This study investigated the effect of puerarin on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) injured with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). HUVEC were divided into three groups: a control group, a model group (H₂O₂ 400 μmol·L^-1) and a puerarin-treated group (3, 10, 30 and 100 μmol·L^-1). HUVEC were cultured with varied concentration of puerarin for 2 h and treated with H₂O₂ for another 24 h. Cell proliferation was detected by a CCK-8 assay. The mitochondrial membrane potential was measured by a JC-1 fluorescent probe. A transwell chamber assay was adopted to observe cell migration ability. Mitochondrial respiratory function was measured in a two-chamber titration injection respirometer (Oxygraph-2k). The expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-18 (IL-18) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The expression of pyroptosis-mediated proteins, including cleaved-cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-1 (caspase-1), N-gasdermin D (N-GSDMD), NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) and purinergic ligand-gated ion channel 7 receptor (P2X7R) was detected by Western blot. The results show that 400 μmol·L^-1 H₂O₂ treatment for 24 h causes obvious damage to HUVEC. Compared with the model group, puerarin protected against cellular injury in a dose-dependent manner, with the greatest effect at a dose of 30 and 100 μmol·L^-1. Puerarin significantly decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential and improved mitochondrial function. Puerarin inhibited cell migration induced by H₂O₂, suppressed the expression of IL-1β, IL-18 and TNF-α, and down-regulated the pyroptosis-mediated protein. These changes are statistically significant (P < 0.05). These findings demonstrate that puerarin has a protective effect against H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage of HUVEC by inhibiting the migration of HUVEC cells. The mechanism may be related to improved mitochondrial respiratory function and inhibition of pyroptosis.

This study aimed to evaluate the vasorelaxant effect and mechanisms of compound reserpine and triamterene tablets (CRTTs) and its component triamterene on isolated rat thoracic aorta rings. Isolated rat thoracic aorta rings pre-contracted by high potassium or norepinephrine (NE) were used to evaluate the vasodilatory effect of CRTTs and its component triamterene. The mechanisms concerning endothelium, potassium channels and calcium channels were studied through the interventions of several tool drugs. Animal welfare and experimental procedures followed the requirements of the Laboratory Animal Management and Animal Welfare Ethics Committee of the Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. The results showed that both CRTTs and triamterene had potent relaxant effect on KCl and NE pre-contracted vessels. Triamterene showed partial endothelium dependency, and N-nitro-L-argininemethyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME) could influence the relaxant effect, which may be related to the opening of calcium-activated potassium channels. Meanwhile, CRTTs could inhibit intracellular Ca²⁺ release and extracellular Ca²⁺ influx. Overall, CRTTs and its component triamterene have vasorelaxant effects on vessels in vitro, and the vasorelaxant effect of CRTTs may be related to intracellular Ca²⁺ release and extracellular Ca²⁺ influx, while this effect of triamterene may depend on vascular endothelial function and may also be related to the opening of calcium-activated potassium channels.

Objective: Several COVID-19 patients have overlapping comorbidities. The independent role of each component contributing to the risk of COVID-19 is unknown, and how some non-cardiometabolic comorbidities affect the risk of COVID-19 remains unclear. Methods: A retrospective follow-up design was adopted. A total of 1,160 laboratory-confirmed patients were enrolled from nine provinces in China. Data on comorbidities were obtained from the patients' medical records. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio ( Results: Overall, 158 (13.6%) patients were diagnosed with severe illness and 32 (2.7%) had unfavorable outcomes. Hypertension (2.87, 1.30-6.32), type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (3.57, 2.32-5.49), cardiovascular disease (CVD) (3.78, 1.81-7.89), fatty liver disease (7.53, 1.96-28.96), hyperlipidemia (2.15, 1.26-3.67), other lung diseases (6.00, 3.01-11.96), and electrolyte imbalance (10.40, 3.00-26.10) were independently linked to increased odds of being severely ill. T2DM (6.07, 2.89-12.75), CVD (8.47, 6.03-11.89), and electrolyte imbalance (19.44, 11.47-32.96) were also strong predictors of unfavorable outcomes. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease on admission (5.46, 3.25-9.19), while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes (6.58, 1.46-29.64) within two weeks. Conclusion Besides hypertension, diabetes, and CVD, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, other lung diseases, and electrolyte imbalance were independent risk factors for COVID-19 severity and poor treatment outcome. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease, while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes.
Adult ; Aged ; COVID-19/virology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Comorbidity ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Treatment Outcome

By preparing 10 batches of the material reference of Linggui Zhugan Decoction,the methodology of the characteristic spectrum of the material reference was created. The creaming rate range,the contents and the transfer rate range of cinnamaldehyde,glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhizic acid,the characteristic peaks and the similarity range of the characteristic spectrum of Linggui Zhugan Decoction were determined to clarify key quality attributes of the material reference of Linggui Zhugan Decoction. In the 10 batches of the material reference of Linggui Zhugan Decoction,the similarity of characteristic spectrum was higher than 0. 9. Furthermore,after summarizing the characteristic peak information,we knew that Fuling had two characteristic peaks,Guizhi had six characteristic peaks,Baizhu had two characteristic peaks and Gancao had 11 characteristic peaks. The average creaming rate of the material reference of the ten batches was( 12. 13 ± 0. 35) %. The average content of cinnamaldehyde was 0. 32%,the average transfer rate was 10. 69%,the content of cinnamaldehyde in the different batches was between 0. 22% and 0. 42%,and the transfer rate was between 7. 48% and13. 90%. The average content of glycyrrhizin was 0. 84%,the average transfer rate was 50. 39%,the content of glycyrrhizin in the different batches was between 0. 42% and 1. 26%,and the transfer rate was between 35. 27% and 65. 51%. The average content of glycyrrhizic was 1. 88%,the average transfer rate was 40. 74%,the content of glycyrrhizic in the different batches was between 0. 94% and2. 82%,and the transfer rate was between 28. 52% and 52. 96%. In this paper,the quality value transmitting of substance benchmarks of Linggui Zhugan Decoction was analyzed by the combination of characteristic spectrum,creaming rate and the content of index component. A scientific and stable method was preliminarily established,which provided scientific basis for the quality control and formulation development of Linggui Zhugan Decoction.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/standards* ; Glycyrrhiza ; Glycyrrhizic Acid/analysis* ; Plant Extracts/standards* ; Quality Control

Objective: To investigate the current status of antithrombotic strategy for elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) after stent implantation in Beijing area and to study the safety and efficacy of different therapeutic strategy. Methods: A total of 467 relevant patients were enrolled by re-travelling electronic medical records from 12 hospitals in Beijing area. The patients' mean age was (78.70±3.32) years and they were divided into 2 groups by antithrombotic therapy condition: Triple therapy group, n=17 (3.64％), Double therapy group, n=450 (96.36％). The incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebral events (MACCE) including all-caused death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, target vessel revascularization (TVR), stoke and bleeding was compared between Triple therapy group and Double therapy group.Results: The medication in Double therapy group included aspirin+ticagrelor, aspirin+clopidogrel, clopidogrel+warfarin and cilostazol+clopidogrel; in Triple therapy group was aspirin+clopidogrel+warfarin. Patient with HAS-BLED score≥3 was defined as high risk of bleeding and they were all treated by double therapy; HAS-BLED<3 was defined as low risk of bleeding, only 5.03％ patients were treated by triple therapy. 3 patients in Triple therapy group and 33 in Double therapy group suffered from gastrointestinal bleeding, P=0.338; 6 patients in Triple therapy group and 128 in Double therapy group had MACCE, P=0.589; 3 and 80 patients died in Triple therapy group and Double therapy group, P=0.766. Conclusion: Triple therapy was rarely used in elderly AF and ACS patients after stent implantation, double therapy was the main strategy; the incidence of MACCE and mortality were similar between triple and double therapies; patients with triple therapy had the higher incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding.

Objective Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the main pathogenic factors of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). This study was to explore the method of establishing a CRS model in C57BL/6J mice.Methods Thirty C57BL/6J mice were equally randomized into a CRS model, a sham operation and a blank control group. The CRS model was made by implanting type-Ⅲ streptococcus pneumoniae in the maxillary sinuses, the mice of the sham operation group underwent opening and suturing of the maxillary sinuses without implantation of any streptococcus pneumonia, while the blank controls did not receive any operation. Two months later, all the mice were sacrificed and the nasal sinus mucosal tissue was harvested, embedded with paraffin, sectioned, and subjected to HE staining, followed by observation of the pathological changes under the microscope.Results The CRS model mice exhibited significant proliferation and disorderly arrangement of epithelial cells in the nasal mucosal tissue, with degeneration, necrosis, exfoliation, ulceration, goblet cell proliferation, gland and tissue hyperplasia, and infiltration of lymphocytes, plasmocytes and monocytes. No obvious inflammation was observed in the sham operation and blank control groups. The pathology index score of the nasal sinus mucosal tissue was significantly higher in the CRS model than in the sham operation and blank control groups (\[14.800±5.200\] vs \[2.000±2.906\] and \[1.800±2.098\], P<0.05) but no statistically significant difference between the latter two groups (P>0.05).Conclusion The CRS model was successfully established in mice, which has provided some reference for the construction of the CRS model in animals.

Objective To study the effect of propofol intravenous on myocardial damage degree and cardiac function for 2 diabetes patients before and after coronary artery bypass grafting.Methods Seventy-six patients with type 2 diabetes in our hospital was selected from April 2014 to October 2015.The patients were divided into treatment group and control group,according to the method of random numbers,38 cases in each group.Patients in two groups were taken general anesthesia induction,treatment group were infused 1-2 μg · kg-1 · mL-1 propofol after anesthesia induction to maintain anesthesia,continuous intravenous infusion of 0.2-0.4 μg · kg-1 · min-1 fentanyl.Patients in control group isoflurane inhalation and intravenous 0.2-0.4 μg · kg-1 · min-1 fentanyl.Before surgery and postoperative 12 h,the level of the malondialdehyde (MDA),superoxide dismutase (SOD),ischemia modified albumin (IMA),troponin I (cardiac troponin I,cTnI) in two groups were measured by spectrophotometer.Results Before the operation,the level of MDA,SOD,IMA,cTnI in the treatment group were (3.69 ±0.43) nmol · L-1,(73.24 ±6.13) nmol · L-1,(77.29 ± 3.94)ABSU · mL-1,(0.08 ± 0.02) μg · L-1,respectively while in control group were (3.62 ± 0.37) nmol · L-1,(72.36 ±8.22)nmol · L-1,(77.61 ± 3.74) ABSU · mL-1,(0.07 ± 0.01) μg · L-1 with no significant difference (P＞0.05).After 12 h of operation,the level of MDA,IMA,cTnI in treatment group were (4.42 ±0.82) nmol · L-1,(70.52 ± 2.62) ABSU · mL-1,(3.70 ± 0.28) μg · L-1,significantly lower than control group with (7.14 ±1.01)nmol · L-1,(73.63 ±4.12) ABSU · mL-1,(4.79 ±0.29)μg · L-1.But SOD in treatment group was (68.74 ± 6.82) nmol · L-1,significantly higher than the control group with (64.O1 ± 5.88) nmol · L-1,the difference between two groups above factors had statistical significance (all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Patients with type 2 diabetes using CABG surgery,the use of intravenous propofol,compared with isoflurane,can effectively reduce the degree of myocardial injury and effectively protect the cardiac function in patients.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of p27 gene recombinant adenovirus combined with Chinese medicine Pientzehuang ([characters: see text]) on the growth of xenografted human osteosarcoma in nude mice.

METHODSTissue transplantation was used to construct the orthotopic model of human osteosarcoma Saos-2 cell in nude mice. Thirty tumor-bearing nude mice were randomly divided into 5 groups with 6 mice in each group: blank control group (model of osteosarcoma), empty vector group (recombinant adeno-associated virus-multiple cloning site), Pientzehuang group, p27 gene group and combined treatment group (p27 gene combined with Pientzehuang). The effect of combined treatment on human osteosarcoma was analyzed through the tumor formation, tumor volume and inhibition rate of tumor growth. The expression of p27 was measured by immunohistochemical staining and Western blot.

RESULTSThe orthotopic model of osteosarcoma in nude mice was successfully constructed. The general appearance of tumor-bearing nude mice in Pientzehuang and p27 gene groups was markedly improved compared with the blank control group; and in the combined treatment group it was significantly improved compared with the Pientzehuang and p27 gene groups. The tumor growth in the Pientzehuang and p27 gene groups was significantly inhibited compared with the blank control group P<0.05); while in the combined treatment group it was markedly inhibited compared with the Pientzehuang and p27 gene groups (P<0.05). The rates of tumor growth inhibition were 34.1%, 56.5% and 63.8% in the Pientzehuang, p27 gene and combined treatment groups, respectively. Meanwhile, the protein expression of p27 gene in the p27 gene group was significantly increased compared with the blank control group (P<0.05); and it was significantly increased in the combined treatment group compared with the p27 gene and Pientzehuang groups (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONp27 gene introduced by adenovirus combined with Pientzehuang can inhibit the growth of human osteosarcoma cell Saos-2 in nude mice.

Adenoviridae ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Bone Neoplasms ; pathology ; Cell Line ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27 ; genetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Osteosarcoma ; pathology ; Sarcoma, Experimental ; pathology ; Transplantation, Heterologous

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of propofol on brain regions at different sedation levels and the association between changes in brain region activity and loss of consciousness using blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) and bispectral index (BIS) monitoring.

METHODSForty-eight participants were enrolled at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from October 2011 to March 2012 and randomly assigned to a mild or a deep sedation group using computer- generated random numbers. Preliminary tests were performed a week prior to scanning to determine target effect site concentrations based on BIS and concomitant Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation scores while under propofol. Within one week of the preliminary tests where propofol dose-response was established, BOLD-fMRI was conducted to examine brain activation with the subject awake, and with propofol infusion at the sedation level.

RESULTSMild propofol sedation inhibited left inferior parietal lobe activation. Deep sedation inhibited activation of the left insula, left superior temporal gyrus, and right middle temporal gyrus. Compared with mild sedation, deep propofol sedation inhibited activation of the left thalamus, precentral gyrus, anterior cingulate, and right basal nuclei.

CONCLUSIONMild and deep propofol sedation are associated with inhibition of different brain regions, possibly explaining differences in the respective loss of consciousness processes.

Adult ; Brain ; drug effects ; Consciousness Monitors ; Deep Sedation ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; pharmacology ; Male ; Propofol ; pharmacology

Objective To develop a rating scale assessing the nursing outcomes of geriatrics with chronic disease,in order to provide valid evaluation tools for health assessment of geriatrics with chronic disease during hospitalization and after discharge.Methods Based on literature reviews,the rating scale was preliminarily developed.Through twice expert consultation,the scale was revised.The validity and reliability of the rating scale was evaluated by 3 clinical nurse specialists through investigation of 187 cases of discharged geriatrics with chronic diseases.Results The rating scale assessing the nursing outcomes of geriatrics with chronic disease included 4 aspects and 38 items:Functional Health (12 items),Physical Health (10 items),Psychosocial Health (5 items),Health Knowledge and Behavior (11 items).The results of scales evaluation showed that the rating scale had good construct validity,content validity and discrimination validity,and the Cronbach' s c of all domains were above 0.70,indicating a good internal consistency.Conclusions The results suggest that the rating scale has good rehability and validity,and can be used to assess the health status of domestic geriatrics with chronic diseases by specialists and researchers.