OBJECTIVE: To explore influence of external factors of wind, cold and dampness on clinical symptoms in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients with different constitutions of traditional Chinese medicine. METHODS: A cross-sectional stratified study was performed to select 108 patients with GradeⅡKOA in Kellgren & Lawrence (K-L) classification, including 22 males and 86 females, aged from 47 to 75 years old with an average of (60.7±6.0) years old;body mass index(BMI) ranged from 17.87 to 31.22 kg·m^-2 with an average of (23.80±2.86) kg·m^-2. According to Classification and Judgment of TCM Physique (ZYYXH/T157-2009), the types of TCM physique were determined and divided into 4 layers according to the deficiency and actual physique. Among them, there were 24 patients without biased physique, 12 males and 12 females, aged from 51 to 73 years old with an average of(62.8±6.0) years old, BMI ranged from 17.87 to 31.14 kg·m^-2 with an average of (24.32±3.25) kg·m-2;there were 46 patients with virtual bias constitution, including 7 males and 39 females, aged from 47 to 70 years old with an average of (60.0±5.8) years old, BMI ranged from 19.38 to 31.22 kg·m^-2 with an average of(23.42±2.97) kg·m^-2;There were 26 patients with solid bias constitution, including 2 males and 24 females, aged from 48 to 75 years old with an average of (60.4±5.8) years old, BMI ranged from 21.16 to 30.76 kg·m^-2 with an average of (24.15±2.33) kg·m^-2;there were 9 patients with special constitution, 1 male and 8 female, aged from 53 to 75 years old with an average of (59.8±7.5) years old, BMI ranged from 19.26 to 26.67 kg·m^-2 with an average of (23.79±2.49) kg·m^-2. Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) was used to evaluate severity of clinical symptoms. The wind-cold-dampness external factor score was calculated through the questionnaire of wind-cold-dampness syndrome scale to evaluate degree of influence of wind-cold-dampness external factor. Pearson correlation analysis and partial correlation analysis were used to calculate the correlation coefficient between severity of external factors affecting wind, cold and dampness and severity of clinical symptoms in patients with different TCM constitution stratification. RESULTS: There was no statistical significance between total score of wind-cold-dampness and WOMAC score in patients with no biased constitution and special condition. Total wind-cold-dampness score of patients with virtual biased constitution was positively correlated with WOMAC stiffness score (r=0.327, P=0.032), and total wind-cold-dampness score of patients with solid biased constitution was positively correlated with WOMAC pain score (r=0.561, P=0.005) and WOMAC overall score (r=0.446, P=0.033). After further adjusting for the interaction of external factors of wind-cold-dampness, there was no statistical significance between wind-cold-dampness scores and WOMAC scores in patients with solid biased constitution. The score of dampness and pathogenic factors was positively correlated with WOMAC stiffness score (r=0.414, P=0.007). CONCLUSION The external factors of wind-cold dampness have different effects on the clinical symptoms of KOA patients with different TCM constitutions. Compared with other constitutions, the rigid symptoms of patients with asthenic biased constitutions are more susceptible to dampness pathogenic factors.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; Syndrome ; Wind ; Cold Temperature

Stable isotope tracer metabolomics tracks and analyzes the whole metabolic process of the body through the tracer atoms, which belongs to the frontier technology in the field of biomedicine. This technology is of great significance and value for explaining the pathogenesis of diseases, finding biomarkers of diseases and drug action targets. Taking the mechanism of glucose catabolism disorder in depression as an example, this paper systematically expounds the stable isotope tracer metabolomics technology and its application. The research idea of stable isotope tracer metabolomics based on unmarked metabolomics was put forward, and the research strategy of biological significance interpretation from four dimensions of metabolite isotope abundance, key metabolic enzymes, metabolic flow direction and metabolite flow was given, which broke through the bottleneck of stable isotope tracer metabolomics research technology based on overall animal experiment, and provided scientific basis for the promotion and application of this technology.

Animals ; Rats ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Objective:To investigate the clinical outcome of the coronal Y-shaped osteotomy in the apical vertebra for treating congenital complex rigid scoliosis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 66 cases who underwent Y-shaped osteotomy treatment for congenital complex rigid scoliosis in the uppermost vertebra at the Department of Orthopedics,the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from June 2007 to August 2020. There were 19 males and 47 females,with an age of (13.1±5.3) years(range:2 to 30 years).Classification of congenital scoliosis:25 cases (37.9%) were incomplete,13 cases (19.7%) were dysarthritic,and 28 cases (42.4%) were mixed. There were 25 cases (37.9%) with thoracic or rib malformations. 45 cases (68.2%) were complicated with spinal cord malformation.The main radiological indicators included Cobb angle of the curvature,Cobb angle of the local bend,apical vertebral translation (AVT),trunk shift (TS),thoracic trunk shift (TTS),radiographic shoulder height (RSH),coronal balance and sagittal vertebral axis. The preoperative,postoperative immediate,and last follow-up radiological indicators were collected and the operation time,blood loss,hospitalization time,and operation-related complications were recorded. Data were compared by repeated measure ANOVA and paired- t test. Results:All patients underwent surgery successfully. The duration of the first surgery was (221.4±52.8) minutes,and the blood loss during the first surgery was (273.2±41.8) ml. The length of the first hospital stay was (8.8±1.7) days.Unilateral fixation was performed in 19 cases (28.8%),while bilateral fixation was performed in 47 cases (71.2%). The fused segments were 7.5±2.9,and the vertebral pedicle screw density was (68.5±20.6)%. The follow-up time for the 66 patients was (36.7±17.0) months(range:24 to 102 months).The main curve Cobb Angle was improved from (58.5±18.9)°before surgery to (21.1±11.8)°after surgery,and was (23.6±15.3) ° at the last follow-up( F=273.957, P<0.01),with a correction rate of 66.2%. Segmental curve Cobb Angle was improved from (47.9±18.0)° to (16.0±11.3)° after surgery,and was (16.8±12.8) °at the last follow-up ( F=270.483, P<0.01)with a correction rate of 69.2%. The AVT,TS,TTS and RSH values improved significantly at the final follow-up (all P<0.05),while coronal balance and sagittal vertical axis were maintained without significant differences between pre-operation and post-operation(both P>0.05). A total of 5 patients underwent staged operation,all of which were residual scoliosis aggravated after the first stage of orthosis operation and had good prognosis after the second stage of operation. Conclusions:Y-shaped osteotomy for the treatment of congenital rigid scoliosis results in good clinical and radiological outcomes without serious complications. This procedure can be considered as an option for the treatment of congenital complex rigid scoliosis.

Objective:To investigate the clinical outcome of the coronal Y-shaped osteotomy in the apical vertebra for treating congenital complex rigid scoliosis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 66 cases who underwent Y-shaped osteotomy treatment for congenital complex rigid scoliosis in the uppermost vertebra at the Department of Orthopedics,the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from June 2007 to August 2020. There were 19 males and 47 females,with an age of (13.1±5.3) years(range:2 to 30 years).Classification of congenital scoliosis:25 cases (37.9%) were incomplete,13 cases (19.7%) were dysarthritic,and 28 cases (42.4%) were mixed. There were 25 cases (37.9%) with thoracic or rib malformations. 45 cases (68.2%) were complicated with spinal cord malformation.The main radiological indicators included Cobb angle of the curvature,Cobb angle of the local bend,apical vertebral translation (AVT),trunk shift (TS),thoracic trunk shift (TTS),radiographic shoulder height (RSH),coronal balance and sagittal vertebral axis. The preoperative,postoperative immediate,and last follow-up radiological indicators were collected and the operation time,blood loss,hospitalization time,and operation-related complications were recorded. Data were compared by repeated measure ANOVA and paired- t test. Results:All patients underwent surgery successfully. The duration of the first surgery was (221.4±52.8) minutes,and the blood loss during the first surgery was (273.2±41.8) ml. The length of the first hospital stay was (8.8±1.7) days.Unilateral fixation was performed in 19 cases (28.8%),while bilateral fixation was performed in 47 cases (71.2%). The fused segments were 7.5±2.9,and the vertebral pedicle screw density was (68.5±20.6)%. The follow-up time for the 66 patients was (36.7±17.0) months(range:24 to 102 months).The main curve Cobb Angle was improved from (58.5±18.9)°before surgery to (21.1±11.8)°after surgery,and was (23.6±15.3) ° at the last follow-up( F=273.957, P<0.01),with a correction rate of 66.2%. Segmental curve Cobb Angle was improved from (47.9±18.0)° to (16.0±11.3)° after surgery,and was (16.8±12.8) °at the last follow-up ( F=270.483, P<0.01)with a correction rate of 69.2%. The AVT,TS,TTS and RSH values improved significantly at the final follow-up (all P<0.05),while coronal balance and sagittal vertical axis were maintained without significant differences between pre-operation and post-operation(both P>0.05). A total of 5 patients underwent staged operation,all of which were residual scoliosis aggravated after the first stage of orthosis operation and had good prognosis after the second stage of operation. Conclusions:Y-shaped osteotomy for the treatment of congenital rigid scoliosis results in good clinical and radiological outcomes without serious complications. This procedure can be considered as an option for the treatment of congenital complex rigid scoliosis.

With the wide application of stable isotope tracer metabolomics technology, its comprehensive analysis and in-depth mining of data are particularly important, and metabolic flux analysis is one of the main technical means, especially in the study of glucose metabolism. Metabolic flux analysis technology combines isotope tracing with mathematical models to deduce and calculate the metabolic flux between metabolites. The metabolic flux provides more information for research and reflects a dynamic metabolic process more clearly and specifically. This paper reviews the basic process, precautions, and application examples of metabolic flux analysis in glucose metabolism research, and provides a reference for the application of metabolic flux analysis based on stable isotope tracer metabolomics in glucose metabolism research.

With the rapid development of high sensitivity detection techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry, stable isotope-resolved metabolomics has been widely used in elucidating the regulatory mechanism of metabolic pathways and metabolic flow analysis, and some breakthroughs have been made. In this paper the application of stable isotope-resolved metabolomics in glucose catabolic regulation, metabolic flow analysis and functional interpretation of key metabolic pathways is reviewed, providing references for the wider use and application of this technology.

OBJECTIVE: Herbal medicine is an important therapeutic option for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a common disease in older men that can seriously affect their quality of life. Currently, it is crucial to develop agents with strong efficacy and few side effects. Herein we investigated the effects of the extract of Rauwolfia vomitoria, a shrub grown in West Africa, on BPH. METHODS: Rats with testosterone-induced BPH were treated with R. vomitoria. Prostates were histologically analyzed by Hematoxylin and eosin staining. Proliferation index and the expression levels of androgen receptor and its associated proteins were quantified through immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting. Androgen receptor target genes were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The sperm count and body weight of rats were also measured. RESULTS: The oral administration of R. vomitoria extract significantly reduced the prostate weight and prostate weight index in BPH rats, supported by the decreased thickness of the prostate epithelial layer and increased lumen size. Similar effects were observed in the BPH rats treated with the reference drug, finasteride. R. vomitoria extract significantly reduced the testosterone-induced proliferation markers, including proliferating cell nuclear antigen and cyclin D1, in the prostate glands of BPH rats; it also reduced levels of androgen receptor, its associated protein steroid 5α-reductase 1 and its downstream target genes (FK506-binding protein 5 and matrix metalloproteinase 2). Notably, compared with the finasteride group, R. vomitoria extract did not significantly reduce sperm count. CONCLUSION R. vomitoria suppresses testosterone-induced BPH development. Due to its milder side effects, R. vomitoria could be a promising therapeutic agent for BPH.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the association of waist circumference (WC) with all-cause mortality among Chinese adults. Methods: The baseline data were from Shanxi Province of 2002 China Nutrition and Health Survey. The death investigation and follow-up visit were conducted from December 2015 to March 2016. The visits covered up to 5,360 of 7,007 participants, representing a response rate of 76.5%. The Cox regression model and floating absolute risk were used to estimate hazard ratio and 95% floating of death by gender and age groups (≥ 60 and < 60 years old). Sensitivity analysis was performed by excluding current smokers; participants with stroke, hypertension, and diabetes; participants who accidentally died; and participants who died during the first 2 years of follow-up. Results: This study followed 67,129 person-years for 12.5 years on average, including 615 deaths. The mortality density was 916 per 100,000 person-years. Low WC was associated with all-cause mortality among men. Multifactor-adjusted hazard ratios ( ) were 1.60 (1.35-1.90) for WC < 75.0 cm and 1.40 (1.11-1.76) for WC ranging from 75.0 cm to 79.9 cm. Low WC (< 70.0 cm and 70.0-74.9 cm) and high WC (≥ 95.0 cm) groups had a high risk of mortality among women. The adjusted s of death were 1.43 (1.11-1.83), 1.39 (1.05-1.84), and 1.91 (1.13-3.22). Conclusion WC was an important predictor of death independent of body mass index (BMI). WC should be used as a simple rapid screening and predictive indicator of the risk of death.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; China ; epidemiology ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Obesity, Abdominal ; complications ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors ; Waist Circumference ; Young Adult

The aim of the present study was to investigate the differences of the pathological changes and cognitive function after bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) between Sprague-Dawley (SD) and Wistar rats. Male SD and Wistar rats were randomly divided into 2 groups, respectively: sham operated (S-sham and W-sham) and operated (S-BCCAO and W-BCCAO) groups. The survival rate and the rate of loss of pupillary light reflex (PLR) were observed on day 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 after the operation, and the light-dark box, Y-maze and odor recognition tests were performed to detect cognitive function on day 28 after the operation. HE and Luxol fast blue staining were used to observe the pathological changes of gray matter (hippocampus), white matter (optical tract), optic nerve, and retina. The results showed that the survival rate of the W-BCCAO group was 62.5%, and PLR loss rate was 100%; whereas the survival rate of the S-BCCAO group was 100%, and PLR loss rate was 58.3%. In the W-BCCAO group, percentages of time spent and distance traveled in the light box were more than those in the W-sham group, but there was no statistical significance between the S-BCCAO and S-sham groups. In the S-BCCAO group, the percentages of time spent and distance traveled in the III arm (labyrinth arm) of the Y-maze were less than those in the S-sham group, but no statistical significance was found between the W-BCCAO group and W-sham group. In the S-BCCAO group, the discrimination ratio of the odor recognition task was less than that in the S-sham group, but no statistical significance could be seen between the W-BCCAO and W-sham groups. Ischemic injury was observed in the CA1 area of the hippocampus in the S-BCCAO group, but no readily visible damage was observed in the W-BCCAO group. Ischemic injury of the visual beam and optic nerve was observed in both the S-BCCAO and W-BCCAO groups. Compared with the corresponding sham groups, the S-BCCAO and W-BCCAO groups showed serious retinal damage with significant thinner retina. The ganglion cell layer (GCL), inner plexiform layer (IPL), and outer plexiform layer (OPL) were thinner in the S-BCCAO group, but no statistical significances were shown in the other layers. All the layers, except the outer nuclear layer (ONL), were significantly thinner in the W-BCCAO group. The results indicate that there are differences of the pathological changes in the hippocampus and visual conduction pathway after BCCAO between SD and Wistar rats, and the degree of learning and memory injury was also different, which suggests that the vascular dementia model of different rat strains should be selected according to research purpose.
Animals ; Brain ; pathology ; Carotid Artery Diseases ; pathology ; Carotid Artery, Common ; pathology ; Cognition ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats, Wistar