Objective: To investigate the effect of G protein-coupled receptor 108(GPR108) gene knockout on systemic inflammation in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced sepsis mice. Methods: Male C57BL/6 mice and GPR108 gene knockout mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: WT group, WT-LPS group, KO group, KO-LPS group. The physiological characteristics of mice in different groups were observed, and the morphological changes of liver and lung tissues were observed. Macrophages were extracted from bone marrow and subjected to flow cytometry to detect their M1 polarization status. The expression levels of IL-6 in liver and lung tissues, macrophages, and serum were also measured. Results: KO-LPS group mice showed significant liver and lung tissue damage, with a significantly greater number of bone marrow-derived macrophages polarizing towards M1 in the KO-LPS group compared to the WT-LPS group. Additionally, at the tissue, cellular, and serum levels, the expression of IL-6 in the KO-LPS group mice was significantly higher than that in the WT-LPS group mice(P<0.05). Conclusion During the systemic inflammatory infection induced by LPS in mice, the lack of GPR108 exacerbates the systemic inflammatory response. GPR108 has an inhibitory effect on the inflammatory response in mice with LPS-induced sepsis.

Objective To investigate the role and mechanism of urate in chronic kidney disease complicated with renal interstitial fibrosis(CKD-RIF).Methods Mice were continuously fed with a diet containing 0.2％adenine for a duration of 9 weeks to establish mice models with CKD-RIF.By the end of the 9-week experimental periods,collected blood samples from the posterior orbital venous plexus of mice to measure renal functions and serum urate concentrations prior to euthanizing the mice.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and periodic acid-Schiff staining(PAS)were used to investigate the pathological alternations in kidney tissues.Masson's trichrome staining was used to observe the extent of renal fibrosis.Urate staining was used to detect urate deposition in renal tissues.Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of target molecules.Scratch tests were used to ex-amine the migration abilities of cells treated with different concentrations of uric acid.Results The kidney function analysis showed that a significant increase in the levels of serum urea nitrogen(P=0.006 4),creatinine(P=0.008 0)and urate(P=0.000 7)in the CKD-RIF mice compared with the normal control group.The results of HE staining and PAS staining showed a significance of renal tubule injury and infiltration of inflammatory cells in the model group.Masson's trichrome staining showed that a marked increase in collagen deposition in the model group.The results of urate staining showed a significant presence of urate crystals in kidney tissue of the model group when compared to the control group.Animal tissue immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry analysis showed a significant increase in the expression levels of vimentin,α-SMA and TGF-β1 in the model group in comparison to the control group.Conversely,in the model group,E-cadherin levels exhibited a dramatic reduction compared to the control group.The findings from the scratching tests showed that uric acid significantly enhanced cell migration.Western blot analysis showed a dramatic increase in the expression levels of vimentin and α-SMA,while E-cadherin exhibited significant decrease in the cells subjected to uric acid treatment.Conclusion Urate stimulates the secre-tion of TGF-β1 by renal tubule epithelial cells and induces epithelial-mesenchymal transdifferentiation,thereby ex-acerbating renal interstitial fibrosis in CKD.

Objective:To investigate correlation between neutrophil lymphocyte ratio(NLR),IL-6 and lymphocyte subsets and prognosis of viral pneumonia complicated with acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS).Methods:A total of 98 patients with viral pneumonia complicated with ARDS admitted to Xinxiang Central Hospital/the Fourth Clinical College from May 2017 to June 2019 were selected,NLR,IL-6 and lymphocyte subsets expressions in patients with different severity were analyzed.Correlation between NLR,IL-6 and lymphocyte subsets levels in prognosis of viral pneumonia complicated with ARDS was analyzed by Pearson correlation.Logistc regression was used to analyze prognostic risk factors of viral pneumonia complicated with ARDS.Results:With aggravation of viral pneumonia complicated with ARDS,NLR and IL-6 levels were significantly increased(P<0.05),while CD3+T,CD4+T and CD19+T cells levels were significantly decreased(P<0.05).Pearson correlation analysis results showed that NLR and IL-6 were positively correlated with prognosis of viral pneumonia complicated with ARDS(P<0.05),while CD3+T,CD4+T,CD19+T and CD8+T cells were negatively correlated with prognosis of ARDS with viral pneumonia(P<0.05).Multivariate Logistic analysis showed that NLR,IL-6,CD3+T and CD19+T cells were risk factors for viral pneumonia complicated with ARDS(P<0.05).Conclusion:Serum NLR,IL-6,CD3+T and CD19+T cells are closely related to severity and prognosis of patients with viral pneumonia complicated with ARDS.

Background/Aims: Roxadustat, an oral medication for treating renal anemia, is a hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor used for regulating iron metabolism and promoting erythropoiesis. To investigate the efficacy and safety of roxadustat in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) with erythropoietin hyporesponsiveness. Methods: Single-center, retrospective study, 81 PD patients (with erythropoietin hyporesponsiveness) were divided into the roxadustat group (n = 61) and erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) group (n = 20). Hemoglobin (Hb), total cholesterol, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), related indicators of cardiac function and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were collected. Additionally, adverse events were also recorded. The follow-up period was 16 weeks. Results: The two groups exhibited similar baseline demographic and clinical characteristics. At baseline, the roxadustat group had a mean Hb level of 89.8 ± 18.9 g/L, while the ESAs group had a mean Hb level of 95.2 ± 16.0 g/L. By week 16, the Hb levels had increased to 118 ± 19.8 g/L (p < 0.05) in the roxadustat group and 101 ± 19.3 g/L (p > 0.05) in the ESAs group. The efficacy of roxadustat in improving anemia was not influenced by baseline levels of hs-CRP and iPTH. Cholesterol was decreased in the roxadustat group without statin use. An increase in left ventricular ejection fraction and stabilization of BNP were observed in the roxadustat group. Conclusions For PD patients with erythropoietin hyporesponsiveness, roxadustat can significantly improve renal anemia. The efficacy of roxadustat in improving renal anemia was not affected by baseline levels of hs-CRP0 and iPTH.

The diagnostic technology of acute stroke by microwave imaging has the advantages of being non-ionizing, fast, small, and low-cost. Therefore, this technology is expected to become an auxiliary or alternative means to CT and MRI technology. As the signal transmitting and receiving device of the microwave imaging system, the antenna has an important influence on the performance of the imaging system. At present, there are many antennas with different performances used in imaging systems, but there is a lack of clear evaluation criteria for them. In this paper, several typical antennas were introduced, their advantages and disadvantages from the perspective of bandwidth and near-field were analyzed, and the common requirements of imaging systems for antennas and the performance indicators of various types of imaging systems were summarized. Moreover, the development trend of antenna technology for microwave imaging was pointed out to provide a reference for the study of stroke microwave imaging technology.

Objective: To investigate the role and mechanism of Sigirr deletion in chronic kidney disease complicated with renal interstitial fibrosis (CKD⁃RIF) in mice. Methods: polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for identification of gene types of mice. Mice were continuously fed with the foods containing 0. 2% adenine for 12 weeks to establish the CKD⁃RIF models. Then , serum was collected to detect levels of creatinine and nitrogen when mice were killed. H&E staining was used to analyze the pathological changes of kidney tissues. Masson staining was used to observe the degree of renal fibrosis. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the changes of the interest proteins , such as IL⁃1β , MyD88 , activated NF⁃κB , TGF⁃ β1 , E ⁃cadherin and Vimentin. Results: Serum creatinines and urea nitrogens of mice fed with high adenine (CKD⁃RIF groups) significantly increased , compared with those of the control groups. H&E and Masson staining results showed that there were more infiltrated inflammatory cells and more critical collagen fiber deposition in the renal tissues of the Sigirr - / - mice with CKD⁃RIF. Western blot and Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the expression of IL⁃1β and its downstream MyD88 increased , and the level of phosphorylated NF⁃κB (p⁃P65) significantly increased in the renal tissues of CKD⁃RIF mice compared with the controls. And upregulation of these proteins in renal tissues of Sigirr - / - mice with CKD⁃RIF was more obvious than that of the CKD⁃RIF Sigirr + / + mice. TGF⁃ β1 , as a key cytokine involved in renal interstitial fibrosis , significantly increased ,followed by the increase of vimentin , as well as the decrease of E ⁃cadherin . The results of vimentin and cadherin E detected by Western blot were consistent with those of immunohistochemistry , and α ⁃SMA also increased significantly. Conclusion Adenine diet successfully induces CKD⁃RIF mice models. Sigirr deletion is beneficial to activation of the IL⁃1β mediating NF⁃κB signal pathway ,which promotes TGF⁃ β1 expression in the renal interstitiums to induce renal interstitial fibrosis.

We conducted a randomized, open-label, parallel-controlled, multicenter trial on the use of Shuanghuanglian (SHL), a traditional Chinese patent medicine, in treating cases of COVID-19. A total of 176 patients received SHL by three doses (56 in low dose, 61 in middle dose, and 59 in high dose) in addition to standard care. The control group was composed of 59 patients who received standard therapy alone. Treatment with SHL was not associated with a difference from standard care in the time to disease recovery. Patients with 14-day SHL treatment had significantly higher rate in negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2 in nucleic acid swab tests than the patients from the control group (93.4% vs. 73.9%, P = 0.006). Analysis of chest computed tomography images showed that treatment with high-dose SHL significantly promoted absorption of inflammatory focus of pneumonia, which was evaluated by density reduction of inflammatory focus from baseline, at day 7 (mean difference (95% CI), -46.39 (-86.83 to -5.94) HU; P = 0.025) and day 14 (mean difference (95% CI), -74.21 (-133.35 to -15.08) HU; P = 0.014). No serious adverse events occurred in the SHL groups. This study illustrated that SHL in combination with standard care was safe and partially effective for the treatment of COVID-19.
COVID-19 ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Research ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To evaluate the clinical outcome of the reconstruction of finger-pulp defects, using modified dorsal digital fasciocutaneous flap.Methods:Between June 2018 and March 2019, 14 patients with finger-pulp defects were admitted to the Department of Hand and Foot Surgery. There were 14 males and 2 females, aged from 27 to 63 years, with the mean age of 49 years. The defect areas of finger pulp were 1.6 cm × 1.4 cm-2.5 cm × 1.6 cm. All of the finger-pulp defects were treated by the modified dorsal digital fasciocutaneous flap and the inverted L-shaped incision was made at the distal part of the pedicle. The defects at donor sites were reconstructed with full-thickness skin grafts harvested from the forearm. Viability of the flap was recorded postoperatively. At the last follow-up, aesthetics, sensibility of the flap and hand performance were assessed.Results:All of the 14 flaps survived successfully, the areas were 1.8 cm×1.6 cm-2.7 cm×1.8 cm. Partial distal blister occurred on the flap in only one case, which was solved by aspiration without surgical intervention. All cases acquired follow-up visits for 5 to 12 months with a mean time of 8.9 months. The texture of flaps was similar to surrounding skin and the shape of reconstructed finger pulp was satisfactory. According to the assessment of total active movement, the results were excellent in 9 fingers, good in 5 fingers. The 2-point discrimination of flap was 8 to 11 mm (mean, 9.9 mm).Conclusions:It is an effective and simple method for the reconstruction of finger-pulp defects using modified dorsal digital fasciocutaneous flap. The clinical effectiveness is definite.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical outcome of the reconstruction of finger-pulp defects, using modified dorsal digital fasciocutaneous flap.Methods:Between June 2018 and March 2019, 14 patients with finger-pulp defects were admitted to the Department of Hand and Foot Surgery. There were 14 males and 2 females, aged from 27 to 63 years, with the mean age of 49 years. The defect areas of finger pulp were 1.6 cm × 1.4 cm-2.5 cm × 1.6 cm. All of the finger-pulp defects were treated by the modified dorsal digital fasciocutaneous flap and the inverted L-shaped incision was made at the distal part of the pedicle. The defects at donor sites were reconstructed with full-thickness skin grafts harvested from the forearm. Viability of the flap was recorded postoperatively. At the last follow-up, aesthetics, sensibility of the flap and hand performance were assessed.Results:All of the 14 flaps survived successfully, the areas were 1.8 cm×1.6 cm-2.7 cm×1.8 cm. Partial distal blister occurred on the flap in only one case, which was solved by aspiration without surgical intervention. All cases acquired follow-up visits for 5 to 12 months with a mean time of 8.9 months. The texture of flaps was similar to surrounding skin and the shape of reconstructed finger pulp was satisfactory. According to the assessment of total active movement, the results were excellent in 9 fingers, good in 5 fingers. The 2-point discrimination of flap was 8 to 11 mm (mean, 9.9 mm).Conclusions:It is an effective and simple method for the reconstruction of finger-pulp defects using modified dorsal digital fasciocutaneous flap. The clinical effectiveness is definite.

Objective: To establish a microwave scattering parameter acquisition system to detect cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral ischemia animal models, and to study the non-contact rapid identification methods for the two stroke types. Methods: Rabbits were selected for modeling. Eight rabbits in the cerebral hemorrhage group were injected with autologous blood. Six rabbits in the cerebral ischemia group were treated with bilateral common carotid artery clamping and femoral artery bleeding. The measurement excitation source has a scanning frequency range of 300 kHz to 3 GHz and an intermediate frequency bandwidth of 30 kHz. The signal of the S21 phase was acquired. The collected microwave scattering signals were subjected to mean filtering, principal component analysis dimension reduction, and mean clustering and nearest neighbor analysis to realize the identification of stroke types. Results: The microwave scattering measurement method can reflect the changes of cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral ischemia. The phase of S21 decreases with the increase of blood loss and increases with the increase of ischemic duration. The results of the differential experiment showed that all 14 models were correctly identified. Conclusions The stroke identification system based on microwave scattering measurement can effectively distinguish rabbit cerebral hemorrhage model and ischemic model. This technology is low cost, portable non-invasive, simple operation and fast, which make it be a promising method for identifying pre-hospital stroke types.