM 2.5 with the risk and the ASD severity symptoms, respectively. Results: The PM 2.5 exposure of ASD group during preconception[(55.08±9.34)μg/m 3], entire pregnancy[(50.44±8.71)μg/m 3], the first year after birth [(45.04± 8.25 )μg/m 3] and the second year after birth [(40.19±7.12)μg/m 3] were significant higher than those in TD children [(47.66± 7.63 , 44.19±7.16, 38.95±6.07, 35.76±5.65)μg/m 3]( t =7.94, 7.13, 7.70, 6.32, P <0.05). After adjusting for potential confounding, each increase of 1 μg/m 3 in PM 2.5 was associated with higher risk of ASD during preconception ( OR=1.21, 95%CI =1.13-1.29), entire pregnancy( OR=1.18, 95%CI =1.11-1.26), the first year after birth ( OR=1.30, 95%CI =1.18-1.43) and the second year after birth ( OR=1.29, 95%CI =1.17-1.42). No similar results were observed regarding the analyses of SRS total and sub scale scores( P >0.05). Conclusion Early life exposure to PM 2.5 is relate to the risk of ASD, these findings indicated that more attention should be paid to ambient PM pollution in the early life prevention and control of ASD.

Objective To explore the effects of Kaixin Jieyu Pill(KJP)on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha(PPARα),serum and hippocampal tissue fibroblast growth factor 21(FGF21)and hippocampal tissue fibroblast growth factor receptor 1(FGFR1)in rats with depression model.Methods A rat chronic stress model was prepared using the chronic unpredictable mild stimulus method(CUMS)to observe behavioral changes in depression.Hippocampal FGF21,FGFR1 and liver PPARα protein and mRNA expression levels were measured in hippocampal tissues by western blot and real-time fluorescence quantification(RT-qPCT).Results The expression levels of PPARα,FGF21 and FGFR1's protein and their mRNA were dramatically decreased in the CUMS model rats compared with the normal group(P<0.001).KJP could modify the depressive-like behaviors of rats(P<0.001),upregulate the protein expression level of PPARα,FGF21,and FGFR1(P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.01);markedly modify the mRNA expression levels of PPARα,FGF21,and FGFR1(P<0.001,P<0.01,P<0.01).Conclusion PPARα/FGF21/FGFR1 pathway may participate in the pathogenesis of depression;upregulation of PPARα/FGF21/FGFR1 pathway may be related to the antidepressant mechanism of KJP.

Objective:To explore the relationship between thyroid parenchymal echogenicity abnormalities and thyroid function evolution in health examination population.Methods:It was a cohort study. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, participants were selected from individuals who underwent thyroid color ultrasound and thyroid function tests at the Health Management Center of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from January to December 2017. Data including age, gender, smoking history, alcohol consumption history, personal medical history, and thyroid function re-examination information were collected. Follow-up was conducted until the occurrence of thyroid function abnormalities or until the end of the follow-up period. The cumulative incidence rate and incidence density of thyroid function abnormalities were evaluated. Cox regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between thyroid parenchymal echogenicity abnormalities and thyroid function evolution.Results:A total of 6 754 participants were included in this study, with an average age of (45.80±12.12) years, and females accounted for 42.7%. The mean follow-up time was 1.82 years, with a cumulative follow-up duration of 12 263 person-years. During the follow-up period, 154 new cases of thyroid function abnormalities occurred, with a cumulative incidence rate of 2.28% (95% CI: 1.94%-2.66%) and an incidence density of 12.56/1 000 person-years (95% CI: 10.66/1 000-14.69/1 000 person-years). The multivariate adjusted Cox regression analysis showed that individuals with thyroid parenchymal echogenicity abnormalities had a significantly increased risk of developing isolated thyroid stimulating hormone abnormalities and thyroid function abnormalities, with HR(95% CI) of 3.09 (2.02-4.73) and 2.92(1.96-4.33), respectively, both P<0.001. Stratified analysis showed that, except for body mass index <18.5 kg/m 2, current smoking, and current alcohol consumption, all other stratified factors showed a significant increase in the risk of thyroid function abnormalities in individuals with thyroid parenchymal echogenicity abnormalities. Conclusion:Thyroid parenchymal echogenicity abnormalities are important risk factors for the evolution of thyroid function abnormalities. Continuous monitoring of thyroid function should be given due attention.

The research on the essence of triple energizer has not reached a consensus. The correspondence between the existing understanding and the classical theory of triple energizer is still limited in terms of structure and function. According to the traditional theory， nutrient-defense takes channels as the main circulatory system， while the operation of nutrient-defense in the triple energizer remains unclear. Since little is known about the physical structure of the triple energizer， the role of triple energizer as a collection of other Zang-fu organs has been ignored in most cases. The new progress in anatomy paves the way for the research on the essence of triple energizer. The function and structure of triple energizer are similar to those of interstitium and interfacial fluid flow， which enriches our understanding of the macro and micro structures of triple energizer. The triple energizer is distributed throughout the body and composed of membrane and interstitial space. The material structure of triple energizer includes fiber scaffold， collagen fiber， mesenchymal stem cells， histiocytes， pericytes， and interstitial fluid. The functions of triple energizer include passing body fluids， operating nutrient-defense， distributing original Qi， and transmitting and changing pathogenic Qi. According to the available theories and research achievements， we put forward the concept of vertical and horizontal triple energizer， pointed out that triple energizer had independent structure and the features of Zang-fu organs， and preliminarily defined the spatial distribution of triple energizer. The relationship between channels and triple energizer is essential for discussing the operation of nutrient-defense. Telocyte （Tc） and telopod （Tp） has the characteristics of channels in function and structure. The connective tissue with the distribution of Tc and Tp belongs to the same material as the basic structure of interstitial/interfacial fluid flow system and the fibrous skeleton of interstitium. It is clear that channels and triple energizer have material commonality. From the operation paths of nutrient-defense， we proposed that channels may be soaked and attached in triple energizer and put forward the model of channels soaked and attached in triple energizer. By combining the circulation of nutrient-defense with the vertical and horizontal triple energize， we developed the theory of triple energizer-nutrient-defense loop to comprehensively describe the generation， transport， and metabolism of nutrient-defense in channels and triple energizer， aiming to provide a theoretical model for future studies of disease transmission and change from exterior to interior.

Objective:To analyze the blood glucose screening condition for individuals receiving physical examinations. Specifically, to examine the rates of abnormal postprandial glucose at different levels of fasting blood glucose and the characteristics of people who had normal fasting blood glucose with high postprandial glucose.Methods:Participants were individuals who received physical examinations at the Health Management Centre, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, from January 2016 to December 2016. Data collection included general information, physical examination, and laboratory tests including fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, postprandial glucose, blood fat, and blood uric acid. The blood glucose indicators for the study population were analyzed. Among participants without diabetes, the rate of abnormal postprandial glucose at different fasting blood glucose levels or with a HbA1c screening were compared. For participants with complete information, chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regressions were used to analyze the characteristics of individuals who had normal fasting blood glucose with high postprandial glucose.Results:A total of 45 447 participants were included, with 23 001 males (50.61%) and 22 446 females (49.39%). For blood glucose, the most frequently completed indicator was fasting blood glucose (97.04%), then HbA1c (56.17%) followed by postprandial glucose (17.51%). There were 7 351 participants without diabetes who had all three glucose indicators. As fasting blood glucose increased, the abnormal rate of postprandial glucose increased gradually. When fasting blood glucose was lower than 5.6 mmol/L, the rate of abnormal postprandial glucose was 11.59%. When fasting blood glucose was between 5.6 mmol/L and 6.1 mmol/L, the rate was 33.9%. When fasting blood glucose was higher than 6.1 mmol/L, the rate was 68.73%. When the cutoff for fasting blood glucose was 5.6 mmol/L, the rate of abnormal postprandial glucose decreased compared with a cutoff of 6.1 mmol/L (11.59% vs. 14.32%, respectively). Combined with HbA1c screening, the rate of postprandial glucose abnormalities were both reduced (8.83% vs.11.59% for 5.6 mmol/L; 10.08% vs. 14.32% for 6.1 mmol/L). A total of 5 872 individuals had complete information and were included in the analysis. Participants who were men, >45 years old, and were overweight or obese had higher risk for abnormal postprandial glucose [ OR(95% CI): 2.85(2.33-3.48), 2.15(1.76-2.62), 1.82(1.45-2.27), and 2.64(2.04-3.42), respectively, P<0.05]. Hypertension, hyperlipidemia and hyperuricemia were also risk factors [ OR(95% CI): 1.80(1.51-2.15) and 1.52(1.27-1.82), respectively, P<0.05] Conclusions:The completion rate was highest for fasting blood glucose and lowest for postprandial glucose among the study population. The rate of abnormal postprandial glucose was high when fasting blood glucose was normal. Screening combined with HbA1c decreased the rate of postprandial glucose abnormalities. Postprandial glucose testing should be recommended for those who are male, older, overweight or obese, and have other risk factors including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperuricemia.