BACKGROUND:Early exercise treatment is the main prevention way for traumatic joint contracture and is also a research focus.Swimming may be a potential intervention for joint contracture due to the special physical properties of water. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects of swimming on the development of joint contracture in a rat model and study its mechanisms. METHODS:Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a blank control group(n=8)and a joint contracture group(n=16).After the surgical operation of knee joint contracture rat models,the joint contracture group was randomly subdivided into a surgical control group(n=8)and a swimming treatment group(n=8).Swimming started in the swimming treatment group in the second week after surgery and lasted for a total of 5 weeks.At the 6th week after surgery,the body mass,knee joint range of motion,and quadriceps diameter were tested,and the diameter/body mass index was calculated.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to detect the pathological changes in the knee joint capsule and quadriceps muscle,and Masson staining was used to observe fibrotic changes in the knee joint capsule.Furthermore,the protein expression of transforming growth factor β1 and type I collagen in the knee joint capsule was quantified by immunohistochemical assay and western blot was performed to detect the protein expression of MuRF1 in the quadriceps femoris. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the blank control group,the knee range of motion decreased in the surgical control and swimming treatment groups(P<0.01),and knee extension deficit and arthrogenic extension deficit were significantly increased(P<0.01),the diameter of the quadriceps muscle was decreased(P<0.01),the joint capsule showed significant fibrosis,the quadriceps muscle was atrophied,and the diameter/body mass index was decreased(P<0.01).Compared with the surgical control group,the swimming treatment group showed a significant increase in knee joint range of motion and quadriceps diameter(P<0.01),and significant improvement in joint capsule fibrosis and quadriceps atrophy.Compared with the blank control group,collagen fiber content and expression of transforming growth factor β1 and type I collagen were increased in the joint capsule of rats in both the surgical control group and the swimming treatment group(P<0.01).Compared with the surgical control group,collagen fiber content and expression of transforming growth factor β1 and type I collagen protein in the joint capsule were decreased in the swimming treatment group.Compared with the blank control group,the expression of MuRF1 protein in the quadriceps muscle of rats in the surgical control group and the swimming treatment group was increased(P<0.05).Compared with the surgical control group,the expression of MuRF1 protein in the quadriceps muscle of rats in the swimming treatment group was decreased(P<0.05).To conclude,early swimming intervention reduces transforming growth factor β1 and type I collagen expression in the joint capsule of traumatic joint contracture rats,decreases MuRF1 expression in the quadriceps muscle,and increases joint range of motion and quadriceps diameter,thereby inhibiting the development of joint contracture.

Objective To noninvasively predict isocitrate dehydrogenase(IDH)status of glioma via combining imaging and clini-cal features before surgery,so as to provide basis for individualized clinical treatment decision.Methods A total of 47 patients with glioma confirmed by pathological and molecular genetic tests were included,including 20 with IDH mutant type and 27 with IDH wild type.After diffusion tensor imaging(DTI)scanning,fractional anisotropy(FA)and mean diffusivity(MD)values of tumor paren-chyma were calculated.Combining DTI parameters with MRI morphological features of tumor,blood neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio(NLR)and patient's age,binary logistic regression model was established to effectively predict IDH status of glioma patients before surgery.Results There were significant differences in FAmean/FANAWM,MDmin,NLR,tumor location and age between IDH mutant type and IDH wild type groups(P<0.05).The binary logistic regression model concluding,FAmean/FANAWM,MDmin,cystic degeneration,NLR and age,predicted IDH status of glioma with area under the curve(AUC)of 0.961 and 95%confidence interval(CI)of 0.914-1.00.Conclusion The regression model established via combining DTI,MRI morphological features and blood NLR has great performance in classifying IDH status of glioma,and can help predict IDH status noninvasively before surgery,so as to assist clinical individualized treatment.

Based on the results of the latest basic research on vitiligo, this article elucidates the significance of reconfiguration of glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and metabolism of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of vitiligo, attempts to delineate a panoramic picture of metabolic reconfiguration in vitiligo, and discusses the importance of dialectically and uniformly grasping the crosstalk between multiple metabolic pathways, and of thinking about the mechanisms of action of multiple metabolic pathway reconfiguration in the occurrence of vitiligo in individuals from a holistic perspective in future basic studies, in order to promote the understanding of the vitiligo pathogenesis and explore potential treatment methods for vitiligo.

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of water jet-assisted dermabrasion versus electric dermabrasion in combination with suction blister epidermal grafting in the treatment of vitiligo.Methods:A total of 60 vitiligo patients were enrolled from the Department of Dermatology, Xijing Hospital from March 2020 to March 2022. Thirty patients firstly received water jet-assisted dermabrasion, 30 firstly received electric dermabrasion, and then all were treated with suction blister epidermal grafting. Follow-up visits were conducted once a month, and the repigmentation of skin lesions and efficacy were evaluated and compared between the two groups 6 months after surgery.Results:There were 30 patients with 312 skin lesions in the water jet-assisted dermabrasion group, including 13 males and 17 females, with the ages and disease duration being 24.41 ± 3.12 years and 5.13 ± 2.34 years respectively; there were 30 patients with 301 skin lesions in the electric dermabrasion group, including 11 males and 19 females, with the ages and disease duration being 22.73 ± 5.11 years and 4.88 ± 2.21 years respectively. No significant differences were observed in the age, gender, disease duration, and dermabrasion sites between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Six months after the operation, 187 (59.94%) skin lesions were healed, 103 (33.01%) were markedly improved, and 22 (7.05%) were improved in the water jet-assisted dermabrasion group; in the electric dermabrasion group, 166 (55.15%) lesions were healed, 108 (35.88%) were markedly improved, and 27 (8.97%) were improved; there was no significant difference in the total response rate between the water jet-assisted dermabrasion group (92.95%) and the electric dermabrasion group (91.03%; χ2 = 0.27, P = 0.602). The water jet-assisted dermabrasion group showed significantly higher degree of repigmentation (90.47% ± 2.53%), matching degree of skin color (3.53 ± 0.21 points), and patient satisfaction scores (3.32 ± 0.27 points) compared with the electric dermabrasion group (82.40% ± 5.33%, 2.71 ± 0.32 points, 2.68 ± 0.41 points, t = 5.30, 8.28, 5.09, respectively, all P < 0.05). No adverse reactions/events were seen in either group. Conclusions:The water jet-assisted dermabrasion combined with suction blister epidermal grafting and electric dermabrasion combined with suction blister epidermal grafting showed similar efficacy in the treatment of vitiligo, with good safety profiles. However, the degree of repigmentation, matching degree of skin color, and patient satisfaction rates were all higher in the patients receiving water jet-assisted dermabrasion than those receiving electric dermabrasion.

Objective:To observe and analyze depression-like behavioral performances of mouse models of vitiligo.Methods:Fifteen female C57BL/6 mice aged about 9 weeks were modeled for vitiligo. Whether the mouse models of vitiligo were successfully constructed or not was determined by macroscopy and full-thickness epidermal immunofluorescence staining of mouse tail tissues on day 23 after the start of the experiment; on day 8 (pre-modeling stage) and day 21 (early modeling stage), the elevated plus maze test and the open field test were used to evaluate the behavioral performances of the mice, including the number of entry into the open arms, percentages of time spent in the open arms, percentages of time spent in the central area and total distance traveled, aiming to assess whether depression-like behaviors were exhibited in the mouse models of vitiligo. To further clarify the degree of the impact of vitiligo modeling on the depression-like state in mice, 20 female C57BL/6 mice were equally divided into 2 groups: vitiligo modeling group and vitiligo modeling + chronic restraint stress group; the mice in the vitiligo modeling + chronic restraint stress group were subjected to chronic restraint stress on day 9, that is, these mice were placed in centrifuge tubes and restrained for about 6 hours every day for 28 consecutive days; on days 7, 22, 29 and 38 after the start of vitiligo modeling, the above-mentioned behavioral indicators were determined by the elevated plus maze test and open field test in the 2 groups. Repeated measurement data in a single group were compared before and after treatment by using paired t-test, and repeated measurement data at multiple time points were compared by using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance. Results:By macroscopy, the mice gradually developed well-defined white patches on the tail skin during vitiligo modeling, which were similar to the clinical manifestations of vitiligo patients; on day 23, full-thickness epidermal immunofluorescence staining of the mouse tail tissues was conducted and showed obvious infiltration of CD8 + T cells and a decrease in the number of Melan-A-positive epidermal melanocytes under a laser confocal microscope, which were consistent with typical pathological characteristics of vitiligo; based on the macroscopic results and immunofluorescence findings, a total of 12 mouse models of vitiligo were successfully constructed on day 23. The elevated plus maze test showed that the number of entry into the open arms and the percentages of time spent in the open arms were significantly lower in the 12 mouse models of vitiligo on day 21 (2.33 ± 1.78 times, 5.01% ± 5.27%, respectively) than in those on day 8 (10.75 ± 2.30 times, 29.20% ± 12.48%, t = 9.63, 6.36, respectively, both P < 0.001) ; the open field test showed that the percentages of time spent in the central area and total distance traveled were also significantly lower in the mouse models on day 21 (2.31% ± 1.53%, 2 518.31 ± 528.38 cm, respectively) than in those on day 8 (4.47% ± 2.65%, 3 533.45 ± 465.47 cm, t = 2.40, 5.47, P = 0.036, < 0.001, respectively). In the chronic restraint stress test, a total of 14 mouse models of vitiligo were successfully constructed on day 23, including 5 in the vitiligo modeling group and 9 in the vitiligo modeling + chronic restraint stress group. There were no significant differences in the number of entry into the open arms, percentages of time spent in the open arms, percentages of time spent in the central area, and total distance traveled between the vitiligo modeling group and the vitiligo modeling + chronic restraint stress group on days 7, 22, 29, and 38 ( F = 0.21, 0.20, 0.46, 2.35, P = 0.889, 0.893, 0.719, 0.134, respectively) ; moreover, all the above indicators significantly changed over time (all P < 0.001), except for the total distance traveled ( P = 0.422) . Conclusion:The mouse models of vitiligo developed depression-like behavior at the early modeling stage, and the degree of depression could not be further deepened by chronic restraint stress on the basis of vitiligo modeling.

Objective To investigate the effects and mechanisms of Tiaoqi Zhike Prescription(Ephedrae Herba,Armeniacae Semen Amarum,Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus,Scutellariae Radix,Trichosanthis Semen,etc.)on airway inflammation in cough variant asthma rats based on the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway.Methods Cough variant asthma rat model was established by ovalbumin sensitization.SD rats were randomly divided into blank group,model group,Dexamethasone group(0.5 mg·kg-1),Montelukast group(1.0 mg·kg-1)and Tiaoqi Zhike Prescription low-,medium-and high-dose groups(9.6,19.2,38.4 g·kg-1),with 10 rats in each group.Intragastric administration was given once a day for 14 consecutive days.The general condition of rats was observed and the number of coughs in rats within two minutes after atomization was recorded.HE staining and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological changes of lung tissue in rats.The levels of serum interleukin-1β(IL-1β),IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)were detected by ELISA.The protein expression levels of p38 MAPK,p-p38,NF-κB p65 and p-p65 in lung tissue were detected by Western Blot.The mRNA expression levels of p38 MAPK and NF-κB p65 in lung tissue were detected by RT-qPCR.Results Compared with the blank group,the times of coughs in the model group was significantly increased(P＜0.01),and the pathological score of lung injury and the area ratio of collagen fibers were significantly increased(P＜0.01).The levels of serum IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly increased(P＜0.01).The protein expressions of p-p38,p-p65,p-p38/p38 and p-p65/p65 in lung tissue were significantly up-regulated(P＜0.01),and the mRNA expressions of p38 MAPK and NF-κB p65 were significantly up-regulated(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the cough frequency of rats in each administration group was significantly decreased(P＜0.01),the pathological score of lung injury and the area ratio of collagen fibers were significantly decreased(P＜0.01),the levels of serum IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly decreased(P＜0.01),and the protein expressions of p-p38 and p-p65 and the mRNA expressions of p38 MAPK and NF-κB p65 in lung tissue were significantly down-regulated(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The protein expression ratios of p-p3/p38 and p-p65/p65 in the lung tissue of rats in the high-dose group of Tiaoqi Zhike Prescription were significantly down-regulated(P＜0.01).Compared with the Dexamethasone group and the Montelukast group,the number of coughs in the high-dose group of Tiaoqi Zhike Prescription was significantly reduced(P＜0.05).Compared with the Dexamethasone group,the serum levels of IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α in the high-dose group of Tiaoqi Zhike Prescription were significantly decreased(P＜0.01).Compared with the Montelukast group,the levels of serum IL-1β and TNF-α in the high-dose group of Tiaoqi Zhike Prescription were significantly decreased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Conclusion Tiaoqi Zhike Prescription can improve the cough symptoms of ovalbumin-induced cough variant asthma model rats,reduce airway inflammatory cell infiltration and airway remodeling,and reduce the levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α.The mechanism may be related to the regulation of MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiao′er Huangjin Zhike Granules in the treatment of cough caused by acute bronchitis in children, which is defined in TCM terms as a syndrome of phlegm-heat obstructing the lung.Methods:This was a block-randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial.From January 2022 to September 2023, 359 children aged 3 to 7 years old diagnosed as acute bronchitis (lung-obstructing phlegm-heat syndrome) were enrolled from 21 participating hospitals and randomly assigned to the experimental group and placebo group in a 3︰1 ratio, and respectively treated with Xiao′er Huangjin Zhike Granules and its matching placebo.Cough resolution/general resolution rate after 7 days of treatment was used as the primary efficacy outcome for both groups.Results:(1)On the seventh day of treatment, the rate of cough disappearance/basically disappearance in the experimental group and placebo group were 73.95% and 57.61% retrospectively, which had statistically significance ( P=0.001).(2)After 7 days of treatment, the median duration of cough disappearance/basic disappearance were 5 days and 6 days in the two groups , with a statistically significant difference ( P=0.006).The area under the curve of cough symptom severity time was 7.20 ± 3.79 in the experimental group and 8.20±4.42 in the placebo group.The difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P=0.039).(3) After 7 days of treatment, the difference between TCM syndrome score and baseline was -16.0 (-20.0, -15.0) points in the experimental group and -15.0 (-18.0, -12.0) points in the placebo group, with significant difference between the two groups ( P=0.004).In the experimental group, the clinical control rate, the markedly effective rate, the effective rate and the ineffective rate were 49.04%, 28.35%, 16.48% and 6.13% severally; and in the placebo group, the clinical control rate, the markedly effective rate, the effective rate and the ineffective rate were 38.04%, 26.09%, 29.35%, and 6.52% separately, which had statistically significant ( P=0.014).(4) There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events or adverse reactions during the trial between both groups.Moreover, while adverse reactions in the form of vomiting and diarrhea were occasionally reported, no serious drug-related adverse event or adverse reaction was reported.(5)The tested drug provided good treatment compliance, showing no statistically significant difference from the placebo in terms of compliance rate. Conclusions:Based on the above findings, it can be concluded that Xiao′er Huangjin Zhike Granules provides good safety, efficacy, and treatment compliance in the treatment of cough caused by acute bronchitis, and lung-obstructing phlegm-heat syndrome, in children.

Objective To observe the value of shear wave viscoelastography(SWV)for differentiating lung peripheral inflammatory masses and malignant tumors.Methods Conventional gray-scale ultrasound and SWV were prospectively performed in 70 patients with lung peripheral inflammatory mass or malignant tumor.The patients were divided into malignant group(n=42)and inflammatory group(n=28)according to pathological results.Clinical and ultrasonic data,including the maximum diameter of lesions,the mean Young's modulus(Emean),mean viscosity(Vmean),and mean dispersion slope(Dmean)were compared between groups.Receiver operating characteristic curves of ultrasonic parameters being significantly different between groups were drawn,and area under the curves(AUCs)were calculated to evaluate the efficacy of each parameter for differentiating lung peripheral inflammatory mass or malignant tumor.Results In malignant group,the maximum diameter and Emean of lesions were both higher,while Vmean and Dmean of lesions were both lower than those in inflammatory group(all P＜0.05).Vmean and Dmean of lesions had moderately/good efficacy for differentiating lung peripheral inflammatory mass or malignant tumor(AUC=0.843,0.866),both better than that of conventional ultrasound and Emean(AUC=0.673,0.685)(all P＜0.05).The combination of Emean,Vmean and Dmean had good efficacy for differentiating lung peripheral inflammatory masses and malignant tumors,with AUC of 0.874.Conclusion The viscous parameters of SWV could effectively differentiating lung peripheral inflammatory masses and malignant tumors.

Objective:To evaluate the impact of self-crosslinked hyaluronic acid (SCH) gel on endometrium recovery after artificial abortion.Methods:A multicenter, prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted across 18 hospitals from December 2021 to February 2023, involving 382 women who underwent artificial abortion. Participants were randomly allocated to receive either treatment with SCH gel (SCH group) or no treatment (control group) in a 1∶1 ratio. The primary outcome was endometrium thickness in 14 to 18 days after the first postoperative menstruation. Secondary outcomes included changes in menstrual volume during the first postoperative menstruation, menstruation resumption within 6 postoperative weeks, time to menstruation resumption, duration of the first postoperative menstruation, and incidence of dysmenorrhea.Results:Baseline characteristics of participants were comparable between the two groups (all P>0.05), with 95.3% (182/191) in SCH group and 92.7% (177/191) in the control group completed the study. The postoperative endometrial thickness in SCH group was significantly greater than that in the control group [(9.78±3.15) vs (8.95±2.32) mm; P=0.005]. SCH group also had significantly fewer participants with reduced menstrual volume [23 cases (12.6%, 23/182) vs 31 cases (17.5%, 31/177); P=0.038]. Although SCH group experienced less dysmenorrhea during the first postoperative menstrual period, this difference was not statistically significant [28.5% (51/179) vs 37.1% (65/175); P=0.083]. Outcomes were similar between SCH group and the control group regarding the proportion of participants who resumed menstruation within 6 weeks postoperatively, time to menstruation resumption, and duration of the first postoperative menstruation ( P=0.792, 0.485, and 0.254, respectively). No serious adverse events were observed during the study period, and no adverse events were attributed to SCH gel treatment. Conclusion:The application of SCH gel after artificial abortion is safe and might aid in the recovery of the endometrium.

Objective To explore the effect and possible mechanism of berberine on the macro-phage polarization of human myeloid leukemia monocytic cell line THP-1 induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein(ox-LDL).Methods THP-1 cells were induced into macrophages by PMA,and then according to different concentrations of berberine,the cells were divided into con-trol group,and 5,10,20,40 and 50 μmol/L berberine groups.After intervention for 24 or 48 h,CCK8 assay was used to detect cell viability for optimal concentration and time of berberine treat-ment.PMA-induced THP-1 macrophages were assigned into blank group,model group(ox-LDL),berberine group,inhibitor group(phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase(PI3K)inhibitor LY294002)and berberine+inhibitor group(berberine+LY294002).The contents of inducible nitric oxide syn-thase(iNOS)and TGF-β1 were detected by ELISA.qPCR was employed to measure the mRNA expression of TNF-α,arginase 1(Arg1),PI3K and protein kinase B Akt1,and Western blotting was applied to detect the protein levels of Akt1 and phosphorylated protein kinase B antibody(p-Akt1).Results In 24 h after intervention,the macrophage activity was significantly lower in the 40 and 50 μmol/L berberine groups than the control group(P＜0.05),and after 48 h,the ac-tivity in all the 5 doses of berberine groups was obviously lower than that in the control group[(0.89±0.02)％,(0.82±0.03)％,(0.71±0.02)％,(0.62±0.03)％and(0.53±0.02)％vs(1.01±0.01)％,P＜0.05].Berberine treatment of 20 μmol/L for 24 h had little effect on cell viability,and the dose and the time were regarded as the best concentration and time.Compared with the blank group,iNOS content and TNF-α mRNA level were increased in the model group,while TGF-β1 content,mRNA levels of Arg1,PI3K and Akt1,and p-Akt1/Akt1 protein levels were de-creased(P＜0.05).iNOS content and TNF-α mRNA level were decreased,while TGF-β1 content,mRNA levels of Arg1,PI3K and Akt1 and protein levels of p-Akt1/Akt1s were increased in the berberine group than the model group(P＜0.05).Compared with the berberine group,iNOS con-tent and TNF-α mRNA level were increased,while mRNA levels of Arg1,PI3K and Akt1 and protein levels of p-Akt1/Akt1 were decreased in the berberine+inhibitor group(P＜0.05).Con-clusion Berberine can inhibit the inflammatory response of THP-1 macrophages induced by ox-LDL by activating PI3K/Akt1 pathway,and inhibit the M1 polarization and promote the M2 polarization of macrophages.