Deficiencies in the clearance of peripheral amyloid β (Aβ) play a crucial role in the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previous studies have shown that the ability of blood monocytes to phagocytose Aβ is decreased in AD. However, the exact mechanism of Aβ clearance dysfunction in AD monocytes remains unclear. In the present study, we found that blood monocytes in AD mice exhibited decreases in energy metabolism, which was accompanied by cellular senescence, a senescence-associated secretory phenotype, and dysfunctional phagocytosis of Aβ. Improving energy metabolism rejuvenated monocytes and enhanced their ability to phagocytose Aβ in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, enhancing blood monocyte Aβ phagocytosis by improving energy metabolism alleviated brain Aβ deposition and neuroinflammation and eventually improved cognitive function in AD mice. This study reveals a new mechanism of impaired Aβ phagocytosis in monocytes and provides evidence that restoring their energy metabolism may be a novel therapeutic strategy for AD.
Animals ; Mice ; Alzheimer Disease ; Amyloid beta-Peptides ; Monocytes ; Cognition ; Energy Metabolism ; Phagocytosis

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of modified all-arthroscopic reconstruction of medial patella femoral ligament (MPFL) for the treatment of recurrent patellar dislocation.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 38 patients (46 knees) with recurrent patellar dislocation, who were treated at First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University from January 2017 to January 2020. The patients included 12 males (12 knees) and 26 females (34 knees), aged 14-40 years [(24.6±5.4)years]. All patients underwent the modified all-arthroscopic MPFL reconstruction procedure. The femoral tunnel locations were assessed by 3D-CT immediately after surgery. The MRI was performed at 6 and 12 months after operation to assess the healing morphology of the reconstructed MPFL. The Lysholm score and Kujala score were used to assess the knee function before operation, at 6 months after operation, at 12 months after operation and at the last follow-up. The time to return to sports as well as complications were observed.Results:All patients were followed up for 26-48 months [(32.4±8.6)months]. Postoperative 3D-CT examination showed that the femoral tunnels were located in the groove area of the medial epicondyle of the femur and the adductor tubercle. At 6 and 12 months after operation, MRI T2 images showed that the reconstructed MPFL had a low signal and well tensioned ligament tissue, indicating that the MPFL was healed well. The Lysholm scores at 6 and 12 months postoperatively and at the last follow-up were (81.1±12.0)points, (91.2±3.8)points, and (92.2±9.8)points, respectively, being significantly higher than the preoperative (52.4±10.6)points (all P<0.01). The Kujala scores at 6 and 12 months postoperatively and at the last follow-up were (85.4±3.9)points, (91.4±3.6)points, and (93.1±8.5)points, respectively, being significantly higher than the preoperative (55.2±6.8)points (all P<0.01). Compared with 6 months postoperatively, the Lysholm score and Kujala score were significantly improved at 12 months postoperatively and at the last follow-up (all P<0.05). All patients returned to sports, with the time to return to sports for 3-12 months [(8.7±2.3)months] after operation. One patient had poor wound healing but was healed after dressing changes. No wound infection, nerve injury, joint stiffness, patella re-dislocation or other complications occurred. Conclusion:For recurrent patellar dislocation, the modified all-arthroscopic MPFL reconstruction has advantages of accurate bone tunnel positioning, good ligament healing, good function recovery, early return to sports, and less postoperative complications.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of glutamate scavenger oxaloacetate (OA) combined with CGS21680, an adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) agonist, on acute traumatic brain injury (TBI), and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. C57BL/6J mice were subjected to moderate-level TBI by controlled cortical impact, and then were treated with OA, CGS21680, or OA combined with CGS21680 at acute stage of TBI. At 24 h post TBI, neurological severity score, brain water content, glutamate concentration in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), mRNA and protein levels of IL-1β and TNF-α, mRNA level and activity of glutamate oxaloacetate aminotransferase (GOT), and ATP level of brain tissue were detected. The results showed that neurological deficit, brain water content, glutamate concentration in CSF, and the inflammatory cytokine IL-1β and TNF-α production were exacerbated in CGS21680 treated mice. Administrating OA suppressed the rise of both glutamate concentration in CSF and brain water content, and elevated the ATP level of cerebral tissue. More interestingly, neurological deficit, brain edema, glutamate concentration, IL-1β and TNF-α levels were ameliorated significantly in mice treated with OA combined with CGS21680. The combined treatment exhibited better therapeutic effects than single OA treatment. We also observed that GOT activity was enhanced in single CGS21680 treatment group, and both the GOT mRNA level and GOT activity were up-regulated in early-stage combined treatment group. These results suggest that A2AR can improve the efficiency of GOT and potentiate the ability of OA to metabolize glutamate. This may be the mechanism that A2AR activation in combination group augmented the neuroprotective effect of OA rather than aggravated the brain damages. Taken together, the present study provides a new insight for the clinical treatment of TBI with A2AR agonists and OA.
Adenosine A2 Receptor Agonists/therapeutic use* ; Adenosine Triphosphate ; Animals ; Brain Injuries/metabolism* ; Brain Injuries, Traumatic/metabolism* ; Glutamic Acid ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neuroprotective Agents/therapeutic use* ; Oxaloacetic Acid/therapeutic use* ; RNA, Messenger ; Receptor, Adenosine A2A/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics* ; Water

Objective    To explore and analyze the risk factors for arrhythmia in patients after heart valve replacement. Methods    A retrospective analysis of 213 patients undergoing cardiac valve replacement surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass in our hospital from August 2017 to August 2019 was performed, including 97 males and 116 females, with an average age of 53.4±10.5 year and cardiac function classification (NYHA) grade of Ⅱ-Ⅳ. According to the occurrence of postoperative arrhythmia, the patients were divided into a non-postoperative arrhythmia group and a postoperative arrhythmia group. The clinical data of the two groups were compared, and the influencing factors for arrhythmia after heart valve replacement were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. Results    There were 96 (45%) patients with new arrhythmia after heart valve replacement surgery, and the most common type of arrhythmia was atrial fibrillation (45 patients, 18.44%). Preoperative arrhythmia rate, atrial fibrillation operation rate, postoperative minimum blood potassium value, blood magnesium value in the postoperative arrhythmia group were significantly lower than those in the non-postoperative arrhythmia group (P<0.05); hypoxemia incidence, hyperglycemia incidence, acidosis incidence, fever incidence probability were significantly higher than those in the non-postoperative arrhythmia group (P<0.05). The independent risk factors for postoperative arrhythmia were the lowest postoperative serum potassium value (OR=0.305, 95%CI 0.114-0.817), serum magnesium value (OR=0.021, 95%CI 0.002-0.218), and hypoxemia (OR=2.490, 95%CI 1.045-5.930). Conclusion    Taking precautions before surgery, improving hypoxemia after surgery, maintaining electrolyte balance and acid-base balance, monitoring blood sugar, detecting arrhythmia as soon as possible and dealing with it in time can shorten the ICU stay time, reduce the occurrence of complications, and improve the prognosis of patients.

Objective: Transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) was a very hot topic in the first few years since its appearance, but now more introspections and controversies on this procedure have emerged. One of the reasons why the Norwegian Ministry of Health stopped taTME was the high incidence of postoperative anastomotic leak. In current study, the incidence and risk factors of anastomotic leak after taTME were analyzed based on the data registered in the Chinese taTME Registry Collaborative (CTRC). Methods: A case-control study was carried out. Between November 15, 2017 and December 31, 2020, clinical data of 1668 patients undergoing taTME procedure registered in the CTRC database from 43 domestic centers were collected retrospectively. After excluding 98 cases without anastomosis and 109 cases without complete postoperative complication data, 1461 patients were finally enrolled for analysis. There were 1036 males (70.9%) and 425 females (29.1%) with mean age of (58.2±15.6) years and mean body mass index of (23.6±3.8) kg/m(2). Anastomotic leak was diagnosed and classified according to the International Study Group of Rectal Cancer (ISREC) criteria. The risk factors associated with postoperative anastomotic leak cases were analyzed. The impact of the cumulative number of taTME surgeries in a single center on the incidence of anastomotic leak was evaluated. As for those centers with the number of taTME surgery ≥ 40 cases, incidence of anastomic leak between 20 cases of taTME surgery in the early and later phases was compared. Results: Of 1461 patients undergoing taTME, 103(7.0%) developed anastomotic leak, including 71 (68.9%) males and 32 (31.1%) females with mean age of (59.0±13.9) years and mean body mass index of (24.5±5.7) kg/m(2). The mean distance between anastomosis site and anal verge was (2.6±1.4) cm. Thirty-nine cases (37.9%) were classified as ISREC grade A, 30 cases (29.1%) as grade B and 34 cases (33.0%) as grade C. Anastomotic leak occurred in 89 cases (7.0%,89/1263) in the laparoscopic taTME group and 14 cases (7.1%, 14/198) in the pure taTME group. Multivariate analysis showed that hand-sewn anastomosis (P=0.004) and the absence of defunctioning stoma (P=0.013) were independently associated with anastomotic leak after taTME. In the 16 centers (37.2%) which performed ≥ 30 taTME surgeries with cumulative number of 1317 taTME surgeries, 86 cases developed anastomotic leak (6.5%, 86/1317). And in the 27 centers which performed less than 30 taTME surgeries with cumulative number of 144 taTME surgeries, 17 cases developed anastomotic leak (11.8%, 17/144). There was significant difference between two kinds of center (χ(2)=5.513, P=0.019). Thirteen centers performed ≥ 40 taTME surgeries. In the early phase (the first 20 cases in each center), 29 cases (11.2%, 29/260) developed anastomotic leak, and in the later phase, 12 cases (4.6%, 12/260) developed anastomotic leak. The difference between the early phase and the later phase was statistically significant (χ(2)=7.652, P=0.006). Conclusion: The incidence of anastomotic leak after taTME may be reduced by using stapler and defunctioning stoma, or by accumulating experience.
Adult ; Aged ; Anastomotic Leak/etiology* ; Case-Control Studies ; China/epidemiology* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Laparoscopy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications/epidemiology* ; Rectal Neoplasms/surgery* ; Rectum/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

Cerebellar malfunction can lead to sleep disturbance such as excessive daytime sleepiness, suggesting that the cerebellum may be involved in regulating sleep and/or wakefulness. However, understanding the features of cerebellar regulation in sleep and wakefulness states requires a detailed characterization of neuronal activity within this area. By performing multiple-unit recordings in mice, we showed that Purkinje cells (PCs) in the cerebellar cortex exhibited increased firing activity prior to the transition from sleep to wakefulness. Notably, the increased PC activity resulted from the inputs of low-frequency non-PC units in the cerebellar cortex. Moreover, the increased PC activity was accompanied by decreased activity in neurons of the deep cerebellar nuclei at the non-rapid eye-movement sleep-wakefulness transition. Our results provide in vivo electrophysiological evidence that the cerebellum has the potential to actively regulate the sleep-wakefulness transition.

A novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) epidemic has occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province since December 2019, caused by a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) never been seen previously in human. China has imposed the strictest quarantine and closed management measures in history to control the spreading of the disease. However, severe trauma can still occur in the NCP patients. In order to standardize the emergency treatment and the infection prevention and control of severe trauma patients with hidden infection, suspected or confirmed infection of 2019-nCoV, Trauma Surgery Branch of Chinese Medical Doctors' Association organized this expert consensus. The consensus illustrated the classification of the NCP patients, severe trauma patients in need of emergency surgery, emergency surgery type, hierarchical protection for medical personnel and treatment places. Meanwhile, the consensus standardized the screening, injury severity evaluation, emergency surgical treatment strategy and postoperative management strategy of severe trauma patients during the epidemic period of NCP, providing a basis for the clinical treatment of such kind of patients.

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of Huanshao Capsules (HSC) in the treatment of oligoasthenospermia with spleen and kidney asthenia.

METHODSThis randomized, open, multicentered, positive drug controlled clinical trial included 200 cases of oligoasthenospermia with spleen and kidney asthenia, which were assigned to a trial and a control group of equal number to be treated with HSC at the dose of 3 capsules tid and Wuziyanzong Pills at 6 g bid, respectively, both for 12 weeks. We compared the semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm count, sperm motility and percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS) as the main therapeutic indicators as well as the pregnancy rate as the secondary therapeutic indicator between the two groups of patients before and at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after medication.

RESULTSTotally, 190 of the patients completed the clinical observation, 96 in the trial and 94 in the control group. Compared with the baseline, the patients of the trial group showed significant time-dependent increases at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after medication in the mean sperm concentration (14.78 vs 15.33, 20.98 and 28.78 ×10⁶/ml, P < 0.05), percentage of grade a sperm (12.17% vs 15.05%, 21.17% and 26.97%, P < 0.05), PMS (24.78% vs 28.97%, 37.23% and 47.67%, P < 0.05), and sperm viability (38.64% vs 44.18%, 51.67% and 60.45%, P < 0.05). The pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the trial than in the control group 29.17% vs 18.09%, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSHuanshao Capsules can improve the semen quality and pregnancy rate in the treatment of oligoasthenospermia patients with spleen and kidney asthenia, and therefore deserves a wide clinical application.

Capsules ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Oligospermia ; drug therapy ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; Treatment Outcome

Objective: To search for an optimal strategy for the treatment of penile and scrotal gangrene by analyzing the clinical effect of vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) as an adjuvant treatment on this disease. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data about 4 cases of penile and scrotal gangrene treated by VSD as an adjuvant treatment from January 2015 to June 2016. The 4 patients all underwent early extensive and radical debridement of gangrene of the scrotum and penis and received intravenous injection of two broad-spectrum antibiotics, followed by VSD for wound drainage and irrigation. RESULTS: Adequate wound drainage was achieved in all the 4 cases, the gangrene range rapidly localized and testicular necrosis avoided. The wound surface healed satisfactorily after cleansing and suturing. The patients were followed up for 3 months after discharged from the hospital and none experienced recurrence. CONCLUSIONS VSD combined with early adequate debridement can effectively localize the gangrene range, significantly reduce the frequency of changing dressings and shorten the hospitalization time of the patient, and therefore is a very effective adjuvant treatment of penile and scrotal gangrene.
Debridement ; Gangrene ; therapy ; Genital Diseases, Male ; pathology ; prevention & control ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy ; methods ; Penis ; pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Scrotum ; pathology ; Testis ; pathology ; Treatment Outcome ; Vacuum