ObjectiveTo study the anti-inflammatory effects of Blumea balsamifera （L.） DC oil （BBO） based on nuclear factor kappa-B （NF-κB） nonclassical and arachidonic acid （AA） pathway. MethodsEffects of BBO on the production of slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis （SRS-A） were detected by the ileal smooth muscle method. The contents of prostaglandin E₂ （PGE₂） and leukotriene B₄ （LTB₄） in lipopolysaccharides （LPS） -induced macrophages were detected by ELISA kit. The expression of COX-2， 5-LOX， FLAP and RelB were detected by qRT-PCR. Western blot was performed to detect the effects of BBO on the level of NF-κB nonclassical pathway proteins TNF receptor associated factor 3 （TRAF3）， TNF receptor associated factor 2 （TRAF2）， NF-κB-inducing kinase （NIK）， p100 and RelB. ResultsThe contractile tension of guinea pig ileum was reduced （P<0.001）， and the SRS-A production inhibition rate reached 65.34% at 1mg·mL^-1 BBO concentration. Compared with LPS group， BBO reduced the concentrations of PGE₂ （P<0.05） and LTB₄ （P<0.05）_， and decreased the expressions of COX-2 （P<0.05）， 5-LOX （P<0.05） and FLAP （P<0.05） in AA pathway at concentrations of 40-80 μg·mL^-1. Moreover， 40-80 μg·mL^-1 BBO decreased the concentrations of TRAF3 （P<0.05）， TRAF2 （P<0.05）， and NIK （P<0.05）， and further inhibited the phosphorylation of p100 （P<0.05）， as well as the level of the transcription factor RelB in genes （P<0.05） and proteins （P<0.05） in nonclassical NF-κB pathway， whereas BBO did not cause such changes. ConclusionBBO may potentially exert its anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing the regulatory proteins TRAF3 and TRAF2 and the transcription factor RelB in NF-κB nonclassical pathway. The inhibitory action extending to the induction kinase function of NIK， further hindering the phosphorylation of p100 and its binding with the transcription factor RelB. Consequently， downstream elements in the AA pathway， including the pivotal rate-limiting enzymes COX-2， 5-LOX and FLAP， were altered. This modulation influences the levels of inflammatory mediators such as PGE₂ and LTB₄.

Objective To explore the application of painless diagnosis and treatment technology in children's peripherally inserted central catheter(PICC)guided by ultrasound.Methods Totally 82 children who planned to undergo PICC in the hospital from January 2021 to January 2023 were selected and randomly divided into a control group and an observation group using a random number table method,with 41 cases in each group;The control group underwent conventional ultrasound guided PICC catheterization,while the observation group underwent painless diagnostic and therapeutic techniques using ultrasound guided PICC catheterization;Compare the success rate of catheterization,completion time of catheterization,degree of pain in the child pain[children's pain behavior scale(FLACC)],tolerance[Houpt behavior scale(HBS)],compliance[Frankl scale(FCS)],and family satisfaction between the two groups.Results The success rate of catheterization in the observation group was higher than that in the control group,and the catheterization time was shorter than that in the control group,with a statistically significant difference(P<0.05).The FLACC score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group,while the HBS score and FCS score were higher than those of the control group,with a statistically significant difference(P<0.05);The total satisfaction of family members in the observation group was higher than that in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion The use of painless diagnosis and treatment technology in ultrasound-guided PICC catheterization in children can improve the success rate of catheterization,shorten the catheterization time,reduce the degree of pain in children,enhance tolerance and compliance,and improve family satisfaction.

Objective:To observe any effect of exercise preconditioning on the levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the brain tissue of rats after induced cerebral ischemia and reperfusion, and how it might promote angiogenesis.Methods:Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a sham-operation group, a model group and an exercise preconditioning group, each of 12. After adaptive running training for 3 days, the exercise preconditioning group ran daily for 30 minutes at 15m/min for 14 days, while the other two groups did not exercise. Middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion were then induced in the model and exercise preconditioning groups using the modified Zea-Longa suture method. Rats in the sham-operation group were only cut open to expose the right carotid artery. Right after the modeling, and again 24 hours later neurological deficit was evaluated using the Zea-Longa score and modified neurological severity scoring (mNSS). Infarct sizes were measured using 2, 3, 5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining. Any morphological changes were noted using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and the expression of CD31 protein, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor in the ischemic cerebral cortex were quantified immunohistochemically.Results:Right after the modelling, compared with the sham-operation group, the average Zea-Longa scores of the model and exercise groups had increased significantly, but were not significantly different from each other. Twenty-four hours later the average Zea-Longa score, mNSS score and relative cerebral infarction area of the model group had increased significantly compared with the sham-operation group, while the exercise preconditioning group′s averages had decreased significantly. The HE staining showed that compared with the sham-operation group, pathological changes such as loose tissue, reduced number of nerve cells, nucleolysis, and vacuolization of the cerebral cortex on the ischemic side were found in the model group. Compared with the model group, the pathological changes in the exercise preconditioning group were less serious. The levels of CD31 protein, HIF-1α and VEGF in the ischemic cerebral cortexes of the model group had by then increased significantly. But compared with the model group, those levels had increased more in the exercise preconditioning group.Conclusion:Exercise preconditioning can effectively promote angiogenesis after cerebral ischemia and reduce chronic injury. That may be related to the activation of the HIF-1α and/or VEGF signaling pathways.

This study investigates whether compounds in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge can bind to the Toll like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation protein 2 (TLR4/MD2) protein complex and exhibit anti-inflammatory activity. Virtual screening of reported chemical components of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge against TLR4/MD2 was conducted in this study. The selected compound, neoprzewaquinone A (Neo A), was tested for its impact on the binding of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to receptors on the cell membrane, its affinity for the protein, its influence on the dimerization of TLR4 and MD2 in LPS-induced cells, and its effects on the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 protein and the secretion of inflammatory cytokines in cells. Results indicate that Neo A in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge exhibited the highest virtual binding affinity with TLR4/MD2, with a value of -12.8 kcal·mol^-1. Neo A significantly inhibited the binding of LPS to receptors on the cell membrane (P < 0.01). Moreover, Neo A demonstrated affinity for rhTLR4/MD2, rhTLR4, and rhMD2, with K_D values of 267, 534, and 228 nmol·L^-1, respectively. Amino acid residues like TYR131 and PHE121 in TLR4/MD2 might play a role in the alkyl and π-alkyl hydrophobic interactions with Neo A. Neo A also significantly inhibited the dimerization of TLR4 and MD2 in LPS-mediated cells (P < 0.01) and markedly suppressed the phosphorylation of NF-κBp65 protein (P < 0.05). Furthermore, Neo A significantly or markedly inhibited the secretion of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in LPS-induced cells (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). In conclusion, Neo A exerts its anti-inflammatory effects by binding TLR4/MD2 then disrupting the binding of LPS to TLR4/MD2. It may serve as a TLR4/MD2 inhibitor with the potential to treat inflammation-related diseases targeting TLR4/MD2.

Objective To explore the antimicrobial resistance of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae(CRKP)isolated from blood and the related risk factors for infection in patients.Methods Clinical data of 383 KP-infected patients from whose blood Klebsiella pneumoniae(KP)were isolated during hospitalization period in a hos-pital from January 2018 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.Patients were divided into CRKP group(n=114)and non-CRKP group(n=269)based on antimicrobial resistance.According to the prognosis,114 patients in the CRKP group were subdivided into the death group(n=30)and the survival group(n=84).General informa-tion,underlying diseases,antimicrobial use,and infection outcomes of two groups of patients were compared,and risk factors for infection and death after infection were analyzed.Results The resistance rates of KP to tigecycline and compound sulfamethoxazole showed upward trends,with statistically significant differences(both P=0.008).The CRKP group had higher resistance rates to amikacin,aztreonam,compound sulfamethoxazole,ciprofloxacin,cefepime,cefoperazone/sulbactam,piperacillin/tazobactam,tigecycline,ceftazidime,tobramycin,and levofloxacin,as well as higher in-hospital mortality than the non-CRKP group,with statistically significant differences(all P＜0.05).Acute pancreatitis prior to infection(OR=16.564,P＜0.001),hypoalbuminemia(OR=8.588,P＜0.001),stay in in-tensive care unit prior to infection(OR=2.733,P=0.017),blood transfusion(OR=3.968,P=0.001),broncho-scopy(OR=5.194,P=0.014),surgery within 30 days prior to infection(OR=2.603,P=0.010),and treatment with carbapenems(OR=2.663,P=0.011)were independent risk factors for the development of CRKP blood-stream infection(BSI).Cardiac insufficiency before infection(OR=11.094,P=0.001),combined with pulmonary infection(OR=20.801,P=0.010),septic shock(OR=9.783,P=0.002),disturbance of consciousness(OR=11.648,P=0.001),and receiving glucocorticoid treatment(OR=5.333,P=0.018)were independent risk factors for mortality in patients with CRKP BSI.Conclusion The resistance rate of KP from BSI to tigecycline and com-pound sulfamethoxazole presents upward trend.Underlying diseases,invasive procedures,and carbapenem treat-ment are closely related to CRKP BSI.Cardiac insufficiency,pulmonary infection,septic shock,disturbance of con-sciousness,and glucocorticoid treatment can lead to death of patients with CRKP BSI.

Objective To explore and analyze the expression and prognostic value of serum vitamin D(VitD),fer-ritin(FRT)and heparin-binding epidermal growth factor(HB-EGF)in sepsis patients.Methods 86 sepsis patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit(ICU)of a hospital from January 2021 to January 2022 were selected as the case group,and 60 non-sepsis patients in the ICU were selected as the control group.According to the prognosis of sepsis patients one month later,patients were divided into survival group and death group.Patient's serum upon admission was taken,levels of serum VitD,FRT and HB-EGF were detected,the correlation with the prognosis of sepsis patients was analyzed,and the prognostic value was evaluated by area under curve(AUC)of receiver opera-ting characteristic curve.Results Levels of white blood cell count(WBC),C-reactive protein(CRP),procalcitonin(PCT),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin(IL)-6,IL-1β and FRT of case group were all higher than those of non-sepsis patients in the control group,while the VitD and HB-EGF levels were lower than those of non-sepsis patients in the control group,differences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.05).One month follow-up on the prognosis of sepsis patients showed that 55 patients survived and 31 died.Acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHE IⅡ)score,sequential organ failure assessment(SOFA)score,PCT,TNF-α,L-1βand FRT score in patients in the death group were all higher than those in patients in the survival group,while VitD and HB-EGF were lower than patients in the survival group,differences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.05).The Pearson correlation analysis results showed that VitD were negatively correlated with APACHE Ⅱ score,SOFA score,WBC,CRP,PCT and TNF-α(all P＜0.05),HB-EGF was negatively correlected with APACHE Ⅱ,score,CRP,PCT,TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β(all P＜0.05);while FRT was positively correlated with APACHE Ⅱscores,CRP,PCT,TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β(all P＜0.05).The AUC,sensitivity,and specificity of combined de-tection of serum VitD,FRT and HB-EGF in predicting the prognosis of sepsis patients were 0.82(95％CI:0.72-0.86),84.39％,and 69.35％,respectively.Conclusion Serum levels of VitD and HB-EGF are lower and FRT is higher in sepsis patients,their expression levels are closely related to patient prognosis,and have good predictive value for predicting the prognosis of sepsis patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of Tripterygium wilfordii multiglycoside (TGW) in the treatment of psoriatic dermatitis from a cellular immunological perspective. METHODS: Mouse models of psoriatic dermatitis were established by imiquimod (IMQ). Twelve male BALB/c mice were assigned to IMQ or IMQ₊TGW groups according to a random number table. Histopathological changes in vivo were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Ratios of immune cells and cytokines in mice, as well as PAM212 cell proliferation in vitro were assessed by flow cytometry. Pro-inflammatory cytokine expression was determined using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: TGW significantly ameliorated the severity of IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse skin lesions and restrained the activation of CD45⁺ cells, neutrophils and T lymphocytes (all P<0.01). Moreover, TGW significantly attenuated keratinocytes (KCs) proliferation and downregulated the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-23, tumor necrosis factor α, and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Furthermore, it reduced the number of γ δ T17 cells in skin lesion of mice and draining lymph nodes (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS TGW improved psoriasis-like inflammation by inhibiting KCs proliferation, as well as the associated immune cells and cytokine expression. It inhibited IL-17 secretion from γ δ T cells, which improved the immune-inflammatory microenvironment of psoriasis.
Male ; Animals ; Mice ; Tripterygium ; Psoriasis/drug therapy* ; Keratinocytes ; Skin Diseases/metabolism* ; Cytokines/metabolism* ; Imiquimod/metabolism* ; Dermatitis/pathology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Skin/metabolism*

Background Acne treatment cycle lasts long and will cause facial appearance damage.Many patients are prone to psychological problems and severe patients may even experience suicidal ideation.However,the influencing factors of psychological health problems in acne patients are still unclear.Objective To investigate the mental health status of patients with moderate-to-severe acne and to analyze the influencing factors of their psychological health problems,so as to provide references for improving their mental health.Methods A total of 120 patients with moderate-to-severe acne of grades II-IV were selected as the research subjects,who were treated in the dermatology outpatient department of the Third Hospital of Mianyang from June 2021 to June 2023.All subjects were evaluated by using the Acne-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire(Acne-QoL),Self-rating Depression Scale(SDS),Self-rating Anxiety Scale(SAS),Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale(RSES)and Social Phobia Inventory(SPIN).According to the evaluation results of SDS,SAS,RSES,SPIN,subjects were divided into a group with mental health problems(n=21)and a group without mental health problems(n=99).Binary Logistic regression anaylsis was adopted to explore the influencing factors of psychological health problems in acne patients.Results A total of 21 patients(17.50%)were detected to have symptoms of depression,anxiety,inferiority or social dysfunction.Statistically significant difference was observed in comparison between two groups in gender,profession,acne classification,dietary habit,age,illness course as well as the factor scores of self perception,emotional function,social function and acne symptom in Acne-QoL(χ2=7.013,23.123,9.028,11.327,t=9.913,13.022,4.081,5.383,5.361,10.203,P<0.05).The results of binary Logistic regression analysis showed that the followings were risk factors for the occurrence of psychological health problems in acne patients:female(OR=2.243,95%CI:1.136～4.429),acne of grade III(OR=3.615,95%CI:1.269～10.295)or IV(OR=1.872,95%CI:1.073～3.266),course of disease≥1.6 years(OR=2.499,95%CI:1.068～5.851),a spicy or greasy diet(OR=3.811,95%CI:1.169～12.427),Acne-QoL self perception score≤18(OR=1.802,95%CI:1.227～2.646),Acne-QoL emotional function score≤18(OR=2.252,95%CI:1.016～4.992),Acne-QoL social function score≤14(OR=3.515,95%CI:1.534～8.053)and Acne-QoL acne symptom score≤18(OR=3.586,95%CI:1.098～11.715).Protective factors for psychological health problems in acne patients included age over 30 years old(OR=0.429,95%CI:0.283～0.648),occupation as professional cadre or enterprise employee(OR=0.483,95%CI:0.249～0.939)and other occupations(OR=0.276,95%CI:0.090～0.850).Conclusion A part of patients with moderate-to-severe acne may experience psychological health problems.Patients with female gender,higher acne grades,longer disease duration,preference for greasy or spicy foods and lower scores in all Acne-QoL factors have a higher risk of experiencing psychological health problems.

Objective To observe the effect of Ginkgo biloba extract(GBE)on depression like behavior in post stroke depression(PSD)model rats,and explore the mechanism of regulating Toll like receptor 4/nuclear factor-κ B(TLR4/NF-κB)pathway to inhibit neuroinflammation.Methods Rats were randomly divided into 6 groups,sham,cerebral ischemia,PSD,paroxetine,low-dose Ginkgo biloba extract(GBE-L)and high-dose Ginkgo biloba extract(GBE-H)groups,10 rats in each group.Except for the sham group,middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)was performed to prepare a left focal cerebral ischemia model.Except for the sham group and cerebral ischemia group,other groups were subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)to establish PSD rat model for 8 weeks.After 4 weeks of CUMS,the paroxetine group,GBE-L,and GBE-H were treated with paroxetine 5 mg·kg-1,GBE 50 mg·kg-1,and GBE 100 mg·kg-1,respectively.The sham group,cerebral ischemia group,and PSD group were treated with the same volume of 0.9％NaCl and continuously administered by gavage for 28 d.After 4 weeks and 8 weeks of CUMS,the body weight and sugar preference test were measured.Levels of serum tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-1 β(IL-1 β)and levels of norepinephrine(NE),serotonin(5-HT),and dopamine(DA)in the cerebral cortex were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The mRNA levels of Tlr4,Nfkb1,and nuclear factor κ B-kinase subunit β inhibitory factor(Ikbkb)in the hippocampus of rats were detected by polymerase chain reaction.The protein levels of NF-κB,nuclear factor κB inhibitory protein α(IKBα)and phosphorylation nuclear factor κB inhibitory protein α(p-IKB)in hippocampal tissue were detected by Western blot.Results The body weights of rats in the sham group,cerebral ischemia group,PSD group,paroxetine group,GBE-L group and GBE-H group were(427.10±6.36),(403.10±7.37),(310.10±9.71),(355.00±4.03),(347.90±9.88)and(391.90±5.07)g;sugar preference rate were(93.93±1.78)％,(91.57±1.03)％,(54.72±7.34)％,(88.35±4.36)％,(63.55±12.73)％and(81.04±4.31)％;the levels of NE in the cerebral cortex were(1 951.14±52.86),(1 827.27±23.63),(1 662.12±35.92),(2 033.58±72.28),(1 887.31±33.07)and(2 175.00±42.54)pg·mL-1;the levels of 5-HT in the cerebral cortex were(237.07±8.86),(226.15±10.27),(214.51±3.46),(297.13±5.79),(274.14±7.63)and(285.34±8.72)ng·mL-1;the levels of DA in the cerebral cortex were(1 531.11±47.26),(1 209.89±58.09),(1 143.15±36.31),(1 812.67±51.28),(1 651.56±31.82)and(1 853.33±20.42)pg·mL-1.Compared with the PSD group,GBE significantly increased the body weight of rats(P＜0.01)and increased the preference rate of sugar water in rats,showing the antidepressant like behavioral.GBE significantly reduced the levels of serum TNF-α,IL-1 β(all P＜0.01),increased the levels of NE,5-HT,and DA in the cerebral cortex(all P＜0.01),down regulate the mRNA levels of Tlr4,Nfkb1 and Ikbkb(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),reduced the expression of NF-κB(P＜0.01),and reduced the phosphorylation of IKBα(P＜0.01).Conclusion Ginkgo biloba extract can improve depression-like behavior in PSD model rats,and has antidepressant effect.Its mechanism is related to the inhibition of TLR4/NF-κB pathway,thus reducing neuroinflammation.

Objective:To investigate the effects of oral probiotics on intestinal microbiota and cognitive dysfunction in breast cancer chemotherapy patients. Methods:Thirty breast cancer patients who received anthracycline chemotherapy between December 2021 and June 2022 in the Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University were included in this study. The patients were randomly divided into the observation and control groups (15 cases per group). During chemotherapy, the observation group was additionally given oral probiotics. The fecal microbiota compositions before and after chemotherapy were detected using 16S rDNA sequencing. The changes in patients' subjective and objective cognitive function levels were evaluated by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive (FACT-Cog), respectively. Results:The microbiota diversity, as indicated by the Chao, Ace, Shannon and Simpson indices, showed no significant difference between two groups (P>0.05). As compared with the control group, the relative abundance of the genus Actinomyces in the feces was significantly higher than in the observation group (P<0.05). By contrast, the relative abundance of the genera Acetoanaerobium, Lachnospiracea_incertae_sedis, and unclassified_Frankineae bacteria was significantly lower in the observation group (P<0.05). The total scores of the objective and subjective cognitive function as well as the scores of each dimension in both groups were markedly decreased after chemotherapy (P<0.05). The scores in the observation group were higher than those in the control group after chemotherapy (P<0.05). During chemotherapy, the presence of the gastrointestinal adverse reactions (constipation, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal distension) in the observation group were significantly lower than in control group (P<0.05). Conclusion:Oral probiotics could improve the cognitive impairment and reduce the presence of the gastrointestinal side effects in the breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, which may be caused by modulating the intestinal microbiota.