Objective To assess mid- and long-term outcomes of ascending aortic wrapping (AAW) in adult patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR). Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of adult patients who underwent AVR and AAW in Fuwai Hospital from January 2010 to August 2019. Ascending aorta diameter (AAD) was measured by echocardiography or CT scan preoperatively and postoperatively. Results A total of 33 patients were enrolled, including 23 males and 10 females aged 22-73 (51.06±12.61) years. There was no perioperative death. The mean preoperative, postoperative and follow-up AAD of the patients were (46.06±3.54) mm, (34.55±5.17) mm, and (37.12±5.64) mm, respectively. The differences in the AAD between pre-operation and post-operation, and between pre-operation and the last follow-up were both statistically significant (P<0.05). The median follow-up time was 38.20 (18.80-140.30) months. The median increase rate of diameter was 0.63 (−0.11, 1.36) mm per year after the surgery. The increase rate was >5 mm per year in 1 patient, and >3 mm in another one. Conclusion The mid- and long-term outcomes of AAW in adult patients undergoing AVR are satisfactory and encouraging.

Tripterygium wilfordii is widely used in the treatment of immune system disease and has a remarkable curative effect. Triptolide and Tripterygium glycosides are the most commonly used active ingredients in clinical practice， but their treatment window is narrow and there are many side effects. The damage involves the reproductive system， blood system， cardiovascular system， digestive system， etc. Based on clinical observations and literature summaries， the symptoms of adverse reactions mostly occur in the digestive system （liver and gastrointestinal tract）. Relevant scholars have launched a lot of studies of the manifestations of liver injury induced by T. wilfordii and the mechanism of liver injury. The mechanism is mainly related to liver cell apoptosis， induction of oxidative stress， immune injury， excessive autophagy of liver cells， abnormal fatty acid metabolism， and abnormal enzyme metabolism in liver tissues. This article reviewed and summarized relevant literature on gastrointestinal injury caused by T. wilfordii， but there are few studies on the manifestations and mechanisms of adverse reactions， which still need further research by scholars. In addition， this article also summarized the research on how to reduce toxicity and enhance efficacy of prescriptions prepared from T. wilfordii in the digestive system， mainly involving compatibility with western medicines （Methotrexate， Leflunomide， Iguratimod， etc.）， use along or combination with Chinese medicines （single Chinese medicine， Chinese medicine monomers， and Chinese medicine compounds）， acupuncture and moxibustion （electroacupuncture and moxibustion）， dosage form improvement （glycol plastid gel， self-dissolving microneedle， solid lipid nanoparticles， gastric floating sustained-release capsules， etc.）， processing （steaming， stir-frying， radish seed processing， money grass processing， licorice processing， etc.）， and other methods to reduce toxicity. To sum up， this article analyzed the manifestations， mechanisms， and methods of reducing toxicity and enhancing efficacy of T. wilfordii-induced liver injury and gastrointestinal injury by sorting out relevant literature， in order to provide a reference for the clinical application of T. wilfordii and some research ideas for the future in-depth study of T. wilfordii-induced digestive system injury.

ObjectiveTo observe the mechanism of chronic psychological stress aggravating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis （IPF） in rats and the regulatory effect of Xiaoyaosan. MethodSixty SD rats were acclimatized for one week and then randomly divided into five groups： sham operation group， IPF group， IPF and depression model group， pirfenidone group， and pirfenidone + Xiaoyaosan group， with 12 rats in each group. The IPF group was induced by intratracheal instillation of bleomycin （5 mg·kg^-1） and administered 0.9% sodium chloride solution intragastrically. The model group was induced with bleomycin （5 mg·kg^-1） combined with chronic unpredictable mild stress to establish a rat model of IPF and depression and administered 0.9% sodium chloride solution intragastrically. Concurrently， the pirfenidone group was administered pirfenidone aqueous solution （50 mg·kg^-1） intragastrically， and the pirfenidone + Xiaoyaosan group was administered pirfenidone aqueous solution （50 mg·kg^-1） and Xiaoyaosan decoction （19.27 g·kg^-1） intragastrically. The experiment lasted for four weeks. Various parameters， including body weight， food intake， sucrose consumption rate， open field behavior， lung function， lung coefficient， pathological changes in lung tissue， and hydroxyproline （HYP） content were compared among the groups. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to measure serum cortisol （CORT）， corticotropin-releasing hormone （CRH）， adrenocorticotropic hormone （ACTH） levels， and serotonin （5-HT） levels in serum and hippocampus. The levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in serum and lung tissue were also measured. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was employed to determine the mRNA expression of IL-1β， TNF-α， IL-6， p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p38 MAPK）， and nuclear transcription factor-κB p65 （NF-κB p65） in lung tissue. Western blot was used to detect the expression of proteins related to the p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway. ResultCompared with the normal group， IPF and depression model group showed slow weight gain， reduced food intake， decreased sucrose consumption rate， reduced total distance and average speed of movement in the open field test， weakened lung function， increased lung coefficient （P<0.01）， significant inflammatory cell infiltration in lung tissue by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， collagen fiber deposition by Masson staining， and increased HYP content （P<0.01）. There were elevated levels of serum CORT， CRH， and ACTH （P<0.05， P<0.01）， increased protein and mRNA levels of IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α in serum and lung tissue， decreased 5-HT levels in serum and hippocampus， and increased relative expression of p-p38 MAPK and p-NF-κB p65 proteins in lung tissue （P<0.01）. Compared with the IPF and depression model group， the depression and IPF of rats in the pirfenidone + Xiaoyaosan group were effectively ameliorated， as evidenced by faster weight gain， increased food intake and sucrose consumption rate， increased total distance and average speed of movement in the open field test， enhanced lung function， reduced lung coefficient （P<0.01）， decreased inflammatory cell infiltration by HE staining， reduced collagen fiber deposition by Masson staining in lung tissue， and decreased HYP content （P<0.01）. Decreased serum CORT， CRH， and ACTH levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）， decreased protein and mRNA levels of IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α in serum and lung tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）， increased 5-HT levels in serum and hippocampus （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and decreased relative expression of p-p38 MAPK and p-NF-κB p65 proteins in lung tissue were also noted （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with the effects of Xiaoyaosan + pirfenidone being more significant. ConclusionChronic unpredictable stress exacerbates the progression of IPF in rats. The combination of Xiaoyaosan and pirfenidone not only improves depressive-like behavior but also alleviates pulmonary fibrosis， potentially through the regulation of the p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway and inhibition of excessive expression of inflammatory factors.

To investigate the γ pass rate limit of plan verification equipment for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plan verification and its sensitivity on the opening and closing errors of multi-leaf collimator (MLC), 50 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma VMAT plan with clockwise and counterclockwise full arcs were randomly selected. Eight kinds of MLC opening and closing errors were introduced in 10 cases of them, and 80 plans with errors were generated. Firstly, the plan verification was conducted in the form of field-by-field measurement and true composite measurement. The γ analysis with the criteria of 3% dose difference, distance to agreement of 2 mm, 10% dose threshold, and absolute dose global normalized conditions were performed for these fields. Then gradient analysis was used to investigate the sensitivity of field-by-field measurement and true composite measurement on MLC opening and closing errors, and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to investigate the optimal threshold of γ pass rate for identifying errors. Tolerance limits and action limits for γ pass rates were calculated using statistical process control (SPC) method for another 40 cases. The error identification ability using the tolerance limit calculated by SPC method and the universal tolerance limit (95%) were compared with using the optimal threshold of ROC. The results show that for the true composite measurement, the clockwise arc and the counterclockwise arc, the descent gradients of the γ passing rate with per millimeter MLC opening error are 10.61%, 7.62% and 6.66%, respectively, and the descent gradients with per millimeter MLC closing error are 9.75%, 7.36% and 6.37%, respectively. The optimal thresholds obtained by the ROC method are 99.35%, 97.95% and 98.25%, respectively, and the tolerance limits obtained by the SPC method are 98.98%, 97.74% and 98.62%, respectively. The tolerance limit calculated by SPC method is close to the optimal threshold of ROC, both of which could identify all errors of ±2 mm, while the universal tolerance limit can only partially identify them, indicating that the universal tolerance limit is not sensitive on some large errors. Therefore, considering the factors such as ease of use and accuracy, it is suggested to use the true composite measurement in clinical practice, and to formulate tolerance limits and action limits suitable for the actual process of the institution based on the SPC method. In conclusion, it is expected that the results of this study can provide some references for institutions to optimize the radiotherapy plan verification process, set appropriate pass rate limit, and promote the standardization of plan verification.
Humans ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; Immune Tolerance ; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ; ROC Curve ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/radiotherapy*

Xiaoyaosan， a classical prescription for mental disorder recorded in Formulary of the Bureau of Taiping People's Welfare Pharmacy（《太平惠民合剂局方》）， is composed of Bupleuri Radix， Angelicae Sinensis Radix， Paeoniae Radix Alba， Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma， Poria， Zingiberis Rhizoma Praeparatum， Menthae Haplocalycis Herba， and Glycyrrhizae Radix Et Rhizoma Praeparata Cum Melle. Clinical practices and experiments have proved that it can be used for primary depression， anxiety， as well as the depression induced by various somatic disorders， such as gynecological diseases， internal diseases， and digestive system diseases， as evidenced the improvement of Hamilton depression rating scale score， self-rating depression scale score， etc. Xiaoyaosan has been verified to be remarkably effective， with high compliance and no obvious adverse reactions in patients. Xiaoyaosan mainly acts on monoamine neurotransmitters 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT）， norepinephrine （NE）， and dopamine （DA）， adrenocorticotropic hormone （ACTH） and corticosterone （CORT） in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis， pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factored （TNF）-α， and orexin， ghrelin， and leptin in intestinal microecology and brain-gut axis， to regulate the neurobiochemical mechanism， endocrine mechanism， immune mechanism， and abnormal brain structure， thereby preventing and alleviating depression. However， the antidepressant mechanism of Xiaoyaosan needs to be further discussed. Through literature research， this paper analyzes the clinical application and basic mechanism of Xiaoyaosan in the treatment of depression， which is expected to serve as a reference for the application of this prescription in the clinical prevention and treatment of depression and improvement of the quality of life of patients， and further research on the antidepressant mechanism of Xiaoyaosan.

Objective:To explore the evolution of imaging findings on dynamic chest high resolution CT（HRCT） in patients with mild COVID-19.Methods:The data of epidemiology, clinical data and continuous dynamic chest high-resolution CT images of the patients with mild COVID-19 were analyzed retrospectively. Twenty-five patients (including 24 common type and 1 mild) were enrolled in the group, including 14 males and 11 females, with age of （42±12） years and hospital stay of （19±5） days. The basic images and dynamic images of HRCT were analyzed and compared by the radiologists.Results:The clinical manifestations were fever (22 cases), cough (18 cases), expectoration (8 cases), pharyngeal pain (6 cases). Most laboratory tests lacked specificity. There were no significant abnormalities on chest CT of one mild patient. HRCT findings of the common type were as follows: (1) the distribution of the lesions: most of the multiple lesions involved both lungs (19 cases), with average of 3 (3±1) lobes, located in the peripheral pulmonary zone near the pleura (22 cases); (2) the morphology and density of the lesions: most of the lesions were ground glass density foci (22 cases), which were patchy and massive (18 cases), nodular (10 cases) and arc broadband (7 cases); with the development of the disease, the density of some lesions increased with localized pulmonary consolidation (10 cases), accompanied by air bronchus sign (5 cases) and halo sign (5 cases). Dynamic changes of HRCT images in the chest: the positive manifestations were found on the 5th (5, 6) day after the onset of the disease, the progressive time of CT lesions was 5 (5, 7) days, the peak time of CT lesions was 11 (10, 13) days, and the turning time of CT lesions was 9 (8, 11) days.Conclusions:Dynamic chest HRCT can monitor the basic evolution process of the disease in patients with mild COVID-19, and provide a more intuitive basis for clinical early diagnosis and treatment.

Objective:To investigate the effect of lncRNA HOTTIP on the radiosensitivity of four non-small cell lung cancer cell lines cultured in vitro by regulating the expression of miR-663a. Methods:Four non-small cell lung cancer cell lines (H838, H157, A549, and H1299) were irradiated with different radiation intensities (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 Gy). Cell survival was detected by colony formation assay. The expression levels of HOTTIP and miR-663a were detected by qRT-PCR. A549 and H1299 cells were selected for the subsequent experiment. After silencing HOTTIP and/or over-expressing miR-663a, cell survival was detected by colony formation assay. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. The expression levels of Cleaved caspase-3, Cleaved PARP andγ-H 2AX were quantitatively measured by Western blot. The targeting relationship between HOTTIP and miR-663a was vefiried by dual luciferase reporter assay and qRT-PCR. Results:The expression of HOTTIP was up-regulated, whereas that of miR-663a was down-regulated in the radiation-resistant H157, A549 and H1299 cells. Silencing HOTTIP or over-expressing miR-663a inhibited the survival of A549 and H1299 cells (radiosensitization ratios were 1.562 and 1.507, respectively), promoted the expression of Cleaved caspase-3, Cleaved PARP and γ-H 2AX, and accelerated cell apoptosis induced by radiation exposure. miR-663a was a target gene of HOTTIP, and HOTTIP negatively regulated the expression of miR-663a. The inhibition of miR-663a reversed the effect of silencing HOTTIP on the radiosensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer cells. Conclusion:Silencing HOTTIP can suppress the survival of non-small cell lung cancer cells and promotes cell apoptosis by up-regulating the expression of miR-663a, thereby enhancing the radiosensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer cell lines.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of modified transurethral plasmakinetic enucleation of prostate (M-TPEP) combined with cystolithectomy in elderly patients with high risk of large volume benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) complicated with large urinary bladder calculi. Methods Seventy-one patients with high risk of large volume BPH complicated with large urinary bladder calculi were selected, and the patients were treated with M-TPEP combined with cystolithectomy. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospitalization time, complications, and the maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), post-void residual volume (PVR), serum potassium, international prostate symptom score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL) score preoperative and postoperative 3 months were recorded. Results Seventy-one patients successfully completed the operation, and no death occurred. The operation time was (75.48 ± 6.51) min, intraoperative blood loss was (82.63 ± 10.08) ml, and postoperative hospitalization time was 5-7 d. Incidence of intraoperative capsule perforation was 2.82% (2/71), incidence of postoperative temporary urinary incontinence was 7.04% (5/71), incidence of urethral and bladder irritation after operation was 8.45% (6/71), and incidence of postoperative wound infection was 2.82% (2/71). The PVR, IPSS and QOL score 3 months after operation were significantly lower than those before operation: (6.89 ± 0.74) ml vs. (205.13 ± 40.08) ml, (2.71 ± 0.45) scores vs. (28.62 ± 3.57) scores and (1.36 ± 0.24) scores vs. (4.93 ± 0.38) scores, the Qmaxwas significantly higher than that before operation: (22.46 ± 2.97) ml/s vs. (5.24 ± 0.43) ml/s, and there were statistical differences (P＜0.01);there was no statistical difference in serum potassium between before operation and 3 months after operation (P＞0.05). Conclusions M-TPEP combined with cystolithectomy has short operation time, quick recovery after operation and low complication rate. It is a proper operative method for the elderly patients with high risk of large volume BPH and large urinary bladder calculi.

Objective To investigate the curative effect of transarterial embolization (TAE) for the treatment of spontaneous rupture with bleeding of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC),and to discuss the factors influencing prognosis.Methods A total of 57 patients with HCC complicated by spontaneous rupture and bleeding,who received initial TAE during the period from June 2012 and June 2016,were enrolled in this study.The last follow-up visit was in October 2016.Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the cumulative survival rate,and Cox regression model was adopted to analyze prognostic factors.Results In this series of 57 patients,the median survival time was 208 days.The 6-month,1-year and 2-year cumulative survival rates were 50.3％,35.9％ and 14.7％,respectively.Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that tumor size,Child-Pugh classification,history of shock,and the used embolization materials were the independent prognostic factors.Conclusion The use of selective TAE,as an initial therapy,for HCC complicated by spontaneous rupture and bleeding is safe and effective.This study reveals that larger diameter of the tumor,poor Child-Pugh classification,the presence of shock history indicate a poor prognosis.TACE using lipiodol combined with gelatin sponge particles can expect a better prognosis than TACE using PVA particles alone.

ABSTRACT:Objective To investigate the effect of SDF-1/CXCR7 on inflammatory cytokine synthesis and secretion in gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells.Methods CXCR7 gene in SGC-7901 cells was silenced by shRNA lentiviral vector and the expression of CXCR7 was detected using Western blot and Real-time PCR.There were four groups as follows:LV-shRNA-NC,LV-shRNA-NC+SDF-1,LV-shRNA-CXCR7,and LV-shRNA-CXCR7+SDF-1 groups.Real-time PCR was used to detect the mRNA expressions of TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6 and IL-8.ELISA was used to detect the protein levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6 and IL-8 in the culture supernatant.Western blot was used to detect the protein expressions of NF-κB pathway.Results ① Transfection of SGC-7901 cells with CXCR7-shRNA lentiviral vector resulted in a significantly decreased expression of CXCR7 at both mRNA and protein levels (all P<0.01).② Compared with those in LV-shRNA-NC group,IL-6 and IL-8 mRNA expressions and protein levels in the culture supernatant were increased in LV-shRNA-NC+SDF-1 group (P<0.01 )and decreased in LV-shRNA-CXCR7 group (P<0.05).Compared with those in LV-shRNA-NC+SDF-1 group,the expressions of IL-6 and IL-8 at mRNA and protein levels in the culture supernatant were significantly cut down in LV-shRNA-CXCR7+SDF-1 group (P<0.01 ).However,the expressions of TNF-αand IL-1βat mRNA and protein levels in the culture supernatant were not significantly changed by SDF-1 and CXCR7 shRNA.③ The protein expressions of nuclear NF-κB p65,t-IκBαand p-IκBαexhibited no significant differences among the four groups.Conclusion SDF-1/CXCR7 can promote the synthesis and secretion of inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 in gastric cancer SGC-7 9 0 1 cells through an NF-κB-independent pathway.