Aromatherapy refers to the method of using the aromatic components of plants in appropriate forms to act on the entire body or a specific area to prevent and treat diseases. Essential oils used in aromatherapy are hydrophobic liquids containing volatile aromatic molecules， such as limonene， linalool， linalool acetate， geraniol， and citronellol. These chemicals have been extensively studied and shown to have a variety of functions， including reducing anxiety， relieving depression， promoting sleep， and providing pain relief. Terpenoids are a class of organic molecules with relatively low lipid solubility. After being inhaled， they can pass through the nasal mucosa for transfer or penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream upon local application. Some of these substances also have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier， thereby exerting effects on the central nervous system. Currently， the academic community generally agrees that products such as essential oils and aromatherapy from aromatic plants have certain health benefits. However， the process of extracting a single component from it and successfully developing it into a drug still faces many challenges. Its safety and efficacy still need to be further verified through more rigorous and systematic experiments. This article systematically elaborated on the efficacy of aromatic substances， including plant extracts and natural small molecule compounds， in antibacterial and antiviral fields and the regulation of nervous system activity. As a result， a deeper understanding of aromatherapy was achieved. At the same time， the potential of these aromatic substances for drug development was thoroughly explored， providing important references and insights for possible future drug research and application.

Objective To investigate the feasibility and safety of bedside transesophageal echocardiography(TEE)-guided atrial septostomy in patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO)support.Methods Eight patients(2 females and 6 males)who developed pulmonary edema during VA-ECMO treatment between January 2020 and October 2024 were enrolled.All patients underwent bedside TEE-guided atrial septal puncture,followed by gradual balloon dilation using an Inoue balloon(diameter:18-24 mm).The endpoint for dilation was defined as mean left atrial pressure＜15 mmHg.Post-procedure evaluation included assessment of the septal defect size,mean left atrial pressure,and improvement in bilateral pulmonary edema.Results The mean age of all 8 patients was(43.50±16.84)years old.Atrial septostomy was successfully performed in all patients.The mean balloon dilation diameter was(22.75±2.68)mm,resulting in a mean septal defect size of(6.31±0.37)mm.The mean left atrial pressure significantly decreased from(26.63±1.77)mmHg pre-procedure to(12.75±1.28)mmHg post-procedure(P＜0.001).All patients demonstrated marked improvement in bilateral pulmonary edema,and six patients also showed a significant reduction in the severity of mitral regurgitation following the procedure.No procedure-related complications were observed.Conclusions Bedside TEE-guided atrial septostomy is safe and effective for reducing left heart loading during ECMO support and improving pulmonary edema.

Objective To investigate the feasibility and safety of bedside transesophageal echocardiography(TEE)-guided atrial septostomy in patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO)support.Methods Eight patients(2 females and 6 males)who developed pulmonary edema during VA-ECMO treatment between January 2020 and October 2024 were enrolled.All patients underwent bedside TEE-guided atrial septal puncture,followed by gradual balloon dilation using an Inoue balloon(diameter:18-24 mm).The endpoint for dilation was defined as mean left atrial pressure＜15 mmHg.Post-procedure evaluation included assessment of the septal defect size,mean left atrial pressure,and improvement in bilateral pulmonary edema.Results The mean age of all 8 patients was(43.50±16.84)years old.Atrial septostomy was successfully performed in all patients.The mean balloon dilation diameter was(22.75±2.68)mm,resulting in a mean septal defect size of(6.31±0.37)mm.The mean left atrial pressure significantly decreased from(26.63±1.77)mmHg pre-procedure to(12.75±1.28)mmHg post-procedure(P＜0.001).All patients demonstrated marked improvement in bilateral pulmonary edema,and six patients also showed a significant reduction in the severity of mitral regurgitation following the procedure.No procedure-related complications were observed.Conclusions Bedside TEE-guided atrial septostomy is safe and effective for reducing left heart loading during ECMO support and improving pulmonary edema.

Objective To explore correlation between cerebral microbleeds(CMBs)and cognitive dysfunction in patients with cerebral small vessel disease.Methods A total of 80 patients with cerebral small vessel disease admitted to Department of Encephalopathy in Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022 were selected as research objects.They were divided into CMBs positive group(50 cases)and CMBs negative group(30 cases)based on the presence or absence of CMBs in the cerebral hemisphere.General clinical data of two groups were compared.Cognitive function was assessed by using Montreal cognitive assessment scale(MoCA).Results Age and incidence rate of hypertension in CMBs positive group were significantly higher than those in CMBs negative group(P<0.05).Total score of MoCA,scores of visuospatial and executive function,abstract thinking and delayed recall in CMBs positive group were significantly lower than those in CMBs negative group(P<0.05).Conclusion CMBs are closely related to the potential mechanism,clinical diagnosis and degree assessment of cognitive dysfunction in patients with cerebral small vessel disease.

Objective To investigate the optimal timing of indomethacin administration on prevention of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography ( ERCP ) pancreatitis. Methods The patients were randomly divided into the preoperative group and the postoperative group, and given 100 mg indomethacin in rectum within 30 min before and after ERCP, respectively. The serum levels of amylase and lipase were measured preoperatively and 4 h, 24 h postoperatively. The incidences of postoperative complications such as acute pancreatitis, hyperamylasemia, gastrointestinal bleeding, and perforation were assessed. Results A total of 340 patients were enrolled in this study from June 2014 to June 2017. The preoperative group consisted of 163 patients, including 11 cases ( 6. 75％) with post-ERCP pancreatitis ( PEP ) and 32 cases ( 19. 63％) with hyperamylasemia. Meanwhile, 177 patients constituted the postoperative group, with 25 cases ( 14. 12％) with PEP and 55 cases ( 31. 07％) with hyperamylasemia. The incidences of PEP and hyperamylasemia were significantly lower in the preoperative group than that in the postoperative group ( P = 0. 027 and P = 0. 016, respectively ) . Conclusion Preoperative use of indomethacin can better reduce the incidence of PEP than postoperative administration, without incidence increase of other complications.

Objective:To observe the clinical parameters and short-term prognosis of Tibetan high-altitude area children with congenital heart disease undergoing surgery and anaesthesia in low-altitude area,and to investigate the perioperative safety of the treatment.Methods:From January,2016 to December,2016,14 children with congenital heart disease who underwent surgery were assigned into 2 groups (n=7 each):the high-altitude area group (X group,children from Tibetan Autonomous Region) and the low-altitude area group (H group,children from Hunan Province).Echocardiography data,perioperative hemodynamic changes,postoperative recovery,complication and perioperative serum N terminal pro B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were recorded.Results:There were no significant differences in cardiac structure and function between the 2 groups,while the incidence of pulmonary hypertension in the X group was significantly higher than that in the H group (P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in perioperative hemodynamics between the 2 groups (P＞0.05),while the duration in ICU in the X group was longer than that in the H group and the serum NT-proBNP level in the X group was higher than that in the H group (P＜0.05).Conclusion:For children with congenital heart disease in Tibetan high-altitude area,undergoing surgery in low-altitude area contributes to a steady perioperative hemodynamics and helps to increase the perioperative safety.There may be a higher risk of postoperative cardiac dysfunction in Tibetan children than that in low-altitude area.

Objective To construct the Hut78 cell line with EZH2 gene knocked into by CRISPR/Cas9 system. Methods The EZH2 expression vector pMD-18T-EZH2 with homologous arm and the sgRNA expression vector pSpCas9 (BB)-2A-Puro-sgRNA, which could cut the double stranded genomic DNA, were constructed, and the two vectors were co-transfected into Hut78 cells. Then the expression of EZH2 mRNA was detected by qPCR, and the expressions of EZH2 and H3K27me3 proteins were detected by Western blot assay. Results The pMD-18T-EZH2 and pSpCas9(BB)-2A-Puro-sgRNA recombinant vectors were confirmed by DNA sequencing. When Hut78 cells were transfected with the two recombinant plasmid, qPCR results showed that the expression of EZH2 mRNA was significantly increased, and Western blot analysis showed that the expressions of EZH2 and H3K27me3 proteins were significantly increased. Conclusion EZH2 gene is successfully knocked into Hut78 cells by CRISPR/Cas9 system.

3' Untranslated Regions ; Animals ; Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Survival ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Mice ; Swine ; Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of awareness during general anesthesia and analyze the risk factors in anesthetic practice and patient populations. METHODS: A total of 2 300 patients who underwent general anesthesia were included. Perioperative data and anesthetic drugs were collected prospectively. Patients were interviewed twice postoperatively with the same structured questionnaire. Each patient was classified into categories as no awareness, possible awareness, and awareness. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients (0.91%) definitely reported awareness, and another 205 (8.91%) reported possible awareness. Few of the patients with awareness required psychological intervention. ASA physical status III-IV and propofol maintenance were associated risk factors of awareness. CONCLUSION The incidence of intraoperative awareness is high in the clinical practice in major medical centers.
Adult ; Anesthesia, General ; adverse effects ; Anesthetics, Intravenous ; adverse effects ; Awareness ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intraoperative Complications ; epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Propofol ; adverse effects ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of intrathecal injection of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) inhibitor of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) on pain sensitivity thresholds and the expression of spinal cord CX3C chemokine receptor 1 (CX3CR1) in monoarthritis (MA) model in rats. METHODS: Forty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (12 each) after successful intrathecal catheterization: (1) sham operation with physiological saline group (the sham group); (2) MA with normal saline group (the MA group); (3) 10 μL 100 μmol/L PDTC before MA (the PDTC pre-treatment group); (4)MA before 10 μL 100 μmol/L PDTC (the PDTC post-treatment group). Normal saline or PDTC was injected 5 d after the intrathecal catheterization. Pain sensitivity thresholds were measured in the 4 groups before and after the intrathecal injection at different time points. Rat monoarthritis model was subsequently built by injecting complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into the left ankle joint of the rats. On day 3 after the intrathecal injection, expression of microglia in the L₅ spinal cord segment was observed by immunohistochemical method, and the lumbar segments L₄-L₅ of spinal cord were taken to perform RT-PCR to examine the expression of NF-κB mRNA and CX3CR1 mRNA. RESULTS: Compared with the MA group, the pain sensitivity thresholds in the sham group, the PDTC pre-treatment group and the PDTC post-treatment group at each time point after the intrathecal injection increased significantly (P<0.05), while microglia in the L₅ spinal cord segment decreased significantly (P<0.05) and expression of CX3CR1 mRNA and NF-κB mRNA in the lumbar segments L₄-L₅ of spinal cord decreased significantly (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The hyperalgesic effect of the CFA-induced model of monoarthritis can be relieved by intrathecal injection of NF-κB inhibitor PDTC. Its mechanism is possibly related to NF-κB signal pathway which is involved in the formation of inflammatory pain through regulating CX3CR1 expression.
Animals ; Arthritis ; chemically induced ; complications ; CX3C Chemokine Receptor 1 ; Injections, Spinal ; Male ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Pain ; drug therapy ; etiology ; metabolism ; Pain Threshold ; drug effects ; Pyrrolidines ; administration & dosage ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Chemokine ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Spinal Cord ; metabolism ; Thiocarbamates ; administration & dosage