Objective To compare the mid- and long-term clinical results of mitral valve plasty (MVP) and mitral valve replacement (MVR) in the treatment of functional mitral regurgitation (FMR). Methods Patients with FMR who underwent surgical treatment in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of the General Hospital of Northern Theater Command from 2012 to 2021 were collected. The patients who underwent MVP were divided into a MVP group, and those who underwent MVR into a MVR group. The clinical data and mid-term follow-up efficacy of two groups were compared. Results Finally 236 patients were included. There were 100 patients in the MVP group, including 53 males and 47 females, with an average age of (61.80±8.03) years. There were 136 patients in the MVR group, including 72 males and 64 females, with an average age of (61.29±8.97) years. There was no statistical difference in baseline data between the two groups (P＞0.05). There was no statistical difference between the two groups in the extracorporeal circulation time, aortic occlusion time, postoperative hospital and ICU stay, intraoperative blood loss, or hospitalization death (P＞0.05), but the time of mechanical ventilation in the MVP group was significantly shorter than that in the MVR group (P=0.022). The total follow-up rate was 100.0%, the longest follow-up was 10 years, and the average follow-up time was (3.60±2.55) years. There were statistical differences in the left atrial diameter, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, left ventricular end-systolic diameter and cardiac function between the two groups compared with those before surgery (P<0.05). The postoperative left ventricular ejection fraction in the MVP group was statistically higher than that before surgery (P=0.002), but there was no statistical difference in the MVR group before and after surgery (P=0.658). The left atrial diameter in the MVP group was reduced compared with the MVR group (P=0.026). The recurrence rate of mitral regurgitation in the MVP group was higher than that in the MVR group, and the difference was statistically significant (10.0% vs. 1.5%, P=0.003). There were 14 deaths in the MVP group and 19 in the MVR group. The cumulative survival rate (P=0.605) and cardiovascular events-free survival rate (P=0.875) were not statistically significant between the two groups by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Conclusion The safety, and mid- and long-term clinical efficacy of MVP in the treatment of FMR patients are better than MVR, and the left atrial and left ventricular diameters are statistically reduced, and cardiac function is statistically improved. However, the surgeon needs to be well aware of the indications for the MVP procedure to reduce the rate of mitral regurgitation recurrence.

Hepatic encephalopathy is a difficult and critical disease with rapid progression and limited treatment methods in the field of liver disease， and it is urgently needed to make breakthroughs in its pathogenesis. Selection of appropriate prevention and treatment strategies is of great importance in delaying disease progression and reducing the incidence and mortality rates. This article reviews the theory of “turbid toxin pathogenesis” and related prevention and treatment strategies for hepatic encephalopathy in traditional Chinese medicine/Zhuang medicine， proposes a new theory of “turbid toxin pathogenesis”， analyzes the scientific connotations of “turbid”， “toxin”， and the theory of “turbid toxin pathogenesis”， and constructs the “four-step” prevention and treatment strategies for hepatic encephalopathy， thereby establishing the new clinical prevention and treatment regimen for hepatic encephalopathy represented by “four prescriptions and two techniques” and clarifying the effect mechanism and biological basis of core prescriptions and techniques in the prevention and treatment of hepatic encephalopathy， in order to provide a reference for the prevention and treatment of hepatic encephalopathy.

ObjectiveTo analyze the distribution characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome elements in different risk populations of heart failure complicated with type 2 diabetes. MethodsClinical data of 675 type 2 diabetes patients were retrospectively collected. Lasso-multivariate Logistic regression was used to construct a clinical prediction nomogram model. Based on this， 441 non-heart failure patients were divided into a low-risk group （325 cases） and a high-risk group （116 cases） according to the median risk score of heart failure complicated with type 2 diabetes. TCM diagnostic information （four diagnostic methods） was collected for both groups， and factor analysis was applied to summarize the distribution of TCM syndrome elements in different risk populations. ResultsLasso-multivariate Logistic regression analysis identified age， disease duration， coronary heart disease， old myocardial infarction， arrhythmia， absolute neutrophil count， activated partial thromboplastin time， and α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase as independent risk factors for heart failure complicated with type 2 diabetes. These were used as final predictive factors to construct the nomogram model. Model validation results showed that the area under the curve （AUC） of the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve for the modeling group and validation group were 0.934 and 0.935， respectively. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test （modeling group P = 0.996， validation group P = 0.121） indicated good model discrimination. Decision curve analysis showed that the curves for All and None crossed in the upper right corner， indicating high clinical utility. The low-risk and high-risk groups each obtained 14 common factors. Preliminary analysis revealed that the main disease elements in the low-risk group were qi deficiency （175 cases， 53.85%）， dampness （118 cases， 36.31%）， and heat （118 cases， 36.31%）， with the primary locations in the spleen （125 cases， 38.46%） and lungs （99 cases， 30.46%）. In the high-risk group， the main disease elements were yang deficiency （73 cases， 62.93%）， blood stasis （68 cases， 58.62%）， and heat （49 cases， 42.24%）， with the primary locations in the kidney （84 cases， 72.41%） and heart （70 cases， 60.34%）. ConclusionThe overall disease characteristics in different risk populations of type 2 diabetes patients with heart failure are a combination of deficiency and excess， with deficiency being predominant. Deficiency and heat are present throughout. The low-risk population mainly shows qi deficiency with dampness and heat， related to the spleen and lungs. The high-risk population shows yang deficiency with blood stasis and heat， related to the kidneys and heart.

Objective To explore the mechanism of modified maimendong decoction (MMD) in inhibiting lung cancer metastasis from the perspective of immune regulation. Methods CTC-TJH-01 and LLC cells were intervened with different concentrations of modified maimendong decoction. The cell proliferation was detected with a CCK-8 kit, apoptosis was detected with an Annexin V-FITC/PI kit, and cell migration was detected through Transwell assays. A lung metastasis model was established through the tail vein injection of LLC cells into C57BL/6 mice, and body weight change and lung tumor metastasis in the mice were evaluated after continuous gavage intervention with MMD. HE staining, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence were employed to observe the histomorphology, Ki-67 protein level, and NK and T cell levels of metastatic lesions. The levels of NK and T cells in the peripheral blood of mice were detected throughflow cytometry. Results MMD had no significant inhibitory effect on the proliferation, apoptosis, and migration of CTC-TJH-01 and LLC cells in vitro. In mice, MMD could significantly inhibit the lung metastasis of LLC cells, increase the proportion of NK and CD8⁺ T cells in peripheral blood and tumor microenvironment (P<0.05), and reduce the expression of Ki-67 protein in metastatic tumor tissues (P<0.05). Conclusion MMD may inhibit the growth of metastatic tumors by upregulating the expression levels of NK and CD8⁺ T cells in peripheral blood to promote the elimination of circulating tumor cells, and regulating the infiltration of NK and CD8⁺ T cells in the immune microenvironment of metastatic tumors, then play an antimetastatic role in lung cancer.

To promote convergence education among national and international students, Nanjing Medical University designed an optional curriculum Two Sides of the Same Coin in Parasitic Diseases among international students for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program, and a research-based teaching method was employed to teach 31 international students. This curriculum contained three parts, including parasitology-related knowledge, basic knowledge and skills of scientific research, and frontier topics in scientific research advances, and the assessment contents included course sign-in, classroom activity participation and scientific research presentation. Curriculum evaluation showed 100.0% (8/8) of students in batch 2018—2021, 81.8% (9/11) in batch 2022, and 83.3% (10/12) in batch 2023 with a total score of 80 points and higher, with median scores (interquartile range) of 91.1 (7.0), 90.8 (5.7) points and 90.8 (5.7) points, respectively (H = 0.04, P > 0.05). In addition, a questionnaire survey was performed with a Likert scale to assess the interests in curriculum learning, and the curriculum practicality and importance among 31 international students, and a total of 27 valid questionnaires were recovered, with a recovery rate of 87.1%. Questionnaire survey showed that the median total scores (interquartile range) were 7.0 (0.8) points among batch 2018—2021 students, 6.4 (1.4) points among batch 2022 students and 6.0 (1.1) points among batch 2023 students (H = 2.64, P > 0.05). Collectively, these data demonstrate that this optional curriculum improves the interests in parasitology learning of the international students for MBBS program, as well as their capability of self-directed learning, teamwork and innovative.

A 72-year-old patient with quadricuspid aortic valve underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement due to severe valve stenosis accompanied by moderate insufficiency. As initially planned, the right coronary artery was protected during the procedure. However, after the artificial valve was released, the left coronary artery was found to be blocked, so a coronary protection stent was implanted in the left coronary artery ostium under the guidance of intravascular ultrasonography. This case indicates that for patients with a quadricuspid aortic valve undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement, in addition to preoperative measurement of the aortic root, attention should also be paid to the coronary artery obstruction caused by the displacement of the artificial valve frame during the procedure.
Aged ; Humans ; Aortic Valve/surgery* ; Aortic Valve Stenosis/surgery* ; Coronary Vessels ; Stents ; Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement/methods*

Bone repair remains an important target in tissue engineering, making the development of bioactive scaffolds for effective bone defect repair a critical objective. In this study, β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) scaffolds incorporated with processed pyritum decoction (PPD) were fabricated using three-dimensional (3D) printing-assisted freeze-casting. The produced composite scaffolds were evaluated for their mechanical strength, physicochemical properties, biocompatibility, in vitro pro-angiogenic activity, and in vivo efficacy in repairing rabbit femoral defects. They not only demonstrated excellent physicochemical properties, enhanced mechanical strength, and good biosafety but also significantly promoted the proliferation, migration, and aggregation of pro-angiogenic human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). In vivo studies revealed that all scaffold groups facilitated osteogenesis at the bone defect site, with the β-TCP scaffolds loaded with PPD markedly enhancing the expression of neurogenic locus Notch homolog protein 1 (Notch1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), and osteopontin (OPN). Overall, the scaffolds developed in this study exhibited strong angiogenic and osteogenic capabilities both in vitro and in vivo. The incorporation of PPD notably promoted the angiogenic-osteogenic coupling, thereby accelerating bone repair, which suggests that PPD is a promising material for bone repair and that the PPD/β-TCP scaffolds hold great potential as a bone graft alternative.
Calcium Phosphates/chemistry* ; Animals ; Bone Regeneration ; Rabbits ; Tissue Scaffolds ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Humans ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; Osteogenesis ; Tissue Engineering/methods* ; Biomimetic Materials ; Cell Proliferation ; Angiogenesis

Objective:To explore the clinical, imaging, and pathological features of glottic squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx and their relationship with prognosis. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical, imaging, and pathological data of 130 patients with glottic squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx who were treated at the First People's Hospital of Yinchuan and the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from January 2018 to March 2023. Imaging examinations （CT and MRI） were used to evaluate the lesion boundary clarity, density, enhancement nature, and enhancement degree. Postoperative pathological examination was used to determine the pathological nature, immunohistochemistry, etc. Statistical methods such as χ² test, Spearman correlation analysis, multivariate logistic regression analysis, and Kaplan-Meier method were used to analyze the data. Results:Among the 130 patients, 127 were male and 3 were female, with an average age of （61.92±9.595） years. There was a correlation between clinical, imaging, and pathological features. Multivariate analysis showed that heterogeneous MRI density （OR=12.414;P=0.019） and squamous cell carcinoma as a subtype were correlated. The initial symptom of non-hoarseness （HR=6.045;P=0.010） and unclear MRI boundary （HR=12.559; P=0.029） were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with glottic squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. Conclusion:There is a correlation between the clinical, imaging, and pathological features of patients with glottic squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, and they can affect prognosis. The initial symptom of non-hoarseness and unclear MRI boundary of the tumor are independent risk factors for poor prognosis.
Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Prognosis ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/diagnosis* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Glottis/pathology* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Aged

Stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase 1 (SCD1) catalyzes the rate-limiting step of de novo lipogenesis and modulates lipid homeostasis. Although numerous SCD1 inhibitors were tested for treating metabolic disorders both in preclinical and clinic studies, the tissue-specific roles of SCD1 in modulating obesity-associated metabolic disorders and determining the pharmacological effect of chemical SCD1 inhibition remain unclear. Here a novel role for intestinal SCD1 in obesity-associated metabolic disorders was uncovered. Intestinal SCD1 was found to be induced during obesity progression both in humans and mice. Intestine-specific, but not liver-specific, SCD1 deficiency reduced obesity and hepatic steatosis. A939572, an SCD1-specific inhibitor, ameliorated obesity and hepatic steatosis dependent on intestinal, but not hepatic, SCD1. Mechanistically, intestinal SCD1 deficiency impeded obesity-induced oxidative stress through its novel function of inducing metallothionein 1 in intestinal epithelial cells. These results suggest that intestinal SCD1 could be a viable target that underlies the pharmacological effect of chemical SCD1 inhibition in the treatment of obesity-associated metabolic disorders.

ObjectiveTo observe the efficacy of Huoxue Jiedu Formulas （活血解毒方药， HJF） as an adjunctive treatement for patients with binding of stasis and toxin syndrome during the vulnerable period after acute myocardial infarction （AMI） percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI） surgery， and to explore its potential mechanism from the perspective of serum neutrophil extracellular traps （NETs）. MethodsA total of 129 patients with binding of stasis and toxin syndrome within 6 months after PCI for AMI were enrolled and divided into a treatment group （65 cases） and a control group （64 cases） based on patients' willingness to take Chinese herbal medicine. The control group received standard western medical therapy alone， while the treatment group additionally received HJF， one dose daily. Both groups were treated for four weeks. Before and after treatment， TCM syndrome scores were assessed. Seattle angina questionnaire （SAQ） was used to record angina stability and frequency scores， while the short form-36 health survey （SF-36） was employed to assess quality of life across eight dimensions， including physical functioning， role-physical， bodily pain， general health， vitality， social functioning， role-emotional， and mental health. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index （PSQI） was used to evaluate sleep quality， and the patient health questionnaire-15 （PHQ-15） was used to assess psychosomatic symptoms； Duke activity status index （DASI） was used to measure daily physical activity. Serum levels of neutrophil extracellular traps （NET） markers including myeloperoxidase-DNA （MPO-DNA）， neutrophil elastase-DNA （NE-DNA）， and citrullinated histone H3 （CitH3） were measured in 20 patients from the treatment group. ResultsAfter treatment， TCM syndrome score， PSQI score and PHQ-15 score in both groups significantly decreased， while DASI score， angina stability and frequency scores， and all eight dimensions of the SF-36 scale significantly increased （P＜0.05）. Compared to the control group， the treatment group had significantly lower TCM syndrome scores and significantly higher DASI， angina stability and frequency scores （P＜0.05）， as well as higher scores in the SF-36 dimensions of physical functioning， role-physical， social functioning， bodily pain， and vitality （P＜0.05）. After treatment， serum levels of MPO-DNA， CitH3， and NE-DNA in the treatment group were significantly reduced （P＜0.05）. ConclusionHJF combined with conventional therapy can significantly improve angina symptoms， TCM syndrome scores， and psychosomatic conditions in patients with binding of stasis and toxin syndrome during the vulnerable period after AMI. It also enhances quality of life， sleep quality， and daily physical activity. The underlying mechanism may be associated with the inhibition of serum NETs level.