Edema， as a common pathological phenomenon， is essentially the abnormal accumulation of body fluids in the interstitial spaces of human tissues and is often a direct manifestation of various underlying diseases， such as heart failure， impaired renal filtration function， or liver metabolic disorders. In the Western medical system， strategies for treating edema primarily focus on the use of diuretics to promote the excretion of excess fluid in the body， while simultaneously addressing the underlying causes through targeted treatment. However， long-term reliance on the use of diuretics may lead to a decrease in drug sensitivity and induce side effects， including electrolyte disorders such as hypokalemia and hypercalcemia， posing a potential threat to patients' overall health. Compared with Western medicine， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has demonstrated well-recognized and sustained efficacy in treating edema with its unique theoretical system. Zhulingtang， as a classic and commonly used TCM formula， is widely applied as it can effectively relieve edema and related symptoms. In recent years， ongoing in-depth studies on the treatment of edema with Zhulingtang have revealed multiple mechanisms of action of Zhulingtang， including the regulation of water metabolism and the reduction of inflammatory responses， thereby providing a solid theoretical basis for clinical practice. This review summarized the research progress on the treatment of edema with Zhulingtang in recent years and analyzed the active ingredients and action pathways of Zhulingtang. Additionally， the primary mechanisms of action and efficacy were systematically analyzed， so as to provide references for the clinical application of Zhulingtang in treating various types of edema， such as cardiogenic edema， renal edema， and hepatogenic edema. This review aims to offer theoretical support and practical guidance for clinicians in deciding treatment approaches， as well as references for subsequent in-depth studies， thereby promoting further development of TCM in the treatment of edema.

Edema， as a common pathological phenomenon， is essentially the abnormal accumulation of body fluids in the interstitial spaces of human tissues and is often a direct manifestation of various underlying diseases， such as heart failure， impaired renal filtration function， or liver metabolic disorders. In the Western medical system， strategies for treating edema primarily focus on the use of diuretics to promote the excretion of excess fluid in the body， while simultaneously addressing the underlying causes through targeted treatment. However， long-term reliance on the use of diuretics may lead to a decrease in drug sensitivity and induce side effects， including electrolyte disorders such as hypokalemia and hypercalcemia， posing a potential threat to patients' overall health. Compared with Western medicine， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has demonstrated well-recognized and sustained efficacy in treating edema with its unique theoretical system. Zhulingtang， as a classic and commonly used TCM formula， is widely applied as it can effectively relieve edema and related symptoms. In recent years， ongoing in-depth studies on the treatment of edema with Zhulingtang have revealed multiple mechanisms of action of Zhulingtang， including the regulation of water metabolism and the reduction of inflammatory responses， thereby providing a solid theoretical basis for clinical practice. This review summarized the research progress on the treatment of edema with Zhulingtang in recent years and analyzed the active ingredients and action pathways of Zhulingtang. Additionally， the primary mechanisms of action and efficacy were systematically analyzed， so as to provide references for the clinical application of Zhulingtang in treating various types of edema， such as cardiogenic edema， renal edema， and hepatogenic edema. This review aims to offer theoretical support and practical guidance for clinicians in deciding treatment approaches， as well as references for subsequent in-depth studies， thereby promoting further development of TCM in the treatment of edema.

Aerobic methane oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs) can use methane as carbon source and energy source, eliminating 10%-20% of global methane. Methanotrophs can also effectively synthesize valuable methane-derived products. This article introduced the methane oxidizing mechanism of methanotrophs, and summarized the practical application and research hotspots of methanotrophs in the field of methane emission reduction in the landfill, ventilation air methane mitigation in coal mines, valuable chemicals biosynthesis, as well as oil and gas reservoir exploration. Main factors influencing the pollutant removal and the biosynthesis efficiency in various applications were also discussed. Based on the study of large-scale cultivation of methanotrophs, some measures to benefit the application and promotion of aerobic methane oxidizing biotechnology were proposed. This includes investigating the effect of intermediate metabolites on methanotrophs activity and population structure, and exploiting economical and efficient alternative culture media and culture techniques.
Biotechnology ; Carbon ; Culture Media/chemistry* ; Methane/metabolism* ; Methylococcaceae/metabolism* ; Oxidation-Reduction

Objective:Objective The inhibitory effect of Niuhuang Qinggan Capsule on 2019-nCoV virus was studied to provide experimental evidence for drug screening and treatment of 2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease.Methods:The 2019-nCoV virus GS048 strain was isolated and cultured by Vero-E6 cells. The solution of Niuhuang Qinggan capsule was incubated with virus in vitro to determine the change of virus titer. The effect of Niuhuang Qinggan capsule on the proliferation of 2019-nCoV virus was determined by cell culture medium method.Results:It was found that the concentration of 274.3 μg/ml was not toxic to the cells when the concentration of drugs was lower. When the drug was incubated with virus, the titer of virus decreased from 10 4.4TCID 50/ml to 10 2.8TCID 50/ml. In vitro 2019-nCoV virus culture experiment showed that the addition of the drugs reduced the cytopathy, and the logarithmic value of virus titer decreased by 40% -50%. Conclusion:In this study, in vitro inhibition experiments suggest that Niuhuang Qinggan capsule has the potential to inhibit the proliferation of 2019-nCoV. It can be used as a candidate drug to further verify the therapeutic effect of the 2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is a genetic cardiac muscle disease that accounts for approximately 30% sudden cardiac death in young adults. The Ser358Leu mutation of transmembrane protein 43 (TMEM43) was commonly identified in the patients of highly lethal and fully penetrant ARVD subtype, ARVD5. Here, we generated TMEM43 S358L mouse to explore the underlying mechanism. This mouse strain showed the classic pathologies of ARVD patients, including structural abnormalities and cardiac fibrofatty. TMEM43 S358L mutation led to hyper-activated nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activation in heart tissues and primary cardiomyocyte cells. Importantly, this hyper activation of NF-κB directly drove the expression of pro-fibrotic gene, transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ1), and enhanced downstream signal, indicating that TMEM43 S358L mutation up-regulates NF-κB-TGFβ signal cascade during ARVD cardiac fibrosis. Our study partially reveals the regulatory mechanism of ARVD development.

Objective To explore the role of deep brain stimulation of subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) in treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) related neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS).Methods The medical history,clinical features,STN-DBS programmed treatment process and treatment results of two patients admitted to our hospital in December 2014 and November 2018 were retrospectively analyzed.Results Two patients with post-operative STN-DBS were evoked by dose-reduced treatment of anti-parkinsonian drugs,and presented with high fever,disorder of consciousness,aggravation of the original parkinsonism,and increase of creatine phosphokinase,which were not correlated with outcomes of infection.After admission,anti-parkinsonian drugs and other supportive therapies were supplemented;STN-DBS modulation were given to improve the symptoms;the final parameters of patient one were the left (C+,2-,1-),pulse width 110 μs,frequency 200 Hz,and strength 3.8 V;the right side (C+,6-,5-),pulse width 110 μs,frequency 200 Hz,strength 4.4 V;and those of patient two were the left (C+,3-),pulse width 60 μs,frequency 130 Hz,strength 2.0 V;right side (C+,6-),pulse width 80 μs,frequency 160 Hz,and strength 2.8 V.Both patients were cured,but their motor function and self-care ability were severely impaired.Conclusion STN-DBS may play an important role in the treatment of PD related NMS.

Objective To investigate the expressions of interluekin-3 in BALB/c mice infected by mycoplasma pneumonia (MP)and to clarify the relationship between IL-3 and MP infection.Methods Total 36 BALB/c mice were randomly divid-ed into control group,MP infection group and clarithromycin treatment group.MP infection models were established with the method of dripping cultured MP into nasal cavity of mice.ELISA method was used to assay the levels of IL-3 in the the serum of the mice and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in various groups.The lung tissue was fixed in formalin for sections,HE staining was performed for the observation of histological changes.Results The MP-infected mouse models were established successfully and MP strains were dripped into the respiratory system of mice.As showed in histopathological observasion re-sults,significantly increased after MP infection and then gradually decreased after clarithromycin treatment.The ELISA re-sults showed that the level of serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of IL-3 of the mice in MP infection group were 96.4± 8.3 ng/L and 60.9 ±6.5 ng/L.Compared with the control group(203.1±14.5 ng/L,96.3±12.6ng/L),serum and bron-choalveolar lavage fluid of mice infected with MP in IL-3 levels were significantly lower (t serum = 19.50,t balf = 17.20,P <0.01),and after treatment with clarithromycin,serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of IL-3 significantly increased,re-spectively(175.6±12.5 ng/L and 85.6± 10.2 ng/L,tserum = 17.41,tbalf = 14.62,P <0.01),the difference was statistically significant.Conclusion IL-3 levels were decreased in mycoplasma pneumonia mice.Clarithromycin treatment had effect on mycoplasma pneumonia infecttion.The expression level IL-3 may be related to the severity degree of MP infection.

Objective To investigate the relationship between blood vessel invasion (BVI) and clinicopathologic features and prognosis in patients with gastric cancer,and analyze related factors affecting the prognosis of patients.Methods The clinicopathological data of 206 patients with gastric cancer who were admitted to the Nanjing Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University from January 2007 to December 2010 were retrospectively analyzed.The BVI of surgical tumor specimens in all patients was detected by immunohistochemical staininng.All the patients were followed up via outpatient examination and telephone interview up to March 2014.The count data were analyzed using the chi-square test.The survival curve was drawn by Kaplan-Meier method.The survival analysis and univariate analysis were done using the Log-rank test,and multivariate analysis was done using the COX regression model.Results The BVI rate of 206 patients was 27.67％ (57/206).The BVI rate of tumor tissues,tumor differentiation,perineural invasion,T stage,N stage and TNM stage in all patients with gastric cancer were compared,showing significant differences (x2=14.396,9.569,15.579,43.453,30.732,P ＜ 0.05).After operation,188 patients were followed up for 6.0-60.0 months (median,34.0 months),with the follow-up rate of 91.26％ (188/206).Among 188 patients with follow-up,the median survival time and 5-year cumulative survival rate in patients with BVI and with negative BVI were 32.4 months and 19.6％,40.7 months and 42.0％,respectively,with a significant difference in the survival of patients (x2 =9.364,P ＜ 0.05).The results of univariate analysis showed that the diameter of tumor,tumor differentiation,perineural invasion,BVI,T stage,N stage and TNM stage were factors affecting the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer (x2=9.241,17.486,11.243,9.364,27.666,216.745,49.887,P ＜ 0.05).The results of multivariate analysis showed that the diameter of tumormore than 5 cm,BVI,stage T4,stage N3 and stage Ⅲ were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer (HR =0.502,0.456,0.052,0.001,0.735; 95％ confidence interval:0.334-0.754,0.289-0.720,0.004-0.664,0.000-0.006,0.159-3.398,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions BVI in patients with gastric cancer is associated with the progression of tumors.The diameter of tumor more than 5cm,BVI,stage T4,stage N3 and stage Ⅲ are independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer,and BVI may be a predictor of poor prognosis of patients with gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To survey E-cadherin (E-cad) expression in tumor tissue and serum of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients, and to observe the clinical significance of their expression. METHODS: Forty-eight samples of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissue, 23 samples of erosive esophagitis tissue, 24 samples of normal esophagus tissue and the corresponding sera were obtained. We used immunohistochemistry (IHC) to detect expression of E-cad in the tissues and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to examine expression of E-cad in the serum. Furthermore, we collected complete clinicopathological data from the participating patients. RESULTS: The expression level of E-cad in the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissue was lower than that in normal esophagus tissues and erosive esophagitis tissues (P<0.05). Moreover, the expression level of E-cad was related to the depth of invasion, the status of lymph node metastasis and the level of differentiation of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (P<0.05). The expression level of serum E-cad of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients was obviously higher than that in the serum of normal esophagus controls and erosive esophagitis patients (P<0.05). But the expression level of E-Cad in the serum of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients was unrelated to clinicopathological features. The expression level of E-cad in the tissue was not correlated with that in the serum(P=0.134). CONCLUSION The expression of E-cad in tissues may assistin the diagnosis and prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The expression of E-cad in the serum may assistin the diagnostic screening of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antigens, CD ; Cadherins ; blood ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Middle Aged

Objective To discuss the value of leukocyte-targeted myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) as a tool in observing the degree of acute rejection after heart transplantation. Methods Abdominal heterotopic cardiac transplantation was performed on 32 rats successfully, among which 8 isografts served as group A, and groups B, C and D involved 8 allografts respectively. The rats in groups B and C were treated with cyclosporine A (CsA) at a high dose (10mg· kg-1 · day-1 ), a low dose (3 mg · kg-1 · day-1 ) from 3rd day before transplantation respectively.The rats in groups A and D were untreated with CsA. MCE was performed during continuous intravenous SonoVue injection postoperatively on the third day after operation. We performed 2 types of MCE: perfusion imaging and leukocyte-targeted imaging. The images were obtained at 20 s and 5 min after injection of contrast agent. The value of the contrast image grayscale (GS) was measured by image analyzer (GS20s, GS5 min). GStarget was calculated as the GS5min minus the GS20s in the same rat.Postmortem histology was performed after observation. The degree of myocardial rejection was determined by HE-stained graft myocardium. Immunohistochemistry was performed to quantify the CD3-positive cells, and correlation analysis was performed between CD3-positive cell count and GS20s,GS5min, GStarget. Results Perfusion imaging showed no significant difference in myocardial GS20s of each group. Leukocyte-Targeted imaging exhibited a clear gradient in these groups (P＜0. 05). There was significant difference in GStarget of each group (P＜0. 001). Postmortem histology showed 0- Ⅰ grade rejection in group A, Ⅰ -Ⅱ grade rejection in group B, Ⅱ-Ⅲ grade rejection in group C, Ⅲ-Ⅳ grade rejection in group D. Immunohistochemistry revealed the CD3-positive cell infiltration was increased in turn from the group A to the group D. There was a significantly positive correlation between the CD3-positive cell count and GStarget ( r = 0. 86, P ＜ 0. 001 ). Conclusion Leukocyte-targeted contrast echocardiography may thus offer a noninvasive and effective ultrasound imaging technique for detecting the degree of acute cardiac transplant rejection.