Objective To analyze the medication rules of Professor HUANG Feng for the treatment of low back pain using data mining methods.Methods The information of prescriptions for the effective cases of outpatients with low back pain treated by Professor HUANG Feng were collected and screened.Microsoft Excel 2019 was used to analyze the frequency of medication and the distribution of properties,flavors and meridian tropism of the drugs in the included prescription.IBM SPSS Modeler 18.0 was used for association rule analysis,and IBM Statistics 26.0 was used for cluster analysis.Results A total of 239 prescriptions and 75 Chinese medicines were included.There were 23 high-frequency Chinese medicines with the medication frequency being or over 20 times,and the top 10 Chinese medicines were Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,vinegar-processed Corydalis Rhizoma,Cibotii Rhizoma,Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma,Zanthoxyli Radix,salt-processed Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix,Rehmanniae Radix,Dipsaci Radix,Coicis Semen,and Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma.The medicines were mainly warm in nature,and were sweet,bitter and pungent in flavor.Most of the drugs had the meridian tropism of liver,stomach and spleen meridians.Among the drug combinations obtained from association rule analysis with the top 20 highest support,vinegar-processed Corydalis Rhizoma,Cibotii Rhizoma,Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Zanthoxyli Radix were the core drugs.Cluster analysis yielded 6 clustering combinations.Conclusion For the treatment of low back pain,Professor HUANG Feng follows the principle of"treatment adapting to the climate,individuality,and environment"and"treating the root cause of the disease",usually adopts the drugs for activating blood,moving qi and relieving pain,nourishing the liver and kidney,and also uses the medicines for replenishing qi and strengthening the spleen.The ideas of HUANG Feng for the treatment of low back pain can be used as a reference for the clinical treatment.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of Bushen Yijing Decoction for the treatment of xerophthalmia of kidney yang deficiency type and to observe its effect on serum Th1/Th17 cytokines.Methods From January 2021 to January 2023,a total of 96 patients with xerophthalmia of kidney yang deficiency type were selected as the study objects.According to the treatment methods,the patients were divided into observation group and control group,with 48 cases in each group.The control group was treated with Sodium Hyaluronate Eye Drops externally,and the observation group was given oral use of Bushen Yijing Decoction together with Sodium Hyaluronate Eye Drops externally.The course of treatment for the two groups covered 21 days.The changes of tear film break-up time(BUT),corneal fluorescein staining(FL)score,SchirmerⅠtest(SIT)value,serum Th1/Th17 cytokines,Ocular Surface Disease Index(OSDI)questionnaire scores,and 25-Item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire(NEI-VFQ-25)score in the two groups were observed before and after treatment.Moreover,the clinical efficacy and incidence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.Results(1)After 21 days of treatment,the total effective rate of the observation group was 95.83%(46/48),and that of the control group was 70.83%(34/48).The intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the clinical efficacy of the observation group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.01).(2)After treatment,the ocular surface function indicators of BUT and SIT values in the two groups were higher and the FL values were lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05).The increase of BUT and SIT values and the decrease of FL values in the observation group were significantly superior to those in the control group(P＜0.01).(3)After treatment,the levels of serum cytokines of interleukin 17(IL-17),tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α)and interferon gamma(IFN-γ)in the two groups were lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease of serum IL-17,TNF-α and IFN-γ levels in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).(4)After treatment,the questionnaire scores of OSDI in the two groups were lower and the NEI-VFQ-25 scores were higher than those before treatment(P＜0.05).The decrease of OSDI scores and the increase of NEI-VFQ-25 scores in the observation group were significantly superior to those in the control group(P＜0.01).(5)The incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was 4.17%(2/48),and that in the control group was 8.33%(4/48).There was no significant difference between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion Bushen Yijing Decoction can enhance the clinical efficacy of xerophthalmia of kidney yang deficiency type,and the decoction is effective on alleviating the eye discomforts,improving the ocular surface function of patients,regulating the levels of Th1/Th17 cytokines,and relieving the inflammatory response without inducing severe adverse reactions while with high safety.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and influencing factors of vascular involvement in Beh?et′s Disease (BD) to improve and provideunderstanding of insights for clinicians to better understand this condition.Methods:Clinical data from 220 BD patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from January 2012 to May 2022 were collected. Clinical manifestations and laboratory findings were compared between BD patients with and without vascular involvement, as well as between those with improved conditions and those with progressive conditions. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors.Results:①The average age of the 220 BD patients was 36.5±15.3 years. Among them, 23 patients (10.5%) had vascular involvement, including 20 males (87.0%).②Compared to BD patients without vascular involvement, those with vascular involvement had significantly higher rates of smoking [6.1%(12/197) vs.34.8%(8/23), χ2=17.19, P<0.001], cardiac involvement [1.5%(3/197) vs. 13.0%(9/23), χ2=6.42, P=0.011], and elevated C-reactive protein(CRP) levels (78.3% vs. 56.3%, χ2=4.08, P=0.043).③ Among BD patients with vascular involvement, 11 cases (47.8%) had venous lesions, and 20 cases (87.0%) had arterial lesions, with 8 cases (34.8%) having both venous and arterial involvement. The most common type of vascular involvement was arterial dilatation (11 cases), mainly aneurysms (10 cases), and deep venous thrombosis of the lower extremities (7 cases).④The 23 BD patients with vascular involvement were followed up for an average of 18.3 months. Among them, 16 patients (69.6%) showed stable improvement, while 7 patients (30.4%) experienced disease progression, including 4 deaths (1 male and 3 females). A total of 91.3% (21/23) of the patients received glucocorticoid therapy. Immunosuppressive therapy was administered to 82.6% (19/23) of the patients, with 65.2% (10/23) receiving with cyclophosphamide and 43.5% receiving with thalidomide. Additionally, 13% (3/23) of the patients were treated with cyclosporine and methotrexate, respectively, and 8.7% (2/23) were treated with received mycophenolate mofetil. Anticoagulant therapy was given to 21.7% (5/23) of the patients, using either warfarin or low molecular weight heparin. Biologic therapy was administered to 17.4% (4/23) of the patients, and surgical intervention was performed in 43.5% (10/23) of the patients. ⑤Binary logistic regression analysis identified male gender [ OR(95% CI)=5.70(1.60, 20.90), P=0.009] as an indepe-ndent risk factor for vascular involvement in BD. Conclusion:The incidence of vascular involvement in BD is 10.5%, with a higher prevalence in males. Arterial involvement is more common than venous involvement, with arterial aneurysms being the most common manifestation. Clinicians should pay attention to CRP and total cholesterol levels in BD patients.

Objective:To study the mechanism of icariin inhibiting the proliferation of human PCa PC-3 cells based on cell metabolomics technology.Methods:We determined the proliferation activity of human PC-3 cells by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT)assay,and compared the proliferation of the PC-3 cells among the control,5-fluorouracil and icariin intervention groups.Using the Bligh Dyer method,we extracted endogenous metabolites from the cells,analyzed the metabolic profile by ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry,identified the differential metabolites by principal component anal-ysis and orthogonal partial least-squares discrimination analysis,and enriched the metabolic pathways based on the MetaboAnalyst data-base.Results:Icariin significantly inhibited the proliferation of human PCa PC-3 cells.A total of 89 differential metabolites were i-dentified,mainly including amino acids,phosphatidylcholine,phosphatidylethanolamine,lysophosphatidylcholine,and lysophosphati-dylethanolamine,all with the tendency to return to the normal level after icariin intervention.Icariin significantly downregulated the metabolic levels of the glycerophospholipid metabolites phosphatidylcholine,phosphatidylethanolamine,lysophosphatidylcholine and ly-sophosphatidylethanolamine,and upregulated those of amino acid metabolites tryptophan,leucine,and proline in the PC-3 cells.Conclusion:Icariin inhibits the proliferation of human PCa PC-3 cells,which may be closely related to its regulatory effect on lipid metabolism(glycerophospholipid metabolism)and amino acid metabolism.

Aim To confirm the antidepressant effect of the volatile oil part of the disassembled prescription drugs (Chai Hu, Dang Gui and Bo He, referred to as CDB) from Xiaoyao Powder and investigate its mechanism via Nrf2/H0-1 signaling pathway on OB model rats. Methods GC-MS analysis of the main components of volatile oil part of CDB was performed. The rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group, fluoxetine hydrochloride group (FLX, 10 mg • kg

ObjectiveTo compare the effects of programmed intermittent epidural bolus （PIEB） and continuous epidural infusion （CEI） on enhanced recovery after cesarean section. MethodsTotally 120 women scheduled to undergo elective cesarean section under combined spinal and epidural anesthesia， aged 18-45 years， with single fetus， full-term pregnancy （≥37 weeks）， ASA grade II or III， were recruited， with 60 cases in each group. At the end of the surgery， after a similar epidural loading dose， patients were randomLy assigned to receive either PIEB （6 mL·h^-1 beginning 30 minutes after the loading dose） or CEI （6 mL·h^-1， beginning immediately after the loading dose） for the maintenance of analgesia with 0.1% ropivacaine. At 2， 6， 12， 24 and 36 h postoperatively， VAS score was used to evaluate the composite pain， and Bromage Score was used to evaluate the degree of lower extremity motor block. The time to first flatus， time to first ambulation and the satisfaction scores were also recorded. ResultsThe VAS scores at 12， 24 and 36 h postoperatively and the lower extremity motor block scores at 6， 12 and 24 h postoperatively in the PIEB group were significantly lower than those in the CEI group （P < 0.01）. The epidural analgesic dosage was less in the PIEB group than that of the CEI group （P=0.002）. The time to first flatus and time to first ambulation were significantly shorter than those in the CEI group （P < 0.05）. The satisfaction scores were significantly higher in the PIEB group than in the CEI group （P < 0.05）. There was no significant difference in the first urination time after urinary catheter removal and the length of hospital stay between the two groups （P > 0.05）. ConclusionCompared with CEI， PIEB provides better postoperative analgesia， less motor block scores， lower epidural analgesic dosage， shorter the time to first flatus and defecation and time to first ambulation， and greater patient satisfaction， which is more consistent with the ERAS concept of analgesia.

ObjectiveTo explore the role of structural MRI in the diagnosis of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 （SCA3） and further evaluate its correlation with disease severity and disease duration. MethodsWe prospectively enrolled 81 genetically diagnosed SCA3 patients ［59 symptomatic （sym-SCA3） and 22 pre-symptomatic （pre-SCA3）］ and 35 age- and sex-matched healthy controls （HCs）. MRI structural images （3D T1 MPRAGE） and clinical data of all subjects were collected. Three observers with different radiological experience measured the width of the superior， middle and inferior cerebellar peduncle （SCP， MCP and ICP）， the anterior-posterior diameters of the pons and spinal cord at the levels of the foramen magnum and upper edge of the 3rd-5th cervical vertebra. One observer performed the measurements again 2 months later to assess for the intra- and inter-observer reliability， respectively. One-way ANOVA， rank-sum test， ROC curve and Random Forest were used to evaluate the diagnostic value of the above metrics for SCA3， and the correlation between the metrics and clinical variables was analyzed. ResultsNot depending on the radiological experience， the metrics based on morphological MRI showed high intra- and inter-observer reliability， among which bilateral superior and middle cerebellar peduncles performed best. The diameters of bilateral SCP， MCP， ICP， pons and spinal cord （except spinal cord at the level of the upper edge of the 5th cervical vertebra） decreased successively in HCs， pre-SCA3 and sym-SCA3 with a statistical difference （P<0.017）. ROC analysis revealed that the left MCP had the highest diagnostic value for pre-SCA3 （AUC=0.911）， with sensitivity， specificity and a cut-off value of 85.7%， 95.5% and 10.15 mm， respectively. In contrast， the right SCP had the highest diagnostic value for sym-SCA3 （AUC=0.999）， with sensitivity， specificity and a cut-off value of 100%， 98.3% and 2.62 mm， respectively. The Random Forest model based on the above metrics also had high diagnostic efficiency （AUC= 0.970， specificity=93.1%）， and the left MCP contributed the most. Correlation analysis showed that the above metrics had a significantly or moderately negative correlation with the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia （SARA） and disease duration （P<0.05）. ConclusionNot depending on radiological experience， measurements of brain structure based on morphological MRI are reliable， which can help diagnose SCA3 and predict disease severity and duration. The left MCP and the right SCP perform best for predicting pre-SCA3 and sym-SCA3， respectively. Therefore， the structural MRI is recommended for assisting the clinical diagnosis of SCA3.

In the outbreak of COVID-19,triage procedures based on epidemiology were implemented in a local hospital in Changsha to control the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and avoid healthcare-associated infection.This re-trospective study analyzed the data collected during the triage period and found that COVID-19 patients were en-riched 7 folds into the Section A designated for patients with obvious epidemiological history.On the other side,nearly triple amounts of visits were received at the Section B for patients without obvious epidemiological history.8 COVID-19 cases were spotted out of 247 suspected patients.More than 50％of the suspected patients were submi-tted to multiple rounds of nucleic acid analysis for SARS-CoV-2 infection.Of the 239 patients who were diagnosed as negative of the virus infection,188 were successfully revisited and none was reported as COVID-19 case.Of the 8 COVID-19 patients,3 were confirmed only after multiple rounds of nucleic acid analysis.Besides comorbidities,delayed sharing of epidemiological history added complexity to the diagnosis in practice.The triaging experience and strategy will be helpful for the control of infectious diseases in the future.

The plateau environment is characterized by low oxygen, low air pressure, low temperature, and strong ultraviolet rays, etc. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a preventable and treatable chronic lung disease. High altitude environment increases COPD prevalence, clinical manifestation and mortality. The therapeutic window of theophylline drugs for COPD is narrow, and the high altitude environment has an influence on the pharmacokinetics of the drugs. This review summarizes the differences in the prevalence, mortality, clinical manifestation and clinical symptoms of COPD in the plateau and plain, providing a basis for identifying the risk factors of COPD in the plateau areas. The effects of plateau hypoxic environment on the pharmacokinetics of COPD drugs were also discussed. It can provide a rationale for more effective prevention and treatment of COPD at high altitude.
Humans ; Altitude ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/drug therapy* ; Oxygen ; Hypoxia

Uric acid (UA) is the final product of purine metabolism in human body,and its metabolic disorder will induce hyperuricemia (HUA).The occurrence and development of HUA are associated with a variety of pathological mechanisms such as oxidative stress injury,activation of inflammatory cytokines,and activation of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.These mechanisms directly or indirectly affect the bioavailability of endogenous nitric oxide (NO).The decrease in NO bioavailability is common in the diseases with high concentration of UA as an independent risk factor.In this review,we summarize the mechanisms by which high concentrations of UA affect the endogenous NO bioavailability,with a focus on the mechanisms of high-concentration UA in decreasing the synthesis and/or increasing the consumption of NO.This review aims to provide references for alleviating the multisystem symptoms and improving the prognosis of HUA,and lay a theoretical foundation for in-depth study of the correlations between HUA and other metabolic diseases.
Humans ; Nitric Oxide ; Uric Acid ; Hyperuricemia ; Biological Availability ; Cytokines