A fluorescence endoscopic laser confocal microscope(FELCM) was used to direct the injection of sinomenine solid lipid nanoparticles(Sin-SLN) into the joint, and the in vitro effectiveness of Sin-SLN in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) was evaluated. Sin-SLN was prepared with the emulsion evaporation-low temperature curing method. The Sin-SLN prepared under the optimal conditions showed the encapsulation efficiency of 64.79%±3.12%, the drug loading of 3.84%±0.28%, the average particle size of(215.27±4.21) nm, and the Zeta potential of(-32.67±0.84) mV. Moreover, the Sin-SLN demonstrated good stability after sto-rage for 30 days. The rabbit model of RA was established by the subcutaneous injection of ovalbumin and complete Freund's adjuvant. Five groups were designed, including a control group, a model group, a Sin(1.5 mg·kg~(-1)) group, a Sin-SLN(1.5 mg·kg~(-1)) group, and a dexamethasone(positive drug, 1.0 mg·kg~(-1), ig) group. The control group and the model group only received puncture treatment without drug injection. After drug administration, the local skin temperature and knee joint diameter were monitored every day. The knee joint diameter and the local skin temperature were lower in the drug administration groups than in the model group(P<0.05, P<0.01). FELCM recorded the morphological alterations of the cartilage of knee joint. The Sin-SLN group showed compact tissue structure and smooth surface of the cartilage. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to determine the serum le-vels of interleukin-1(IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α). The findings revealed that the Sin-SLN group had lower IL-1 and TNF-α levels than the model group(P<0.05, P<0.01). Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was employed to reveal the pathological changes of the synovial tissue, which were significantly mitigated in the Sin-SLN group. The prepared Sin-SLN had uniform particle size and high stability. Through joint injection administration, a drug reservoir was formed. Sin-SLN effectively alleviate joint swelling and cartilage damage of rabbit, down-regulated the expression of inflammatory cytokines, and inhibited the epithelial proliferation and inflammatory cell infiltration of the synovial tissue, demonstrating the efficacy in treating RA.
Animals ; Rabbits ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Fluorescence ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Interleukin-1 ; Arthritis, Experimental/drug therapy*

In this experiment, the PK/PD fitting model of Chuanxiong(Chuanxiong Rhizoma) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis was established in the form of acupoint combined with external application gel paste. Firstly, the rheumatoid arthritis model was induced by ovalbumin, and the articular fluid of rabbits was extracted by microdialysis. The pharmacokinetic process of Chuanxiong in rabbit articular fluid was analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS, and the pharmacokinetic model was established. The pharmacodynamic effects of Chuanxiong on inflammatory factors IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The pharmacodynamic model was established, and the PK/PD model was obtained by fitting the data of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The results of pharmacokinetics showed that the concentration of ligustrolide A in the articular cavity by drug administration on classical acupoint Zusanli(ST 36) was higher than that by Yanglingquan(GB 34), which reflected the advantage of typical acupoint, while ligustrazine concentration was higher after administration through Yanglingquan than through Zusanli, which was different from the traditional acupoint theory. The results of pharmacodynamics showed that the drug had lag effect. The PK/PD model was constructed by fitting the data. When IL-1β was taken as the efficacy index, the PK/PD models of Chuanxiong in typical acupoint Zusanli group, atypical acupoint Yanglingquan group, and non-acupoint group were E=115.28C_e/(3 316.72+C_e), E=108.73C_e/(2 993.47+C_e), and E=101.34C_e/(3 028.51+C_e). When TNF-α was taken as the efficacy index, the PK/PD models of Chuanxiong in typical acupoint Zusanli group, atypical acupoint Yanglingquan group, and non-acupoint group were E=68.31C_e/(3 285.16+C_e), E=59.27C_e/(2 919.86+C_e), and E=53.61C_e/(2 862.87+C_e). When IL-6 was taken as the efficacy index, the PK/PD models of Chuanxiong in typical acupoint Zusanli group, atypical acupoint Yanglingquan group, and non-acupoint group were E=59.92C_e/(3 461.17+C_e), E=58.34C_e/(2 723.51+C_e), and E=49.17C_e/(2 862.76+C_e). The parameters showed that there were significant differences in E_(max), EC_(e50) and k_(eo). The analysis of data found that the PK/PD fitting effect of Zusanli, a typical acupoint, was the best, which proved that it was still the best site for drug administration. To sum up, it shows that there may be bidirectional selectivity between drugs and acupoints.
Animals ; Rabbits ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Interleukin-6 ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Acupuncture Points ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy*

Shenfu Injection(SFI) is praised for the high efficacy in the treatment of septic shock. However, the precise role of SFI in the treatment of sepsis-associated lung injury is not fully understood. This study investigated the protective effect of SFI on sepsis-associated lung injury by a clinical trial and an animal experiment focusing on the hypoxia-inducing factor-1α(HIF-1α)-mediated mitochondrial autophagy. For the clinical trial, 70 patients with sepsis-associated lung injury treated in the emergency intensive care unit of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were included. The levels of interleukin(IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α were measured on days 1 and 5 for every patient. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR) was performed to determine the mRNA level of hypoxia inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α) in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs). For the animal experiment, 32 SPF-grade male C57BL/6J mice(5-6 weeks old) were randomized into 4 groups: sham group(n=6), SFI+sham group(n=10), SFI+cecal ligation and puncture(CLP) group(n=10), and CLP group(n=6). The body weight, body temperature, wet/dry weight(W/D) ratio of the lung tissue, and the pathological injury score of the lung tissue were recorded for each mouse. RT-qPCR and Western blot were conducted to determine the expression of HIF-1α, mitochondrial DNA(mt-DNA), and autophagy-related proteins in the lung tissue. The results of the clinical trial revealed that the SFI group had lowered levels of inflammatory markers in the blood and alveolar lavage fluid and elevated level of HIF-1α in the PBMCs. The mice in the SFI group showed recovered body temperature and body weight. lowered TNF-α level in the serum, and decreased W/D ratio of the lung tissue. SFI reduced the inflammatory exudation and improved the alveolar integrity in the lung tissue. Moreover, SFI down-regulated the mtDNA expression and up-regulated the protein levels of mitochondrial transcription factor A(mt-TFA), cytochrome c oxidase Ⅳ(COXⅣ), HIF-1α, and autophagy-related proteins in the lung tissue of the model mice. The findings confirmed that SFI could promote mitophagy to improve mitochondrial function by regulating the expression of HIF-1α.
Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Animals ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Lung/metabolism* ; Acute Lung Injury/drug therapy* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics* ; Sepsis/genetics* ; Hypoxia/pathology* ; Autophagy-Related Proteins ; Body Weight ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of hippocampal neurodevelopment in the antidepressant effect of baicalin. METHODS: Forty male Institute of Cancer Research mice were divided into control, corticosterone (CORT, 40 mg/kg), CORT+baicalin-L (25 mg/kg), CORT+baicalin-H (50 mg/kg), and CORT+fluoxetine (10 mg/kg) groups according to a random number table. An animal model of depression was established by chronic CORT exposure. Behavioral tests were used to assess the reliability of depression model and the antidepressant effect of baicalin. In addition, Nissl staining and immunofluorescence were used to evaluate the effect of baicalin on hippocampal neurodevelopment in mice. The protein and mRNA expression levels of neurodevelopment-related factors were detected by Western blot analysis and real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. RESULTS: Baicalin significantly ameliorated the depressive-like behavior of mice resulting from CORT exposure and promoted the development of dentate gyrus in hippocampus, thereby reversing the depressive-like pathological changes in hippocampal neurons caused by CORT neurotoxicity. Moreover, baicalin significantly decreased the protein and mRNA expression levels of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), and upregulated the expression levels of cell cycle protein D1, p-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), doublecortin, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (all P<0.01). There were no significant differences between baicalin and fluoxetine groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Baicalin can promote the development of hippocampal neurons via mTOR/GSK3β signaling pathway, thus protect mice against CORT-induced neurotoxicity and play an antidepressant role.
Male ; Animals ; Mice ; Corticosterone ; Fluoxetine/metabolism* ; Depression/chemically induced* ; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta/metabolism* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Antidepressive Agents/pharmacology* ; Hippocampus ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; RNA, Messenger/genetics* ; Behavior, Animal ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mammals/metabolism*

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for treating steroid-refractory gastrointestinal acute graft-versus-host disease (GI-aGVHD) . Methods: This analysis included 29 patients with hematology who developed steroid-refractory GI-aGVHD after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in Huaian Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University from March 2017 to March 2022. Among them, 19 patients underwent FMT treatment (the FMT group) and 10 patients did not (the control group). The efficacy and safety of FMT were assessed, as well as the changes in intestinal microbiota abundance, lymphocyte subpopulation ratio, peripheral blood inflammatory cytokines, and GVHD biomarkers before and after FMT treatment. Results: ① Complete remission of clinical symptoms after FMT was achieved by 13 (68.4%) patients and 2 (20.0%) controls, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). Intestinal microbiota diversity increased and gradually recovered to normal levels after FMT and FMT-related infections did not occur. ②The proportion of CD3(+) and CD8(+) cells in the FMT group after treatment decreased compared with the control group, and the ratio of CD4(+), regulatory T cells (Treg), and CD4(+)/CD8(+) cells increased (all P< 0.05). The interleukin (IL) -6 concentration in the FMT group was lower than that in the control group [4.15 (1.91-5.71) ng/L vs 6.82 (2.40-8.91) ng/L, P=0.040], and the IL-10 concentration in the FMT group was higher than that in the control group [12.11 (5.69-20.36) ng/L vs 7.51 (4.10-9.58) ng/L, P=0.024]. Islet-derived protein 3α (REG3α) was significantly increased in patients with GI-aGVHD, and the REG3α level in the FMT group was lower than that in the control group after treatment [30.70 (10.50-105.00) μg/L vs 74.35 (33.50-139.50) μg/L, P=0.021]. Conclusion: FMT is a safe and effective method for the treatment of steroid-refractory GI-aGVHD by restoring intestinal microbiota diversity, regulating inflammatory cytokines, and upregulating Treg cells.
Humans ; Fecal Microbiota Transplantation/methods* ; Treatment Outcome ; Graft vs Host Disease/etiology* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Steroids

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of bevacizumab combined with paclitaxel for injection(albumin bound)and carboplatin injection in the treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods The patients with advanced NSCLC were divided into control and treatment groups.The control group was given 130 mg·kg-1·m-2paclitaxel,intravenous infusion for 40 min,on the day 1 and 8+300 mg·m-2 carboplatin,intravenous infusion on the day 1.On the basis of the control group,the treatment group was combined with 7.5 mg·kg-1·m-2 bevacizumab,intravenous infusion,on the day 1.Two groups were treated for 4 cycles with 3 weeks per cycle.The clinical efficacy,levels of carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA),carbohydrate antigen 125(CA125),CA199,vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and connective tissue growth factor(CTGF),1-year cumulative survival rate and adverse drug reactions were compared between two groups.Results In the treatment group,45 cases were enrolled,4 cases dropped out,and 41 cases were included in the analysis.In the control group,47 cases were enrolled,6 cases were dropped out,and 41 cases were finally included in the analysis.After treatment,the CEA levels of treatment and control groups were(18.51±3.52)and(24.31±3.89)ng·mL-1;the CA125 levels were(17.68±3.62)and(25.62±4.21)ng·mL-1;the CA199 levels were(30.24±5.99)and(45.23±7.25)ng·mL-1;the VEGF levels were(126.34±14.21)and(170.25±18.69)ng·L-1;the CTGF levels were(1 400.14±199.21)and(1 542.31±210.35)ng·L-1,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).The 1-year cumulative survival rates of treatment and control groups were 70.73％(29 cases/41 cases)and 48.78％(20 cases/41 cases)with significant difference(P＜0.05).The adverse drug reactions of two groups were anorexia,gastrointestinal reaction,bone marrow suppression,liver and kidney function impairment and proteinuria.The total incidences of adverse drug reactions in the treatment and control groups were 39.02％and 34.15％without significant difference(P＞0.05).Conclusion Bevacizumab combined with paclitaxel(albumin bound)injection and carboplatin injection has a definite clinical efficacy in the treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC,which can significantly improve the survival rate,and without increasing the incidence of adverse drug reactions.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness, safety, and prognosis of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) for Siewert type II and III adenocarcinomas of the esophagogastric junction (AEG). Methods: This study is a prospective randomized controlled clinical study (NCT01962246). AEG patients who were treated at the Third Department of Surgery of the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from February 2012 to June 2016 were included. All of the enrolled patients were diagnosed with type II or III locally advanced AEG gastric cancer (T2-4N0-3M0 or T1N1-3M0) by gastroscopy and CT before operation; the longitudinal axis of the lesion was ≤ 8 cm; no anti-tumor treatment was previously given and no contraindications of chemotherapy and surgery were found. Case exclusion criteria: serious diseases accompanied by liver and kidney, cardiovascular system and other vital organs; allergy to capecitabine or oxaliplatin drugs or excipients; receiving any form of chemotherapy or other research drugs; pregnant or lactating women; patients with diseases resulting in difficulty to take capecitabine or with concurrent tumors. Based on sample size estimation, a total of 150 AEG patients were enrolled. Using the random number table method, the enrolled patients were divided into the nCRT group and the direct operation group with 75 cases in each group. The nCRT group received XELOX chemotherapy (capecitabine+ oxaliplatin) before surgery and concurrent radiotherapy (45 Gy, 25 times, 1.8 Gy/d, 5 times/week). Clinical efficacy of the nCRT group was evaluated by the solid tumor efficacy evaluation standard (RECIST1.1) and the tumor volume reduction rate was measured on CT. After completing the preoperative examination in the direct operation group, and 8-10 weeks after the end of nCRT in the nCRT group, surgery was performed. Laparoscopic exploration was initially performed. According to the Japanese "Regulations for the Treatment of Gastric Cancer", a transabdominal radical total gastrectomy combined with perigastric lymph node dissection was performed. The primary outcome was the 3-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival rate (DFS); the secondary outcomes were R0 resection rate, the toxicity of chemotherapy, and surgical complications. The follow-up ended on December 31, 2019. The postoperative recurrence, metastasis and survival time of the two groups were collected. Results: After excluding patients with incomplete clinical data, patients or family members requesting to withdraw informed consent, and those failing to follow the treatment plan, 63 cases in the nCRT group and 69 cases in the direct operation group were finally enrolled in the study. There were no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics of the two groups (all P>0.05). Sixty-three patients in the nCRT group were evaluated by RECIST1.1 after treatment, the image based effective rate was 42.9% (27/63), and the stable disease rate was 98.4% (62/63); the tumor volume before and after nCRT measured on CT was (58.8±24.4) cm(3) and (46.6±25.7) cm(3), respectively, the effective rate of tumor volume reduction measured by CT was 47.6% (30/63). Incidences of neutrophilopenia [65.1% (41/63) vs. 40.6% (28/69), χ(2)=7.923, P=0.005], nausea [81.0% (51/63) vs. 56.5% (39/69), χ(2)=9.060, P=0.003] and fatigue [74.6% (47/63) vs. 42.0% (29/69), χ(2)=14.306, P=0.001] in the nCRT group were significantly higher than those in the direct surgery group. Radiation gastritis/esophagitis and radiation pneumonia were unique adverse reactions in the nCRT group, with incidences of 52.4% (33/63) and 15.9%(10/63), respectively. The classification of tumor regression of 63 patients in nCRT group presented as 11 cases of grade 0 (17.5%), 20 cases of grade 1 (31.7%), 28 cases of grade 2 (44.4%), and 5 cases of grade 3 (7.9%). Eleven (17.5%) patients achieved pathologic complete response. Sixty-one (96.8%) patients in the nCRT group underwent R0 resection, which was higher than 87.0% (60/69) in the direct surgery group (χ(2)=4.199, P=0.040). The mean number of harvested lymph nodes in the specimens in the nCRT group and the direct operation group was 27.6±12.4 and 26.8±14.6, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (t=-0.015, P=0.976). The pathological lymph node metastasis rate and lymph node ratio in the two groups were 44.4% (28/63) vs. 76.8% (53/69), and 4.0% (70/1 739) vs. 21.9% (404/1 847), respectively with statistically significant differences (χ(2)=14.552, P<0.001, and χ(2)=248.736, P<0.001, respectively). During a median follow-up of 52 (27-77) months, the 3-year DFS rate in the nCRT group and the direct surgery group was 52.4% and 39.1% (P=0.049), and the 3-year OS rate was 63.4% and 52.2% (P=0.019), respectively. According to whether the tumor volume reduction rate measured by CT was ≥ 12.5%, 63 patients in the nCRT group were divided into the effective group (n=30) and the ineffective group (n=33). The 3-year DFS rate of these two subgracps was 56.6% and 45.5%, respectively without significant difference (P=0.098). The 3-year OS rate was 73.3% and 51.5%,respectively with significant difference (P=0.038). The 3-year DFS rate of patients with the tumor regression grades 0, 1, 2 and 3 was 81.8%, 70.0%, 44.4%, and 20.0%, repectively (P=0.024); the 3-year OS rate was 81.8%, 75.0%, 48.1% and 40.0%, repectively (P=0.048). Conclusion: nCRT improves treatment efficacy of Siewert type II and III AEG patients, and the long-term prognosis is good.
Adenocarcinoma/therapy* ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Capecitabine/administration & dosage* ; Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Esophagogastric Junction/surgery* ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Neoplasm Staging ; Oxaliplatin/administration & dosage* ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms/therapy*

Tongsaimai Tablets/Capsules are composed of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix, Codonopsis Radix, Dendrobii Caulis, Astragali Radix, Scrophulariae Radix, and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, and are effective in promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, supplementing Qi, and nourishing Yin. It is widely used in the treatment of peripheral vascular diseases. With 40 years of clinical application, it has accumulated substantial research data and application experience. Its good clinical efficacy and pharmacoeconomic benefits in improving the clinical symptoms of peripheral vascular diseases have been confirmed by relevant research. Meanwhile, this drug has also been recommended by many expert consensus, guidelines, and teaching materials, serving as one of the most commonly used Chinese patent medicines in clinical practice. To further improve the understanding of the drug among clinicians and properly guide its clinical medication, the China Association of Chinese Medicine took the lead and organized experts to jointly formulate this expert consensus. Based on the questionnaire survey of clinicians and the systematic review of research literature on Tongsaimai Tablets/Capsules with clinical problems in the PICO framework, the consensus, combined with expert experience, concludes recommendations or consensus suggestions by GRADE system with the optimal evidence available through the nominal group technique. This consensus defines the indications, usage, dosage, course of treatment, medication time, combined medication, and precautions of Tongsaimai Tablets/Capsules in the treatment of peripheral vascular diseases, and explains the safety of its clinical application. It is recommended for clinicians and pharmacists in the peripheral vascular department(vascular surgery), traditional Chinese medicine surgery(general surgery), and endocrinology department of hospitals at all levels in China.
Capsules ; Consensus ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Peripheral Vascular Diseases ; Tablets

Objective: To study therapeutic effect of TriVex system minimally invasive phlebectomy on lower extremity varicose veins (LEVV). Methods: A total of 100 LEVV patients treated in our department were selected, randomly and equally divided into minimally invasive phlebectomy group (received TriVex system minimally invasive phlebectomy) and traditional treatment group (received high ligation and exfoliation). Therapeutic effect, treatment-related indexes and postoperative complications were assessed in two groups, and they received assessments of venous clinical severity score (VCSS), chronic venous insufficiency questionnaire (CIVIQ) and clinical-etiology-anatomic-pathophysiologic (CEAP) class on three and six months after operation. Results: There was no significant difference in therapeutic effect between two groups (P＞ 0. 05). Compared with traditional treatment group, there were significant reductions in number of incisions [(8. 6±1. 7) vs. (4. 2±1. 1)], surgery time [(70. 17±15. 92) min vs. (32. 45±11. 74) min], recovery time after surgery [(6. 82± 1. 51) h vs. (3. 93±1. 13) h], incidence rates of superficial vein thrombosis (18. 0％ vs. 0) and recurrence rate (12. 0％ vs. 0) in minimally invasive phlebectomy group, P=0. 001 all. Compared with traditional treatment group on three and six months after surgery, there was significant reduction in VCSS score [three months: (7. 23±1. 48) scores vs. (4. 16±1. 35) scores], and significant rise in CIVIQ score [three months: (67. 23±9. 47) scores vs. (81. 16±8. 38) scores]in minimally invasive phlebectomy group, P=0. 001 all; CEAP classes of two groups were significantly lower than those of before surgery (P=0. 001 all), but there was no significant difference between two groups (P＞0. 05 all). Conclusion: TriVex system minimally invasive phlebectomy possesses similar therapeutic effect with traditional surgeries on multiple-cause varicose veins. The method is simpler and therapeutic effect is definite with less pain and complications, and patients recover rapidly and accept it easily, which is worth extending.

Water-soluble polysaccharides from traditional Chinese medicine have properties of complex structure and high molecular, resulting in hardly complete their structural characterization.However, a "bottom-up" approach could solve this problem.Glehniae Radix extract was extracted with hot water and then precipitated by 40% ethanol to obtain Glehniae Radix polysaccharides (RGP). Subsequently, a partial acid hydrolysis method was carried out and the effects of acid concentration, time and temperature on hydrolysis were investigated. Under the optimum hydrolysis condition (1.5 mol•L⁻¹ trifluoroacetic acid, 4 h, and 80 ℃), RGP were hydrolyzed to characteristic oligosaccharide fragments. Futher, a hydrophilic liquid chromatography- mass spectrometry method was used for the separation and structural characterization of the polysaccharide hydrolysates. According to MS and MS/MS analysis of several standard disaccharides, a method for determining the type of polysaccharide glycosidic linkage by mass spectrometry was established. The results showed that the polysaccharide hydrolysates were linear glucan containing 1, 4-glycosidic bonds. And gluco-oligosaccharides with the degrees of polymerization (DP) of 4-11 were obtained after partial acid hydrolysis.