1.Discussion on the pathogenesis and treatment of cough variant asthma in children from the perspective of " systemic qi stagnation"
Xue GONG ; Zhihui LIU ; Fang LIU ; Xiaohong BAI
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(6):767-773
Cough variant asthma is a distinct subtype of asthma characterized by chronic irritant dry cough as the sole or predominant clinical manifestation. It is one of the primary causes of chronic cough in children. In traditional Chinese medicine, it belongs to the category of " spasmodic cough", " wind-induced cough", " chronic cough", and " asthmatic cough". At present, Western medicine treatment approaches mainly focus on symptomatic treatment, but fail to fully deal with its complex systemic mechanisms, and have limitations such as poor control of clinical symptoms and rebound exacerbation upon treatment cessation. Based on the theory of " systemic qi stagnation", this paper proposes that the core pathogenesis of cough variant asthma in children is qi stagnation, intermingling of phlegm and blood stasis, and obstruction of collaterals. Disease progression is fundamentally driven by exogenous pathogen activation of endogenous predispositions, particularly dysregulation of sanjiao qi movement, which serves as the primary disease-inducing factor. During the acute phase, the treatment principle focuses on dispelling wind and ventilating lung to restore physiological qi. As the disease progresses to the progressive phase, the focus shifts toward smoothing liver and purging lung to resolve qi counterflow. In the chronic phase, therapeutic strategy prioritizes dissipating phlegm and eliminating blood stasis to smooth collaterals. Finally, during the remission phase, treatment emphasizes strengthening spleen and kidney to consolidate the foundation and cultivate the vitality. This integrative approach synergizes the external elimination of latent pathogens, internal harmonization of qi movement, and dredging collaterals by dispelling blood stasis. It also incorporates the theory of " gentle dispersion to expel pathogens and moistening dryness to harmonize collaterals", aiming to provide a theoretical basis and effective prescriptions for the integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment of cough variant asthma in children.
2.Celecoxib improves right heart function in mice after acute high-altitude hypoxia exposure by increasing 12,13-diHOME level
Wei ZHANG ; Xinyu BAO ; Xiaoyue LAI ; Xiaoqin WAN ; Yan TAN ; Hongjun YIN ; Xiaoshi CAI ; Dingyuan TIAN ; Ziyang WANG ; Pan ZHENG ; Fang DENG ; Zhihui ZHANG
Journal of Army Medical University 2025;47(19):2289-2301
Objective To investigate the effect and mechanisms of celecoxib on right heart function in mice with acute high-altitude hypoxia exposure.Methods Male C57BL/6J mice(7 weeks old)were housed in a hypobaric chamber simulating an altitude of 5 800 m for 2 d to establish an animal model of acute hypobaric hypoxia.①Eighteen mice were randomly assigned to plain+saline(P+S),high-altitude hypoxia exposure+saline(H+S),and high-altitude hypoxia exposure+celecoxib(H+Cel).Body weight and routine blood indicators were measured,and cardiac ultrasound examination were performed for heart rate(HR),pulmonary artery acceleration time to ejection time ratio(AT/ET),tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion(TAPSE),tricuspid annular systolic velocity(S'),and left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and fractional shortening(FS).Targeted metabolomic profiling was applied to detect the cardiac arachidonic acid(AA)metabolite levels.The contents of 12,13-dihydroxy-9Z-octadecenoic acid(12,13-diHOME)in the heart,liver,brown adipose tissue,and plasma were quantified by ELISA.② Eighteen mice were randomly assigned into plain+saline(P+S),high-altitude hypoxia exposure+saline(H+S)and high-altitude hypoxia exposure+12,13-diHOME(H+di)groups.Body weight,routine blood tests,and echocardiography were performed as above.③ Thirty-two mice were randomly divided into high-altitude hypoxia exposure+saline(H+S),high-altitude hypoxia exposure+celecoxib(H+Cel),high-altitude hypoxia exposure+soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor(sEHI)(H+sEHI),and high-altitude hypoxia exposure+sEHI+celecoxib(H+sEHI+Cel)groups.Body weight,routine blood tests,and echocardiography were performed as above.Cardiac and plasma contents of 12,13-diHOME and epoxyeicosatrienoic acids(EETs)were measured by ELISA.Results ① Compared to the P+S group,the H+S group exhibited significantly reduction of cardiac 12,13-diHOME level(P<0.001),increased counts of white blood cells(WBC)and neutrophils(P<0.01)and decreased TAPSE,S'and AT/ET both at resting state and under stress(P<0.01,P<0.001).Compared to the H+S group,the H+Cel group exhibited significantly increase of cardiac 12,13-diHOME level(P<0.05),reduced WBC and lymphocyte counts(P<0.01,P<0.05)and improved TAPSE and S'levels at resting state and under stress(P<0.01,P<0.001).② Compared to the H+S group,the H+di group demonstrated significantly improvement of TAPSE at basal and under stress(P<0.001)and a trend towards improved TAPSE at resting state(P=0.0532),but no obvious differences was observed in WBC and neutrophil counts between the H+di group and the H+S group.③ Compared to the H+Cel group,both the H+sEHI and H+sEHI+Cel groups exhibited significantly reduction of cardiac 12,13-diHOME level(P<0.01,P<0.05)though no statistical changes in cardiac function indicators.Compared to the H+S group,WBC counts and lymphocyte were decreased,and serum EETs level was incrased in the H+Cel group,H+sEHI group and H+sEHI+Cel group(P<0.01,P<0.001).Conclusion Celecoxib can elevate cardiac level of 12,13-diHOME and improves right heart function in mice after acute high-altitude hypoxia exposure through the CYP450-sEH metabolic pathway.
3.Muscone improves coronary microvascular disease by promoting VEGF-mediated microvascular angiogenesis
Ziyang WANG ; Dingyuan TIAN ; Pan ZHENG ; Ming CHEN ; Zimeng ZHENG ; Fang DENG ; Zhihui ZHANG
Journal of Army Medical University 2025;47(19):2374-2384
Objective To explore the impact of Shexiang Baoxin Pill(SXBXP,a traditional Chinese patent medicine,broadly applied for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases)on coronary microvascular disease(CMD)and investigate the role and underlying mechanisms of muscone,a key bioactive component of the pills,in the treatment.Methods A total of 16 ob/ob mice(8 weeks old)were randomly and equally divided into an ob/ob-SXBXP group and a ob/ob-Control group,receiving 10 mg/kg·d SXBXP or PBS via oral gavage,and another 8 wild-type mice with the same genetic background(WT group)were subjected as a negative control group.Cell model of CMD was established based on mouse coronary microvascular endothelial cells(MCMEC)under ischemia and hypoxic(HI)condition,and the cells were further treated with 20 μg/mL SXBXP(HI+SX)and 30 μmol/L muscone(HI+Muscone),respectively.Echocardiography was carried out for coronary flow reserve(CFR)and left ventricular function,and laser speckle imaging was applied to evaluate myocardial blood flow(MBF).Microvascular density in the heart was evaluated with CD31 immunofluorescence staining.The expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)in cardiac microvascular endothelial cells of both mouse and cell models were detected by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot analysis.The proliferation and angiogenesis of MCMEC were observed by 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine staining and angiogenesis experiments.Results In the ob/ob-Control group of mice,the levels of CFR,MBF,and cardiac microvascular density were significantly lower than those in the WT group(P<0.05),and these indicators were significantly improved in the ob/ob-SXBXP group when compared with the ob/ob-Control group(P<0.05),which indicates that SXBXP improves the CMD phenotype.The expression level of VEGF in cardiac microvascular endothelial cells was significantly lower in the ob/ob-Control mice than the WT mice(P<0.05),while the level in the ob/ob-SXBXP group was significantly higher than that in the ob/ob-Control group(P<0.05),illustrating that SXBXP may ameliorate CMD through VEGF-mediated microvascular angiogenesis.In vitro experiments further revealed that the VEGF expression level and the proliferation and angiogenesis abilities in MCMEC were significantly lower in the HI group than the cells under the normoxia control condition(P<0.05).Both SXBXP and muscone treatment resulted in enhanced expression of VEGF and improved proliferative and angiogenesis abilities of MCMEC(P<0.05).These results suggest that muscone could improve CMD by VEGF-mediated microvascular angiogenesis.Conclusion SXBXP can improve CMD.Muscone,as a key component of SXBXP,promotes microvascular angiogenesis by inducing the expression of VEGF,then enhances myocardial perfusion,and consequently alleviates CMD.
4.Discussion on the pathogenesis and treatment of cough variant asthma in children from the perspective of"systemic qi stagnation"
Xue GONG ; Zhihui LIU ; Fang LIU ; Xiaohong BAI
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(6):767-773
Cough variant asthma is a distinct subtype of asthma characterized by chronic irritant dry cough as the sole or predominant clinical manifestation.It is one of the primary causes of chronic cough in children.In traditional Chinese medicine,it belongs to the category of"spasmodic cough","wind-induced cough","chronic cough",and"asthmatic cough".At present,Western medicine treatment approaches mainly focus on symptomatic treatment,but fail to fully deal with its complex systemic mechanisms,and have limitations such as poor control of clinical symptoms and rebound exacerbation upon treatment cessation.Based on the theory of"systemic qi stagnation",this paper proposes that the core pathogenesis of cough variant asthma in children is qi stagnation,intermingling of phlegm and blood stasis,and obstruction of collaterals.Disease progression is fundamentally driven by exogenous pathogen activation of endogenous predispositions,particularly dysregulation of sanjiao qi movement,which serves as the primary disease-inducing factor.During the acute phase,the treatment principle focuses on dispelling wind and ventilating lung to restore physiological qi.As the disease progresses to the progressive phase,the focus shifts toward smoothing liver and purging lung to resolve qi counterflow.In the chronic phase,therapeutic strategy prioritizes dissipating phlegm and eliminating blood stasis to smooth collaterals.Finally,during the remission phase,treatment emphasizes strengthening spleen and kidney to consolidate the foundation and cultivate the vitality.This integrative approach synergizes the external elimination of latent pathogens,internal harmonization of qi movement,and dredging collaterals by dispelling blood stasis.It also incorporates the theory of"gentle dispersion to expel pathogens and moistening dryness to harmonize collaterals",aiming to provide a theoretical basis and effective prescriptions for the integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment of cough variant asthma in children.
5.Study on the association between epidemiological characteristics of mental disorders and rural revital-ization:an empirical analysis of a town in Huazhou city,Guangdong province
Jun YANG ; Zhihui XIE ; Yu CHEN ; Guanqing LI ; Lingling JIAN ; Canliang FANG
Modern Hospital 2025;25(10):1618-1622
Objective This study aims to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of mental disorders in a rural town of Huazhou City,Guangdong Province,and explore their association with the rural revitalization strategy,so as to provide evidence for policy formulation.Methods A combination of questionnaire surveys and in-depth interviews was used to collect in-formation on the demographic characteristics,disease status,economic conditions,and policy awareness of registered mental dis-order patients in the town.Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with local doctors and village committee members.Da-ta were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models to assess the impact of awareness of rural revitalization policies on patients'income.Results The average age of the study subjects was 47.71 years,with an average disease duration of 18.38 years.A total of 86.36%of patients had a family history of mental disorders.After onset,42.11%of patients had an annual income≥¥ 10 000,which was an increase compared to pre-illness levels,but 60.75%had completely lost their ability to work.Awareness of rural revitalization policies was low(only 18.29%were fully aware),but policy awareness was significant-ly associated with increased patient income(OR=18.03,P<0.001).Additionally,medical expenditures were significantly higher among female patients than male patients(P<0.001).Conclusion In a town in Huazhou City,Guangdong Province,60.75%of mental disorder patients have completely lost their ability to work,while 42.11%have an annual income exceeding ¥ 10,000.Income is positively correlated with policy awareness(OR=18.03).It is recommended to strengthen policy promo-tion,optimize the allocation of medical resources,and develop specialized assistance programs to promote the coordinated devel-opment of mental health and rural revitalization.
6.Study on the association between epidemiological characteristics of mental disorders and rural revital-ization:an empirical analysis of a town in Huazhou city,Guangdong province
Jun YANG ; Zhihui XIE ; Yu CHEN ; Guanqing LI ; Lingling JIAN ; Canliang FANG
Modern Hospital 2025;25(10):1618-1622
Objective This study aims to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of mental disorders in a rural town of Huazhou City,Guangdong Province,and explore their association with the rural revitalization strategy,so as to provide evidence for policy formulation.Methods A combination of questionnaire surveys and in-depth interviews was used to collect in-formation on the demographic characteristics,disease status,economic conditions,and policy awareness of registered mental dis-order patients in the town.Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with local doctors and village committee members.Da-ta were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models to assess the impact of awareness of rural revitalization policies on patients'income.Results The average age of the study subjects was 47.71 years,with an average disease duration of 18.38 years.A total of 86.36%of patients had a family history of mental disorders.After onset,42.11%of patients had an annual income≥¥ 10 000,which was an increase compared to pre-illness levels,but 60.75%had completely lost their ability to work.Awareness of rural revitalization policies was low(only 18.29%were fully aware),but policy awareness was significant-ly associated with increased patient income(OR=18.03,P<0.001).Additionally,medical expenditures were significantly higher among female patients than male patients(P<0.001).Conclusion In a town in Huazhou City,Guangdong Province,60.75%of mental disorder patients have completely lost their ability to work,while 42.11%have an annual income exceeding ¥ 10,000.Income is positively correlated with policy awareness(OR=18.03).It is recommended to strengthen policy promo-tion,optimize the allocation of medical resources,and develop specialized assistance programs to promote the coordinated devel-opment of mental health and rural revitalization.
7.Performance of 99Tc m-PYP scintigraphy in differentiation of transthyretin-related cardiac amyloidosis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Honghui GUO ; Xinlu ZHANG ; Xin XIANG ; Rongchen AN ; Zhihui FANG ; Qianchun YE ; Chuning DONG ; Xuan YIN ; Xiaowei MA ; Yunhua WANG
Chinese Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2024;44(11):668-672
Objective:To investigate the efficacy of 99Tc m-pyrophosphate (PYP) SPECT imaging for the differential diagnosis of transthyretin-related cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Methods:Data of patients who were definitively diagnosed with ATTR-CA (35 patients (28 males, 7 females); age 62.5(58.6, 64.3) years) or HCM (14 patients (13 males, 1 female); age 60.5(57.3, 68.7) years) by extracardiac biopsy and echocardiography in the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between June 2020 and March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent planar and SPECT imaging 1 h after injection of 370-720 MBq 99Tc m-PYP. Visual scoring was performed (0-1 was negative, 2-3 was positive), and heart-to-contralateral lung uptake ratio (H/CL) was calculated based on planar images. The χ2 test was used to compare the difference in visual scores between ATTR-CA and HCM groups, and the diagnostic efficacy of the visual score was calculated. The H/CL differences between ATTR and HCM groups were compared with Mann-Whitney U test, and the ROC curve was used to analyze the efficacy of H/CL for the differential diagnosis of ATTR-CA and HCM. Results:There were 34 patients with visual scores≥2 and 1 patient with visual score<2 in the ATTR-CA group, 6 patients with visual scores =2 and 8 patients with visual scores <2 in HCM group, and there were significant differences between the 2 groups ( χ2=16.20, P<0.001). The diagnostic sensitivity of the visual score was 97.1%(34/35), and the specificity was 8/14. The H/CL in the ATTR-CA group was significantly higher than that in the HCM group (2.08(1.97, 2.20) vs 1.26 (1.17, 1.35), z=-5.09, P<0.001). The ROC curve analysis suggested that the optimal cut-off value was 1.45 (AUC: 0.980, 95% CI: 0.946-1.000; P<0.001); the sensitivity of H/CL differential diagnosis between HCM and ATTR-CA was 97.1%(34/35), and the specificity was 14/14. Conclusion:99Tc m-PYP SPECT imaging is useful in differentiation of ATTR-CA and HCM, and the optimal cut-off value of H/CL for differential diagnosis of these 2 diseases is 1.45.
8.Diagnostic value of thromboelastography combined with conventional coagulation test for trauma-induced coagulopathy in patients with electric burns in the early stage
Quan LI ; Te BA ; Shengjun CAO ; Fang LI ; Zengqiang YAN ; Zhihui HOU ; Lingfeng WANG
Chinese Journal of Burns 2024;40(8):740-745
Objective:To explore the diagnostic value of thromboelastography (TEG) combined with conventional coagulation test (CCT) for trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) in patients with electric burns in the early stage.Methods:This study was a retrospective case series research. From February 2018 to February 2024, the clinical data of 128 electric burn patients and 118 thermal burn patients who met the inclusion criteria and admitted to the Department of Burn Surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University were collected, including 224 males and 22 females, aged (38±14) years. The patients were divided into electric burn group (128 cases) and thermal burn group (118 cases) according to their injuries. The incidence of TIC, the indicators of CCT, including prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, thrombin time, fibrinogen level, D-dimer level, platelet count, and the detection indicators of TEG, including coagulation reaction time, K value, coagulation angle, maximum thrombus amplitude, comprehensive coagulation index, and lysis rate at 30 minutes after maximum amplitude within 8 hours of admission were compared between the two groups of patients. The Kappa test was used to analyze the consistency between CCT and TEG in diagnosing TIC in patients with electric burns in the early stage after burns. The receiver operating characteristic curves of CCT, TEG, and TEG combined with CCT in diagnosing TIC in 128 patients with electric burns were drawn, and the area under the curve (AUC), the maximum Jordan index, and sensitivity and specificity at this time were calculated.Results:The proportion of patients diagnosed with TIC in electric burn group was 19.5% (25/128) within 8 hours of admission, which was significantly higher than 10.2% (12/118) in thermal burn group ( χ2=4.21, P<0.05). Compared with those in thermal burn group, prothrombin time was significantly shortened ( t=-2.32, P<0.05), D-dimer level, fibrinogen level, and platelet count were significantly increased (with Z values of -2.11 and -4.16, respectively, t=4.69, P<0.05), the coagulation reaction time was significantly shortened ( t=-2.51, P<0.05), and the maximum thrombus amplitude and lysis rate at 30 minutes after the maximum amplitude were significantly increased (with t values of 2.50 and 2.10, respectively, P<0.05) in patients in electric burn group within 8 hours of admission. There were no statistically significant differences in the other CCT indicators and TEG detection indicators between the two groups of patients ( P>0.05). The CCT and TEG showed high consistency in the diagnosis of TIC in patients with electric burns in the early stage after burns (Kappa=0.63, P<0.05). The AUCs of TEG combined with CCT, TEG, and CCT in diagnosis of TIC in 128 patients with electric burns were 0.92, 0.84, and 0.77 (with 95% confidence intervals of 0.86-0.97, 0.71-0.97, and 0.71-0.97, respectively), with the maximum Jordan indexes of 0.86, 0.57, and 0.65. At this time, the specificity was 93.7%, 83.2%, and 88.2%, respectively, and the sensitivity was 92.3%, 87.5%, and 76.5%, respectively. Conclusions:Patients with electric burns are in a state of hypercoagulability of coagulation system and hyperfunction of fibrinolysis system in the early stage after burns, and TEG combined with CCT can increase the diagnostic rate of TIC in patients with electric burns.
9.Role of Perilipin 2 in microvesicular hepatic steatosis induced by CGI-58 specific knockout in mice
Yixin ZHANG ; Jie LI ; Xiaoqin WAN ; Xiaoqing JIANG ; Jianghui CHEN ; Fang DENG ; Mindian LI ; Qian ZHANG ; Xinyu BAO ; Zhihui ZHANG
Journal of Army Medical University 2024;46(15):1701-1712
Objective To explore whether hepatocyte Perilipin-2(Plin2)is involved in the development of fatty liver related to comparative gene identification-58(CGI-58)deficiency mice and compare the effects of Plin2 and Plin3 on lipid droplet formation and lipid accumulation.Methods Based on CGI-58Flox/Flox mice as animal model,the adeno-associated viruses targeting mouse liver,CGI-58 knockout and Plini2 knockdown were achieved by co-expression Cre protein and micro-RNA targeting Plin2(Mi-KD).Then CGI-58 deficiency mice were used as control(NC)to detect the differences in metabolic phenotype and liver pathology.AML-12 mouse hepatocytes were used as cellular model and interfered with siRNA to achieve Plin2/Plin3 knockdown in AML-12 cells.Lipid droplet formation and lipid accumulation were compared with Bodipy staining and enzyme colorimetry in basal condition or lipid-overloaded condition(OA inducement)after Plin2/Plin3 knockdown.Results Plin2 knockdown(Mi-KD)reduced PLIN2 protein level by>99%in mouse livers.Mi-KD decreased hepatomegaly(P=0.019 5)and liver injury(P=0.000 4),while reduced the histological NAS score(P=0.000 2)and hepatic triglyceride content(P=0.016 6)in the CGI-58 deficiency female mice.Mi-KD prevented microvesicular hepatic steatosis in the CGI-58 deficient female mice.Plin3 knockdown significantly reduced the triglyceride content in basal condition of hepatocytes(P=0.001 4),and Plin2 knockdown just showed a decreased trend.Plin2 or Plin3 knockdown significantly reduced the triglyceride content separately in lipid-overloaded hepatocytes(P<0.05).Conclusion Hepatocyte Plin2 is essential in the development of microvesicular hepatic steatosis caused by CGI-58 deficiency.Both Plin2 and Plin3 are involved in lipid droplet formation and lipid accumulation in hepatocytes,and Plin3 shows a stronger effect.
10.Current situation and influencing factors of moral resilience of elderly care workers in elderly care institutions
Journal of Shenyang Medical College 2024;26(6):564-569
Objective:To investigate the current situation of moral resilience of elderly care workers in elderly care institutions and analyze its influencing factors.Methods:A total of 225 elderly care workers from 7 private elderly care institutions in Zhangzhou City were selected from Sep 2023 to Nov 2023 by convenience sampling.The general information questionnaire,Rushton moral resilience scale(RMRS),nurses'moral dilemma scale,nurses'moral courage scale,social support rating scale(SSRS),and hospital ethical atmosphere scale were used to investigate.Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation of moral resilience with moral dilemma,moral courage,social support and ethical climate.Generalized linear regression was used to analyze the main factors affecting the moral resilience of elderly care workers.Results:The total score of moral resilience of elderly care workers in elderly care institutions was 41.00(35.00,47.00).Spearman correlation analysis showed that moral resilience was positively correlated with moral dilemma score and moral courage score(r=0.364 and 0.279,respectively,P<0.01),and weakly correlated with social support score and ethical atmosphere score(P>0.05).Generalized linear regression showed that moral courage and moral dilemma were the influencing factors of moral resilience of elderly care workers in elderly care institutions(β=0.041 and 0.216,respectively,P<0.01).Conclusions:The moral resilience of elderly care workers in elderly care institutions is at a medium level.Managers of elderly care institutions should formulate corresponding measures to improve the ability of elderly care workers to deal with moral dilemmas,enhance the inherent potential of moral courage,and then improve the moral resilience of elderly care workers.


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