ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum against oxidative stress and apoptosis in chondrocytes of rats with knee osteoarthritis （KOA）. MethodFifty male rats were orally administered with normal saline， low-， medium-， and high-dose Shentong Zhuyutang （1.73， 3.46， 6.92 g·kg^-1）， and glucosamine sulfate （0.3 g·kg^-1） for two weeks. Serum samples were collected after the treatment period. The KOA model was established， and chondrocytes were isolated and randomly divided into normal group， model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum groups， and glucosamine sulfate group. During the chondrocyte culture， adenosine monophosphate （AMP）-activated protein kinase （AMPK） inhibitor Compound C （10 μmol·L^-1） was added， and the cells were divided into normal group， model group， Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum group， and Compound C + Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum group. Cell proliferation was detected using 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine （EdU） staining. Apoptosis was determined using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling （TUNEL）. Reactive oxygen species （ROS） levels were measured using DCFH-DA probe. Glutathione （GSH） and malondialdehyde （MDA） levels were determined using the colorimetric method. Real-time polymerase chain reaction （PCR） was used to measure the mRNA expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase-3 （MMP-3）， MMP-13， type Ⅱ collagen （Col Ⅱ）， and Aggrecan. Western blot was performed to measure the protein expression of phosphorylated （p）-AMPK and silent information regulator factor 1 （Sirt1）. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed a significant decrease in chondrocyte proliferation rate， GSH activity， Col Ⅱ and Aggrecan mRNA expression， p-AMPK and Sirt1 protein levels （P<0.01）， and increased ROS levels， MDA content， TUNEL-positive cell rate， and MMP-3 and MMP-13 mRNA expression （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum increased the number of EdU-positive cells， GSH activity， Col Ⅱ and Aggrecan mRNA expression， p-AMPK and Sirt1 protein levels in KOA rat chondrocytes （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and decreased the TUNEL-positive cell rate， ROS levels， MDA content， MMP-3 and MMP-13 mRNA expression （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum group， the Compound C + Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum group showed significantly reduced p-AMPK and Sirt1 protein expression， GSH activity， Col Ⅱ and Aggrecan mRNA levels （P<0.01）， and increased TUNEL-positive cell rate， ROS levels， MDA content， MMP-3 and MMP-13 mRNA levels （P<0.01）. ConclusionShentong Zhuyutang-containing serum attenuates oxidative damage and reduces apoptosis in chondrocytes of rats with KOA， and its protective effect may be associated with the activation of the AMPK/Sirt1 signaling pathway.

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of irreversible electroporation (IRE) combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China Biomedical Literature Database, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases for articles dated from the establishment of each database to March 2022. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5.4 software. Results A total of 3970 patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer were enrolled in eight studies, including one randomized controlled trial, four retrospective studies, and three prospective studies. The patients were divided into the combined therapy group with 344 patients and the chemotherapy-only group with 3626 patients. Meta-analysis showed that the overall survival of patients in the combined therapy group was significantly higher than that in the chemotherapy-only group (OR=4.52; 95%CI: 2.63-7.77; P < 0.00001). However, no significant difference existed in the disease control rate between the combined therapy group and the chemotherapy-only group (OR=0.58; 95%CI: 0.02-18.74; P=0.76). Moreover, no significant difference existed in the disease progression between the two groups (OR=0.49; 95%CI: 0.23-1.02; P=0.06). The combination of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and IRE had no significant effect on the incidence of adverse reactions of gastrointestinal reaction (OR=0.37; 95%CI: 0.10-1.34; P=0.13) and bone marrow suppression (OR=0.61; 95%CI: 0.26-1.40; P=0.24). Conclusion IRE combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy can remarkably improve the prognosis of patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer, and significantly prolong the overall survival.

BACKGROUND: Human infections with zoonotic coronaviruses (CoVs), including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV, have raised great public health concern globally. Here, we report a novel bat-origin CoV causing severe and fatal pneumonia in humans. METHODS: We collected clinical data and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens from five patients with severe pneumonia from Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Hubei province, China. Nucleic acids of the BAL were extracted and subjected to next-generation sequencing. Virus isolation was carried out, and maximum-likelihood phylogenetic trees were constructed. RESULTS: Five patients hospitalized from December 18 to December 29, 2019 presented with fever, cough, and dyspnea accompanied by complications of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Chest radiography revealed diffuse opacities and consolidation. One of these patients died. Sequence results revealed the presence of a previously unknown β-CoV strain in all five patients, with 99.8% to 99.9% nucleotide identities among the isolates. These isolates showed 79.0% nucleotide identity with the sequence of SARS-CoV (GenBank NC_004718) and 51.8% identity with the sequence of MERS-CoV (GenBank NC_019843). The virus is phylogenetically closest to a bat SARS-like CoV (SL-ZC45, GenBank MG772933) with 87.6% to 87.7% nucleotide identity, but is in a separate clade. Moreover, these viruses have a single intact open reading frame gene 8, as a further indicator of bat-origin CoVs. However, the amino acid sequence of the tentative receptor-binding domain resembles that of SARS-CoV, indicating that these viruses might use the same receptor. CONCLUSION A novel bat-borne CoV was identified that is associated with severe and fatal respiratory disease in humans.
Adult ; Aged ; Betacoronavirus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Coronavirus Infections ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; virology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; virology ; Tomography, X-Ray ; Treatment Outcome

Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Betacoronavirus ; immunology ; Coronavirus Infections ; diagnosis ; Gold Colloid ; chemistry ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; methods ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Immunoglobulin M ; blood ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; diagnosis ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic

Background: Human infections with zoonotic coronaviruses (CoVs), including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV, have raised great public health concern globally. Here, we report a novel bat-origin CoV causing severe and fatal pneumonia in humans. Methods: We collected clinical data and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens from five patients with severe pneumonia from Jin Yin-tan Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei province, China. Nucleic acids of the BAL were extracted and subjected to next-generation sequencing. Virus isolation was carried out, and maximum-likelihood phylogenetic trees were constructed. Results: Five patients hospitalized from December 18 to December 29, 2019 presented with fever, cough, and dyspnea accompanied by complications of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Chest radiography revealed diffuse opacities and consolidation. One of these patients died. Sequence results revealed the presence of a previously unknown β-CoV strain in all five patients, with 99.8–99.9% nucleotide identities among the isolates. These isolates showed 79.0% nucleotide identity with the sequence of SARS-CoV (GenBank NC_004718) and 51.8% identity with the sequence of MERS-CoV (GenBank NC_019843). The virus is phylogenetically closest to a bat SARS-like CoV (SL-ZC45, GenBank MG772933) with 87.6–87.7% nucleotide identity, but is in a separate clade. Moreover, these viruses have a single intact open reading frame gene 8, as a further indicator of bat-origin CoVs. However, the amino acid sequence of the tentative receptor-binding domain resembles that of SARS-CoV, indicating that these viruses might use the same receptor. Conclusion: A novel bat-borne CoV was identified that is associated with severe and fatal respiratory disease in humans.

Background:Clinical outcomes of undifferentiated arthritis (UA) are diverse,and only 40 ％ of patients with UA develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after 3 years.Discovering predictive markers at disease onset for further intervention is critical.Therefore,our objective was to analyze the clinical outcomes of UA and ascertain the predictors for RA development.Methods:We performed a prospective,multi-center study from January 2013 to October 2016 among Chinese patients diagnosed with UA in 22 tertiary-care hospitals.Clinical and serological parameters were obtained at recruitment.Follow-up was undertaken in all patients every 12 weeks for 2 years.Predictive factors of disease progression were identified using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression.Results:A total of 234 patients were recruited in this study,and 17 (7.3％) patients failed to follow up during the study.Among the 217 patients who completed the study,83 (38.2％) patients went into remission.UA patients who developed RA had a higher rheumatoid factor (RF)-positivity (42.9％ vs.16.8％,x2=8.228,P=0.008),anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodypositivity (66.7％ vs.10.7％,x2 =43.897,P ＜ 0.001),and double-positivity rate of RF and anti-CCP antibody (38.1％ vs.4.1％,x2 =32.131,P ＜ 0.001) than those who did not.Anti-CCP antibody but not RF was an independent predictor for RA development (hazard ratio 18.017,95％ confidence interval:5.803-55.938;P ＜ 0.001).Conclusion:As an independent predictor of RA,anti-CCP antibody should be tested at disease onset in all patients with UA.

It is recognized that prenatal care plays an important role in reducing adverse birth.Chinese pregnant women with medical condition were required to seek additional health care based on the recommended at least 5 times health care visits.This study was to estimate the association between prenatal care utilization (PCU) and preterm birth (PTB),and to investigate if medical conditions during pregnancy modified the association.This population-based case control study sampled women with PTB as cases;one control for each case was randomly selected from women with term births.The Electronic Perinatal Health Care Information System (EPHCIS) and a questionnaire were used for data collection.The PCU was measured by a renewed Prenatal Care Utilization (APNCU) index.Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and the 95％ confidence interval (95％ CI).Totally,2393 women with PTBs and 4263 women with term births were collected.In this study,695 (10.5％) women experienced inadequate prenatal care,and 5131 (77.1％) received adequate plus prenatal care.Inadequate PCU was associated with PTB (adjusted OR:1.41,95％ CI:1.32-1.84);the similar positive association was found between adequate plus PCU and PTB.Among women with medical conditions,these associations still existed;but among women without medical conditions,the association between inadequate PCU and PTB disappeared.Our data suggests that women receiving inappropriate PCU are at an increased risk of having PTB,but it does depend on whether the woman has a medical condition during pregnancy.

Objective To study the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)features in acute cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI)and evaluate its clinical value.Methods Eight patients with acute CSCI (within 72 hours after onset)were performed conventional MRI and fast DTI scans (112 seconds)and diffusion tensor tractography (DTT)at 3.0T Siemens Trio Tim system.Meanwhile,the fractional anisotropy (FA) values and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)values were calculated separately in the site of lesions,the upper and lower sections to the lesions.Then the data were analyzed by paired-samples t test analysis with SPSS 13.0 software.Results Cervical spinal cord injury occurred likely in the sites of C5-C6 (account for 4/8)and C4-C5 (account for 3/8).All MRI and DTI images were satisfied for clinical diagnosis.The FA value and ADC value of injury lesions were markedly lower than that of the normal cord.Accordingly,the injury lesions on FA map and ADC map presented low signals.There were no significant differences of FA values and ADC values between the upper and lower sections to the lesions.DTT could help in displaying the disruption of spinal fiber tract in lancination case and distortion fibers in closed cervical spinal cord injury.Conclusion Fast DTI sequence at 3.0 Tesla may obtain the qualified spinal cord images.By calculation of FA values and ADC values in CSCI patients,DTI may play an important role in detecting the changes of anisotropy and water diffusion caused by myelin sheath injury and cytotoxic edema and vasogenic edema respectively.

Emodin is an effective active ingredient extracted from Chinese herbal medicine, which has the function of antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and scavenging oxygen free radicals, inhibiting platelet aggregation, improving microcirculation, protecting various organs and tissues as well as a wide range of anti-tumor effect. Primary biliary gallbladder is a common malignant tumor resection rate and lack of effective adjuvant treatment. It has been confirmed that emodin has broad spectrum antitumor effect, whereas, whether it has curative effect in the treatment of gallbladder carcinoma there is no reliable clinical trials confirmed that its resistance to gallbladder carcinoma function needs further experimental research. In this review, we report the research progress of emodin anti-gallbladder carcinoma.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Emodin ; therapeutic use ; Gallbladder ; drug effects ; Gallbladder Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo identify the affect of chronic low back pain on multifidus muscle atrophy and fatty infiltration.

METHODSFrom March 2010 to August 2013, a retrospective study were carried out in the department of orthopedics of patients with low back pain. Finally 31 cases were selected to this study including 19 males and 12 females with an average age of 36.4 years ranging from 23 to 55 years. The main symptoms of these patients were repeated back pain. Duration was more than 1 year. X-ray, CT, MRI showed no obvious abnormalities. The changes of net cross-sectional area of multifidus and T2 signal ratio of the same patient were measured at different time by MRI. VAS and Oswestry disability scores were recorded in two MRI examination. Correlation between these change of multifidus net area and T2 signal ratio in two times measurement and duration of low back pain, VAS, Oswestry disability scores were analyzed to find the affection of low back pain on paraspinal multifidus muscle.

RESULTSThe net multifidus cross-sectional area in same case by the second follow-up MRI is significantly smaller than that of the first follow-up, T2 signal ratio at second was significantly higher than that of the first (P < 0.05). The net cross sectional area of multifidus muscles reduced rate were positively correlated with VAS scores, duration and of Oswestry disabilitry scores (P < 0.001). The rate of increase in T2 signal ratio was not correlated with VAS scores,duration and the Oswestry disability scores (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONChronic low back pain is one of the most important reasons of paraspinal multifidus muscle atrophy and fatty. The duration, VAS and Oswestry disability scores of chronic low back pain were positively correlated with the multifidus muscle atrophy.

Adult ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Muscular Atrophy ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; Paraspinal Muscles ; diagnostic imaging ; Radiography ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult