BACKGROUND:Intervertebral disk degeneration is a pathological change caused by a series of complex molecular mechanisms that result in the aging and damage of intervertebral discs,ultimately leading to severe clinical symptoms.Traditional Chinese medicine has unique advantages in the treatment of intervertebral disk degeneration due to its low cost,non-addictive nature,multi-target effects,minimally toxic and side effects,and high patient acceptance. OBJECTIVE:To review the latest research results of traditional Chinese medicine monomer intervention-related signaling pathways in the treatment of intervertebral disk degeneration,describe and analyze the action mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine monomer on intervertebral disk degeneration,and provide a new approach and theoretical basis for future basic research and clinical treatment. METHODS:The first author searched for relevant literature from January 2018 to February 2023 in CNKI,PubMed,VIP,and WanFang using the search terms"intervertebral disc,signal pathway".The articles that did not meet the criteria were excluded after preliminary screening of the titles and abstracts.Finally,72 articles were selected for review and analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Traditional Chinese medicine monomers can regulate multiple classical signaling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin,PI3K/Akt,mTOR,NF-κB,and MAPK.They achieve this by regulating oxidative stress,adjusting the expression of pro/anti-apoptotic proteins in cells,stimulating cellular autophagy function,reducing stimulation of cell inflammatory factors,increasing the expression of extracellular matrix markers,reducing the production of matrix-degrading enzymes,maintaining the synthesis and stability of extracellular matrix,inducing differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in the nucleus pulposus into nucleus pulposus cells,promoting endogenous repair and reconstruction,controlling apoptosis and aging of nucleus pulposus cells,and increasing the activity of nucleus pulposus cells.These actions improve the microenvironment within the intervertebral disc,maintain the normal physiological function of the intervertebral disc,and delay intervertebral disc degeneration.

BACKGROUND:At present,bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells are the main seed cells used in cell therapy for the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration.However,the use of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells as seed cells for the regeneration of fibrous rings is at risk of heterotopic ossification and teratoma at the repair site.Therefore,it is of great economic and social significance to find a new kind of seed cells for tissue engineering of annulus fibrosus for the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration. OBJECTIVE:To isolate and purify rat annulus fibrosus-derived stem cells by adherent method combined with fibronectin differential adhesion screening method,and to observe its purification effect and biological characteristics. METHODS:Annulus fibrosus tissue was obtained from a SD rat intervertebral disc.Primary annulus fibrosus-derived stem cells were obtained by the mechanical-enzymatic digestion method.Annulus fibronectin differential adhesion method was used to purify annulus fibrosus-derived stem cells.Morphological changes and proliferation of cells were observed through a microscope.The expression levels of stem cell markers were detected by immunofluorescence technique and qPCR.The screened cells were subjected to multi-lineage cell differentiation and characteristic gene detection. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The purified cells grew well,and most of them were angular and star-shaped multi-process cells,which had good proliferation ability.(2)Cells were positive for cell membrane surface antigens CD73,CD90 and CD105,while negative for CD45 and CD34.(3)After specific induction,cells could successfully differentiate into osteoblasts,chondroblasts and lipoblasts.(4)Collagen-I,Runx-2 after osteogenic induction,Collagen Ⅱ,Sox-9 after chondrogenic induction,and PPAR-γ and LPL after lipogenic induction were highly expressed in cells,and the difference was significant compared with that before induction(P<0.05).(5)These findings confirm that the adherent method combined with fibronectin differential adhesion method is effective enough to screen,isolate and purify rat annulus fibrosus-derived stem cells,and has good cell biological properties,good proliferation ability and multiple differentiation potential.

Objective:The study aimed to assess the scientific rigor, transparency, and practicality of Chinese geriatric medicine guidelines and consensus published in academic journals.Methods:A systematic search was conducted across 8 major Chinese and English databases to identify guidelines and consensus documents from Chinese scholars in 2022.Results:The selected documents were evaluated using the STAR rating tool, resulting in the inclusion of 2 guidelines and 19 expert consensuses.The total scores ranged from 9.0 to 50.6 points, with an average score of 29.6±13.1 points.The highest score rate in the'Consensus Methods’category of expert consensuses was 47.4%, while the lowest score rate in the'Registration’category was 0.For guidelines, the highest score rate in the'Consensus Methods’category was 42.9%, while the lowest score rates were observed in the'Registration’, 'Plan’, and'Others’categories at 0.Conclusions:The overall quality of geriatric medicine guidelines and consensus in China requires enhancement.There is a need to improve training in guideline consensus development, involve methodologists, elevate the standards for journal publication, and strive to enhance the scientific rigor, transparency, and practicality of guidelines and consensus documents.

Open fund projects play an important role in strengthening discipline construction and enhancing research capabilities. The National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics of West China Hospital, Sichuan University (hereinafter referred to as the Center) initiated the establishment of open fund projects in 2018. However, due to their strong disciplinary and autonomous nature, as well as the presence of uncertainty, these projects posed new challenges to project management. Therefore, based on the theory of project integration management, the Center has established an integrated management system for open fund projects. This system was achieved by identifying the construction objectives of open fund projects, defining their scope of application, and integrating the four essential elements of project management: execution, processes, control, and support. It ensured standardized execution through organizational and institutional measures, optimized management processes, implemented control through the development of milestone lists, risk registration lists, superior funding lists, and non-performing lists, and integrated technology and platforms as support. The system was implemented since 2020, realizing comprehensive and holistic management of open fund projects across all stages and elements, thereby effectively enhancing management efficiency and quality. As of December 2023, 112 open fund projects have been approved, with a total funding of 31.943 million yuan. These projects have yielded a series of achievements in cohort study and platform construction, academic output, and have demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in projects and talents cultivation. The construction and application of this system can provide reference for medical institutions in managing open fund projects.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of curcumin (Cur) against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in vitro. Human embryonic lung fibroblasts were cultured in vitro. The tetrazolium salt (MTS) method was used to detect the effects of Cur on cell viability. The cells were divided into control group, HCMV group, HCMV + (PFA) group and HCMV + Cur group in this study. The cytopathic effect (CPE) of each group was observed by plaque test, then the copy number of HCMV DNA in each group was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and the expression of HCMV proteins in different sequence was detected by Western blot. The results showed that when the concentration of Cur was not higher than 15 μmol/L, there was no significant change in cell growth and viability in the Cur group compared with the control group (P>0.05). After the cells were infected by HCMV for 5 d, the cells began to show CPE, and the number of plaques increased with time. Pretreatment with Cur significantly reduced CPE in a dose-dependent manner. After the cells were infected by HCMV, the DNA copy number and protein expression gradually increased in a time-dependent manner. Pretreatment with Cur significantly inhibited HCMV DNA copies and downregulate HCMV protein expression levels in a concentration-dependent manner, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). In conclusion, Cur may exert anti-HCMV activity by inhibiting the replication of HCMV DNA and down-regulating the expression levels of different sequence proteins of HCMV. This study provides a new experimental basis for the development of anti-HCMV infectious drugs.
Humans ; Curcumin/therapeutic use* ; Cytomegalovirus/genetics* ; Cytomegalovirus Infections/drug therapy* ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic

Objective To translate the 3-minute diagnostic confusion assessment method(3D-CAM)into Chinese,to revise it,and to test its reliability and validity in elderly patients.Methods We translated and culturally adapted 3D-CAM into Chinese.The sample was formed by 230 elderly patients over 65 years of age.We tested inter-assessors reliability and criterion validity (diagnostic validity)and then computed the sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,and negative predictive value of the Chinese version of 3D-CAM.Results Correlation analyses between each item and its total score showed that the correlation coefficients ranged between 0.290 and 0.724,all reaching statistical significance(P＜0.01).Inter-assessor reliability in a sample size of 30 patients resulted in a kappa value of 0.78 (P ＜ 0.001).Compared with the gold standard,the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders(DSM-5)by American Psychiatric Association(APA),the sensitivity of the Chinese version of 3D-CAM was 94.73％,the specificity was 97.92％,the positive predictive value was 90.00％,and the negative predictive value was 98.95％.Conclusions The Chinese version of 3D-CAM has achieved satisfactory reliability and validity through pilot runs in surgery and internal medicine inpatients,proved to be easy and convenient to administer,and can be used as an assessment tool for delirium in elderly surgery and internal medicine patients.

Objective To investigate influencing factors for comprehensive geriatric assessment carried out in geriatric departments of comprehensive hospitals in Sichuan province and its influential factors ,in order to verify whether education affects CGA and to raise medicine quality of senile disease. Methods The self-designed questionnaires were distributed to 40 hospitals in difference downs and cities in Sichuan province. The data were collected ,including items of CGA carried out in each hospital ,structure of staff ,scale ,bed distribution ,numbers of bed in geriatric department ,etc. The correlations of CGA items with the related factors were analyzed by using multiple linear regression analysis. Results The items of CGA carried out was positively related with hospital grade (β= -5.4 ,P=0.03) ,the staff-attending three times or more of geriatric training course (β=0.2 ,P=0.05) , the number of nurses per bed(β=15.6 ,P=0.03) ,the number of physicians with master's degree(β=-0.2 ,P=0.04) ,and the lower average age of medical staff (β= -0.6 ,P=0.05). Conclusions The grade of hospital ,attending actively geriatric training course ,the number of the nurses per bed ,the number of physicians with master's degree ,and the younger average age of medical staff were positively associated with the items of CGA carried out in hospitals.

Objective To evaluate the clinical outcomes of endoscopic and microsurgical treatments in patients with hypertensive basal ganglia hemorrhage (HBGH).Methods A retrospective analysis of clinical features of 37 patients received microsurgical treatment via transsylvian-transinsular approach or 32 patients received endoscopic treatment for evacuation of HBGH in our hospital from January 2011 to January 2015 was performed.The operation time,hematoma clearance rate,re-bleeding rate and prognoses of the patients were investigated.Results As compared with patients accepted microsurgical treatment,patients accepted endoscopic treatment had significantly shorter operation time,smaller peroperative bleeding volume,and shorter hemostatic time (P＜0.05).The preoperative Glasgow coma scale (GCS) scores in patients accepted endoscopic treatment and microsurgical treatment were 8.63±1.24 and 8.67±1.31,without significant difference (P＞0.05);24 h after operation,GCS scores in patients accepted endoscopic treatment increased to 12.79±1.20,which had significant difference as compared with those in patients accepted microsurgical treatment (11.23±1.29,P＜0.05).The cerebral edema volume in patients accepted endoscopic treatment and microsurgical treatment was (11.83±4.08) mL and (18.76±7.92) mL,with significant difference (t=6.460,P=0.000).The hematoma clearance and prognosis in patients accepted endoscopic treatment were better than those in patients accepted microsurgical treatment.Conclusion Endoscopic evacuation ofhematoma for HBGH is efficient and safe,enjoying better efficacy than microsurgery.

Cardiovascular disease is a severe threat to human health and life. Among many risk factors of cardiovascular disease, genetic or gene-based ones are drawing more and more attention in recent years. Accumulated evidence has demonstrated that the loss or mutation of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene can result in DNA damage repair dysfunctions, telomere shortening, decreased antioxidant capacity, insulin resistance, increased lipid levels, etc., and thus can promote the occurrence of cardiovascular risk factors, such as aging, atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome. In this review, we discusses the possible mechanisms between ATM gene and cardiovascular risk factors, which could be helpful to the related research and clinical application.
Aging ; Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins ; genetics ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; genetics ; DNA Damage ; DNA Repair ; Humans ; Mutation ; Risk Factors

PURPOSETo investigate the changes of cerebral hemodynamics pre- and post-ventricular drainage in patients with posttraumatic acute diffuse brain swelling.

METHODSTwenty-four cases of traumatic diffuse brain swelling were analyzed retrospectively. Patients in nonsurgical group were treated by medicine therapy. Patients in surgical group were treated by external ventricular drainage plus medicine therapy. The first CT perfusion scan was completed within 4-5 h after trauma and scanned again after 7 days. The changes of perfusion parameters in area-of-interest in two groups were analyzed and compared before and after treatment.

RESULTSCompared with the nonsurgical group, the value of cerebral blood volume, cerebral blood flow and mean transit time in bilateral frontal temporoparietal grey matter, basal ganglia, cerebellum, and brain stem at pre- and post-therapy were increased significantly (p < 0.05) in surgical group, and consequently the prognosis of patients undergoing surgery was also better than that of nonsurgical group.

CONCLUSIONExternal ventricular drainage can improve cerebral perfusion and increase survival quality for the patients with posttraumatic acute diffuse brain swelling.

Adult ; Aged ; Brain ; physiopathology ; Brain Edema ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Brain Injuries ; complications ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; Drainage ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies