1.A case report of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis carrying SOD1-p.A5S mutation and related literature analysis
Qingqing ZHOU ; Rui JIA ; Jiaoting JIN ; Jingxia DANG
Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University(Medical Sciences) 2024;45(1):139-144
Objective Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS)is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease.Mutations in the Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase 1 gene(SOD1)have been identified as the cause of familial ALS.Sequencing the SOD1 gene may be helpful for patients with a suspected family history of ALS.This article reports for the first time a case of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with SOD1-p.A5S mutation in Han Chinese and summarizes its clinical characteristics.Method and Results This is the first report on Chinese Han of ALS with SOD1-p.A5S mutation and review of relevant case literature to summarize its clinical characteristics.The study case is a 34-year-old male who was admitted to the Neurology Department of The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University with a complaint of"weakness in both lower limbs for 2 years,worsening with both hands for 6 months".The main clinical manifestations were progressive limb weakness,no swallowing difficulties or cognitive impairment.Further improvement of routine examinations and electromyography after admission were made to rule out other diagnoses,and genetic testing was conducted.Based on the patient's typical clinical manifestations and evidence of involvement of lower motor neurons in the cervical,thoracic,and lumbar spinal cord areas indicated by electromyography,other diagnoses and characteristic gene testing results were reasonably excluded,and ALS was diagnosed.The genetic testing results indicated that the patient had a heterozygous mutation in SOD1 exon 1,c.13G>T(p.A5S),and his mother had a suspicious medical history but died without genetic verification.After discharge,the follow-up period lasted until August 21,2022,with a total of 38 months and a course of 62 months.Further review of the clinical characteristics of other patients with the same site mutation reported in the literature reveals that the progress of this patient with the mutation was slower than that of other patients with the same site mutation reported in the literature.Conclusion This study shows that gene sequencing is a powerful tool for diagnosing familial ALS.The mutation of c.13G>T(p.A5S)in exon 1 of SOD1 is a rare pathogenic variation.The progress of patients with this subtype is slow,which further indicates that gene detection has important value in the diagnosis and prognosis of ALS.
2.A retrospective study on the evolution of TCM syndrome and TCM syndrome elements in the course of disease in 1,049 patients with psoriasis vulgaris
Jiayue WANG ; Ping LI ; Dongmei ZHOU ; Yanping BAI ; Xingwu DUAN ; Haibing LAN ; Yiding ZHAO ; Jingxia ZHAO ; Yan WANG ; Tingting DI ; Yujiao MENG ; Zhaoxia CHEN
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;47(10):1438-1448
Objective The study aimed to elucidate the evolution of the syndromes in Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)and TCM syndrome elements in different chronic stages of psoriasis vulgaris.Methods A database was constructed using electronic medical records collected from July 2019 to March 2024 from 1,049 patients with psoriasis vulgaris.The study used Sankey diagrams and network association graphs to analyze the evolution of TCM syndromes and their elements in patients at the different stages:initial diagnosis,progressive stage(Week 2-3),progressive stage(Week 4-5),skin lesion improvement stage(Week 6-7),and remission stage.The syndrome elements network was constructed using community detection algorithms,and the association rules between local skin lesion syndrome differentiation and overall syndrome differentiation were displayed using heatmaps.Results(ⅰ)Initial diagnosis.In the syndrome differentiation of local skin lesions,blood heat syndrome was the most common(79.79%);among the disease location of TCM syndrome elements(called"disease location"),liver was the most prevalent(35.62%);and among the pathological factors of TCM syndrome elements(called"pathological factors"),fire(heat)was the most common(75.48%).(ⅱ)Active stage(Week 2-3).In the syndrome differentiation of local skin lesions,blood heat syndrome remained the most prevalent(73.13%);among the disease location,liver was still the most prevalent(31.71%);and among the pathological factors,fire(heat)continued to be the most common(82.11%),while dampness(22.26%)and qi stagnation(8.39%)began to increase.(ⅲ)Active stage(Week 4-5).The syndrome differentiation of local skin lesions was dominated by blood heat syndrome(45.91%)and blood dryness syndrome(37.19%);among disease location,the interior was the most prevalent(15.25%);and among the pathological factors,fire(heat)remained the most common(50.66%),with an increase in yin deficiency(34.26%).(ⅳ)Skin lesion improvement stage(Week 6-7).In the syndrome differentiation of local skin lesions,both blood dryness syndrome(49.44%)and blood stasis syndrome(33.33%)increased;among the disease location,meridians increased most significantly and became the most prevalent(13.44%);and among the pathological factors,blood stasis increased most significantly and became the most prevalent(28.20%).(ⅴ)Remission stage.In the syndrome differentiation of local skin lesions,blood stasis syndrome became the primary(55.69%),while the percentage of blood dryness syndrome decreased(21.16%);meridians(25.71%)and blood stasis(62.34%)remained the most predominant syndrome elements related to disease location or pathological factors.Conclusion The overall pattern of TCM syndromes in psoriasis vulgaris evolved from excess to deficiency.From the initial diagnosis to the active phase(Week 2-3),heat syndrome dominated;during the active phase(Week 4-5),heat syndrome coexisted with damp syndrome or yin deficiency syndrome;changes in the syndrome element network were the most significant during the lesion improvement phase,with blood stasis gradually increasing and peaking during the remission phase.Blood stasis,dampness,and qi stagnation were pervasive throughout psoriasis vulgaris;qi stagnation and blood stasis may be the main elements causing further deterioration and prolonged course of the disease during the active phase in patients.
3.Neuroprotective effects of Shaoyao Gancao decoction against excitatory damage in PC12 cells based on the Src-NR2-nNOS pathway
Xiaxu Fan ; Hongyan Ma ; Tiantian Zhou ; Min Fu ; Zhiyuan Qiao ; Yingtong Feng ; Zhen Wang ; Yiwei Shen ; Jingxia Wang
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences 2024;11(3):293-302
Objective:
To explore the neuroprotective effects of the Shaoyao Gancao decoction (SGD) against excitatory damage in PC12 cells and the role of the Src-NR2-nNOS pathway mediation by SGD in regulating γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-glutamate (Glu) homeostasis.
Methods:
N-Methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) was used to establish a PC12 cell excitability injury model. To investigate the neuroprotective effect of SGD, a cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to determine PC12 cell viability, Annexin V/Propidium Iodide (Annexin V/PI) double staining was used to determine PC12 cell apoptosis, and Ca2+ concentration was observed using laser confocal microscopy. GABA receptor agonists and antagonists were used to analyze the neuroprotective interactions between γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and NMDA receptors. Additionally, molecular biology techniques were used to determine mRNA and protein expression in the Src-NR2-nNOS pathway. We analyzed the correlations between the regulatory sites of GABA and NMDA interactions, excitatory neurotoxicity, and brain damage at the molecular level.
Results:
NMDA excitotoxic injury manifested as a significant decrease in cell activity, increased apoptosis and caspase-3 protein expression, and a significant increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Administration of SGD, a GABAA receptor agonist (muscimol), or a GABAB receptor agonist (baclofen) decreased intracellular Ca2+ concentrations, attenuated apoptosis, and reversed NMDA-induced upregulation of caspase-3, Src, NMDAR2A, NMDAR2B, and nNOS. Unexpectedly, a GABAA receptor antagonist (bicuculline) and a GABAB receptor antagonist (saclofen) failed to significantly increase excitatory neurotoxicity.
Conclusions
Taken together, these results not only provide an experimental basis for SGD administration in the clinical treatment of central nervous system injury diseases, but also suggest that the Src-NR2A-nNOS pathway may be a valuable target in excitotoxicity treatment.
4.Effects of pre-hospital health education based on "Internet +" on self-management efficacy, anxiety and depression of patients undergoing pulmonary tumor surgery
Lifeng LIU ; Qiong WU ; Jingxia SUN ; Jianping ZHOU ; Yongsheng SHA ; Lan WANG
Chinese Journal of Practical Nursing 2023;39(3):175-181
Objective:To explore the effect of pre-hospital health education based on "Internet +" on self-management efficacy, anxiety and depression of patients undergoing pulmonary tumor surgery, and provide reference for pre-hospital nursing care of this group.Methods:It was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 100 outpatients in Department of Pulmonary Oncology, Tumor Hospital of Tianjin Medical University to be hospitalized for surgery during November 2021 to March 2022, were divided into experimental group ( n=50) and control group ( n=50) by random number method according to the order of outpatient visits. Patients in control group received routine thoracic surgery nursing and health education after admission. Those in experimental group received "Internet +" pre-hospital health education during patients waiting for hospital beds for surgery, nursing care after admission was the same as that of the control group. The scores of Strategies Used by People to Promote Health (SUPPH) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score (HADS) were compared between the two groups 1 day before discharge. Results:At the time of outpatient visit, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the comparison of all dimensions and total scores of SUPPH and the score of HADS ( P>0.05). Total SUPPH score, and self-decompression, self-decision and positive attitude score of experimental group were (110.62 ± 17.73) points, (38.74 ± 6.56) points, (11.98 ± 2.20) points, (59.90 ± 10.18) points, respectively, while in the control group, the scores were (92.86 ± 18.91) points, (32.46 ± 7.39) points, (9.76 ± 2.00) points and (50.64 ± 11.50) points, respectively, with statistically significant differences ( t values were -5.29--4.27, all P<0.01). Besides, the anxiety and depression scores of HADS in experimental group were (3.92 ± 2.25) points and (3.36 ± 2.38) points, respectively, while those in control group were (7.12 ± 3.49) points and (7.00 ± 3.53) points, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant ( t=5.45, 6.04, both P<0.01). Conclusions:The "Internet +" pre-hospital health education model can promote the self-management efficacy of patients undergoing pulmonary tumor surgery, and improve their psychological state during treatment. The study provided reference for promoting diversified extended nursing services in clinical practice.
5.Factors affecting Babinski sign in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Li KANG ; Xing QIN ; Jiaoting JIN ; Fangfang HU ; Xiao LIU ; Rui JIA ; Ronghua ZHANG ; Qingqing ZHOU ; Jingxia DANG
Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University(Medical Sciences) 2023;44(2):257-262
【Objective】 To explore the factors affecting Babinski sign in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). 【Methods】 We enrolled 262 patients diagnosed with ALS with adequate data in Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University from 2015 to 2020. The relationship between the clinical characteristics of patients with positive and negative Babinski sign was analyzed for both sides, respectively. Furthermore, for patients with left or right lower limb weakness complaint, the relationship between Babinski sign and the lower limb involvement characteristics was analyzed. 【Results】 Positive Babinski sign was positively correlated with higher diagnostic category (left correlation coefficient 0.297, P<0.001; right correlation coefficient 0.292, P<0.001). Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) score was lower in patients with positive Babinski sign (left P=0.001, right P=0.001); the proportion of complaints of ipsilateral lower limb weakness was higher (left P=0.008, right P=0.038); the positive rate of ipsilateral upper limb Hoffmann sign was higher (left P=0.004, right P=0.002). In patients with complaints of lower limb weakness, positive Babinski sign was positively correlated with better foot dorsiflexor muscle strength (left correlation coefficient 0.207, P=0.021; right correlation coefficient 0.264, P=0.003), and the proportion of ipsilateral tibialis anterior atrophy was lower in positive Babinski sign group (left P<0.001, right P=0.008); the ratio of ipsilateral common peroneal nerve compound muscle action potential (CMAP)/tibial nerve CMAP was different in positive Babinski sign and negative groups (left P=0.008, right P=0.015), which were positively correlated (left correlation coefficient 0.246, P=0.007; right correlation coefficient 0.223, P=0.015). 【Conclusion】 Patients with positive Babinski sign usually have a higher diagnostic category and more extensive clinical involvement. In ALS patients with complaints of lower limb weakness, Babinski sign is more likely to be elicited when the degree of weakness and atrophy of the anterior calf muscles is relatively low.
6.Research progress of memantine hydrochloride in the treatment of radiation-induced cognitive dysfunction and its combined application with vitamins
Jin WANG ; Ruoyang LI ; Xuewei ZHAO ; Hui LI ; Zhiguo ZHOU ; Jingxia ZHAO
Journal of International Oncology 2023;50(10):622-626
Radiation-induced cognitive dysfunction (RICD) has an insidious onset and there is a lack of effective prevention and treatment measures. The efficacy of memantine hydrochloride as a classical treatment drug is limited, and it is inevitable to seek multi-target combination drugs. In recent years, the protective effect of vitamin E and vitamin D on cognitive function has been widely recognized. Several basic studies have shown that vitamin E can play a role in the combination of medication by protecting neurons and reducing the adverse effects caused by memantine hydrochloride; Vitamin D and memantine hydrochloride have also become a hot topic of research due to their significant synergistic effects. The combination of memantine hydrochloride and vitamin therapy is expected to bring additional benefits to RICD patients.
7.High intensity focused ultrasound in the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer
Guoqun XIE ; Zhengjun HU ; Xiaocui ZHOU ; Xiaodong GUO ; Jingxia WANG ; Liubo LI ; Qiulin XU
Tumor 2023;43(10):799-808
Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided high intensity focused ultrasound(HIFU)on pain intensity,pain sensation and overall survival in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Methods:Clinical data of advanced pancreatic cancer patients treated by HIFU were collected from the patients enrolled during August 2020 to September 2022 at the second department for oncology of Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.In this study,SPSS 26.0 software was used for the statistical analysis of NRS score and BPI score.The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis method was applied to calculate the median overall survival(OS)and then the survival curve was drawn.At the same time,the incidence of related adverse reactions during and after HIFU treatment was counted. Results:(1)Among the 45 patients,30 patients received HIFU combined with chemotherapy,and the other 15 patients only received HIFU.(2)Among the 45 patients,32 patients had pain relief after HIFU treatment,and the NRS score kept decreased across 1 week,2 weeks,3 weeks and 1 month after HIFU treatment(P<0.05).The pain sensation score of BPI scale also decreased correspondingly,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).(3)The median OS of 45 patients was 11.1 months(95%Cl:9.30-1 2.90),of which 30 patients treated with HIFU combined chemotherapy had a median OS of 12.4 months(95%Cl:9.1 8-15.62),and 15 patients treated with HIFU only had a median OS of 4.6 months(95%Cl:1.11-8.10).(4)No serious adverse events were observed in all patients during and after HIFU treatment.Only 5 patients had asymptomatic mild elevation of blood amylase,and the incidence of mild adverse reactions was 11.1%. Conclusion:HIFU can effectively relieve pain and prolong the median survival time in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
8.Effects of personalized rehabilitation exercise program customized under cardiopulmonary exercise test on cardiac function and prognosis of patients with chronic heart failure
Huizhi WU ; Haixia YU ; Yujun GAO ; Jingxia ZHOU ; Yishu ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine in Intensive and Critical Care 2023;30(5):551-556
Objective To evaluate the impact of customized rehabilitation exercise plans based on the results of cardiopulmonary exercise test(CPET)on cardiac function and prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure(CHF).Methods A total of 52 CHF patients admitted to Chengde Central Hospital from February 2020 to September 2021 were selected as the study subjects,and the patients were divided into observation group and control group according to the principle of randomized controlled study,with 26 cases in each group.The control group received rehabilitation treatment excluding exercise.The observation group was given routine rehabilitation treatment and high-intensity rehabilitation exercise plans based on CPET guidance.Above anaerobic threshold Δ50%power was exercise intensity,exercise time was 30 minutes/day,4 days/week,and intervention period was 12 weeks.Before and 12 weeks after intervention,CPET functional indicators,serum brain natriuretic peptide(BNP),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDD),and 6-minute walking distance(6MWD)were measured.The Minnesota CHF quality of life questionnaire(LiHFe)was used to evaluate patient's quality of life,readmission rate and cardiogenic mortality within 1 year of follow-up,and univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze factors affecting readmission of CHF patients.Results ① Cardiopulmonary function indicators:there was no statistically significant difference in the anaerobic threshold,peak oxygen uptake,and peak oxygen pulse of CPET functional indicators before and after intervention in the control group,after intervention,the CPET functional indicators in the observation group were significantly higher than those before intervention,and the above indexes in the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group[anaerobic threshold(mL·min-1·kg-1):10.77±1.40 vs.9.59±1.11,anaerobic threshold(%ped):78.95±11.39 vs.70.09±6.48,peak oxygen uptake(mL·min-1·kg-1):15.63±1.36 vs.14.27±1.72,peak oxygen uptake(%ped):72.42±6.91 vs.63.41±7.31,peak oxygen pulse(mL/order):11.38±1.29 vs.9.05±1.64,peak oxygen pulse(%ped):90.23±10.16 vs.80.53±6.73,all P<0.05].②Serum indicators,cardiac function indicators,exercise ability indicators,and quality of life evaluation:there was no statistically significant difference in serum indicators BNP,cardiac function indicators LVEDD,LVEF,exercise ability indicators 6MWD,and quality of life LiHFe scores between the two groups before intervention.After intervention,BNP and LiHFe scores were significantly reduced compared with before intervention,while LVEF and 6MWD were both increased compared with before intervention,and the changes of the above indexes in the observation group were more significant than those in the control group[BNP(ng/L):313.25±77.91 vs.445.89±110.67,LVEF:0.41±0.08 vs.0.37±0.06,6MWD(m):495.62±91.35 vs.416.04±65.29,LiHFe score:23.27±6.02 vs.29.50±4.61,all P<0.05].③ Prognostic follow-up:the readmission rate within 1 year in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group(23.08%vs.53.85%),and there was no statistically significant difference in the mortality rate of cardiogenic diseases between the two groups.④Logistic univariate analysis showed that hyperlipidemia,New York Heart Association(NYHA)grading,BNP,and rehabilitation exercise were factors that affect the prognosis of CHF patients[odds ratio(OR)and 95%confidence interval(95%CI)were 0.098(0.019-0.494),0.069(0.016-0.294),1.018(1.007-1.029),and 3.889(1.178-12.841),respectively,all P<0.05].Multivariate analysis showed that after adjusting for other factors,hyperlipidemia,NYHA grading,and BNP were risk factors affecting the prognosis of CHF patients(OR and 95%CI were 0.068(0.007-0.687),0.048(0.005-0.415),1.016(1.002-1.030),respectively,with P<0.05],the use of rehabilitation exercise therapy was a protective factor affecting the prognosis of CHF patients[OR and 95%CI were 11.179(1.135-10.124),P<0.05].Receiver operator characteristic curve(ROC curve)analysis showed that hyperlipidemia,NYHA grading,BNP,rehabilitation exercise therapy,and combined testing all had predictive value for the patient's prognosis(all P<0.05),and the prediction value of joint detection was the highest,with the area under the ROC curve(AUC)=0.984 and P = 0.000.Conclusion Developing a high-intensity individualized cardiac exercise rehabilitation plan under the guidance of CPET can help improve the cardiopulmonary function,cardiac function,and quality of life of CHF patients,which is of great benefit for improving the long-term prognosis of CHF patients and has high safety.
9.Activated PKB/GSK-3β synergizes with PKC-δ signaling in attenuating myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury via potentiation of NRF2 activity: Therapeutic efficacy of dihydrotanshinone-I
Hao ZENG ; Lingling WANG ; Jiawei ZHANG ; Ting PAN ; Yinghua YU ; Jingxia LU ; Ping ZHOU ; Hua YANG ; Ping LI
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2021;11(1):71-88
Disrupted redox status primarily contributes to myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI). NRF2, the endogenous antioxidant regulator, might provide therapeutic benefits. Dihydrotanshinone-I (DT) is an active component in Salvia miltiorrhiza with NRF2 induction potency. This study seeks to validate functional links between NRF2 and cardioprotection of DT and to investigate the molecular mechanism particularly emphasizing on NRF2 cytoplasmic/nuclear translocation. DT potently induced NRF2 nuclear accumulation, ameliorating post-reperfusion injuries via redox alterations. Abrogated cardioprotection in NRF2-deficient mice and cardiomyocytes strongly supports NRF2-dependent cardioprotection of DT. Mechanistically, DT phosphorylated NRF2 at Ser40, rendering its nuclear-import by dissociating from KEAP1 and inhibiting degradation. Importantly, we identified PKC-δ-(Thr505) phosphorylation as primary upstream event triggering NRF2-(Ser40) phosphorylation. Knockdown of PKC-δ dramatically retained NRF2 in cytoplasm, convincing its pivotal role in mediating NRF2 nuclear-import. NRF2 activity was further enhanced by activated PKB/GSK-3β signaling via nuclear-export signal blockage independent of PKC-δ activation. By demonstrating independent modulation of PKC-δ and PKB/GSK-3β/Fyn signaling, we highlight the ability of DT to exploit both nuclear import and export regulation of NRF2 in treating reperfusion injury harboring redox homeostasis alterations. Coactivation of PKC and PKB phenocopied cardioprotection of DT in vitro and in vivo, further supporting the potential applicability of this rationale.
Graphical abstract
10.Progress in research on biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Qingqing ZHOU ; Xiao LIU ; Rui JIA ; Jingxia DANG
Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University(Medical Sciences) 2021;42(5):639-644
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with the degeneration of the upper motor neuron (UMN) in the motor cortex, the lower motor neuron (LMN) in the brain stem and spinal cord, which leads to progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. Patients eventually die of respiratory failure, and the survival period of most patients is less than 5 years. At present, the diagnosis of ALS is mainly based on the history, clinical manifestations and electrophysiology. The auxiliary examination is only used to exclude other diseases with similar clinical manifestations. The study of genetics and biomarkers provides an objective reference for the early diagnosis, progress and prognosis evaluation of ALS. This paper mainly introduces the latest progress in research on ALS-related markers in biological field. The discovery of special genetic markers can help to diagnose the disease and evaluate the therapeutic effect of individuals; the identification of molecular biology markers has certain value for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of diseases, while metabolic markers have certain reference value for the progress of diseases. At the same time, this paper summarizes future research on some prospective biomarkers to be further studied and the direction of their clinical application.


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