The study aims to observe the effects and explore the mechanisms of Buyang Huanwu Decoction and Astragali Radix-Angelicae Sinensis Radix combination in the treatment of the inflammatory response of mice with atherosclerosis(AS) via the Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88(MyD88)/nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB) signaling pathway. Male ApoE~(-/-) mice were randomly assigned into a model group, a Buyang Huanwu Decoction group, an Astragali Radix-Angelicae Sinensis Radix combination group, and an atorvastatin group, and male C57BL/6J mice of the same weeks old were used as the control group. Other groups except the control group were given high-fat diets for 12 weeks to establish the AS model, and drugs were administrated by gavage. Aortic intimal hyperplasia thickness, blood lipid level, plasma inflammatory cytokine levels, M1/M2 macrophage markers, and expression levels of proteins in TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway in the vessel wall were measured to evaluate the effects of drugs on AS lesions and inflammatory responses. The results showed that the AS model was successfully established with the ApoE~(-/-) mice fed with high-fat diets. Compared with the control group, the model group showed elevated plasma total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-c) levels(P<0.05), thickened intima(P<0.01), and increased plasma tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-6(IL-6) levels(P<0.01). Moreover, the model group showed increased expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1) and inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)(P<0.01), inhibited expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase(eNOS) and cluster of differentiation 206(CD206)(P<0.01), and up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of TLR4, MyD88, NF-κB inhibitor alpha(IκBα), and NF-κB in the vessel wall(P<0.05). Compared with the model group, Buyang Huanwu Decoction and Astragali Radix-Angelicae Sinensis Radix combination lowered the plasma TC and LDL-c levels(P<0.01), alleviated the intimal hyperplasia(P<0.01), and reduced the plasma TNF-α and IL-6 levels(P<0.05). Moreover, the two interventions promoted the expression of eNOS and CD206(P<0.05), inhibited the expression of VCAM-1 and iNOS(P<0.01), and down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of TLR4, MyD88, IκBα, and NF-κB(P<0.05) in the vessel wall. This study indicated that Buyang Huanwu Decoction and Astragali Radix-Angelicae Sinensis Radix combination could delay the progression of AS, inhibit the polarization of vascular wall macrophages toward M1 type, and attenuate vascular inflammatory response by inhibiting the activation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway in the vascular wall. Astragali Radix and Angelicae Sinensis Radix were the main pharmacological substances in Buyang Huanwu Decoction for alleviating the AS vascular inflammatory response.
Mice ; Male ; Animals ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Toll-Like Receptor 4/metabolism* ; NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Interleukin-6/metabolism* ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88/metabolism* ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1/metabolism* ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Hyperplasia ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Atherosclerosis/genetics* ; Apolipoproteins E/therapeutic use* ; RNA, Messenger

This study aims to compare the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) with semen quality in men from couples with primary and secondary infertility. Semen samples were collected from 133 men who requested fertility evaluation. Seminal tract infection with Ureaplasma spp. (UU), Mycoplasma hominis (MH), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) was assessed by PCR-based diagnostic assays. Among all patients, the prevalence of STIs was higher in men from couples with primary infertility than that in men from couples with secondary infertility (39.7% vs 21.7%, P = 0.03). The prevalence of UU was 28.8% and 13.3% in men from couples with primary and secondary infertility, respectively. Men from couples with primary infertility were more likely to be positive for UU than men from couples with secondary infertility (P = 0.04). Regarding the UU subtype, the prevalence of Ureaplasma urealyticum (Uuu) and Ureaplasma parvum (Uup; including Uup1, Uup3, Uup6, and Uup14) did not differ between the two groups. No associations between the prevalence rates of MH, MG, and CT were found in men from either infertility group. A lower sperm concentration was associated with STI pathogen positivity in men with primary infertility according to the crude model (P = 0.04). The crude and adjusted models showed that semen volume (both P = 0.03) and semen leukocyte count (both P = 0.02) were independently associated with secondary infertility. These findings suggest the importance of classifying the type of infertility during routine diagnosis of seminal tract infections.
Female ; Humans ; Infertility, Male/epidemiology* ; Male ; Mycoplasma genitalium ; Mycoplasma hominis ; Prevalence ; Semen ; Semen Analysis ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases/epidemiology* ; Ureaplasma urealyticum

Child ; Consensus ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Respiratory System

Objective: To evaluate the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ) prevention and control measures in Huzhou on influenza epidemic strength and characteristics in 2020, so as to provide reference for formulating influenza prevention measures. Methods: Using the influenza surveillance data of the national influenza sentinel surveillance system from January 2015 to July 2020, the seasonal characteristics of influenza epidemic were analyzed, the proportion of influenza-like illness cases ( ILI% ) and the positive rate of influenza virus in January to July of 2020 were compared with those of the same period in 2015-2019, in order to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 prevention and control measures. Results : The ILI% and the positive rate of influenza virus in Huzhou were 3.90% and 15.32% during 2015-2019, while were 4.41% and 12.63% from January to July of 2020. The trends of ILI% during 2015-2019 fluctuated similar, but continued to drop since January 2020. The positive rate of influenza virus peaked from December to March in 2015-2019, also peaked from December 2019 to January 2020, but decreased to 0 in March. ILI% was positively correlated with the positive rate of influenza virus ( r=0.682, P<0.05). The growth rates of ILI% from January to July 2020 were 4.75%, -11.27%, 0.68%, 19.84% and 0.92%, compared with the same period of 2015-2019, respectively. The growth rates of ILI% in January 2020 were much higher ( >57.00% ) and from April to July were much lower ( <-33.00% ) . The growth rates of influenza virus positive rate from January to July 2020 were -47.96%, -36.53%, -3.44%, -35.92% and -39.37%, compared to the same period of 2015-2019, respectively. The growth rates of influenza virus positive rate in January 2020 were much higher ( >11.00% ) and from February to March were much lower ( <-61.00% ). Conclusion Since COVID-19 prevention and control measures were implemented in January 2020 in Huzhou, the ILI% and the positive rate of influenza virus in sentinel hospitals decreased significantly.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, which is currently the leading cause of obesity-related cancer deaths in middle-aged men. Methods: Probiotics with lipid-lowering function were screened from the fecal microbiota of healthy adults. Polysaccharide from different sources was screened for improving insulin resistance. The combination of probiotics and Salvia miltiorrhiza polysaccharide (LBM) was investigated for alleviating hepatic steatosis. Results: First, Bifidobacterium bifidum V (BbV) and Lactobacillus plantarum X (LpX) were obtained from the fecal microbiota of healthy adults. Second, to improve insulin resistance, a Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge polysaccharide showing good performance in reducing insulin resistance was obtained. The liver total cholesterol (TC) and total triglyceride (TG) levels and the serum levels of free fatty acid, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, TG, and TC can be significantly reduced through supplementation with LpX-BbV (LB) in NAFLD mice. Interestingly, the function of the probiotic LB can be enhanced by S. miltiorrhiza Bunge polysaccharide. Furthermore, the gut microbiota was modulated by LpX-BbV+S. miltiorrhiza Bunge polysaccharide (LBM). The lipopolysaccharide concentration of the LBM group was decreased by 73.6% compared to the NAFLD group. Ultimately, the mRNA concentrations of the proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 1β [IL-1β], and IL-6) decreased with LB and LBM treatment. Conclusion The results of this this study indicate that the LBM combination can be used as a therapeutic for ameliorating NAFLD via modulating the gut microbiota and improving insulin resistance.

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical effects between anterior cervical discectomy and fusion(ACDF) combined with anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion(ACCF) and cervical posterior single open-door laminoplasty with mini-titanium plate fixation in treating three-segment cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

METHODSThe clinical data of 63 patients (39 males and 24 females) with three-segment cervical spondylotic myelopathy underwent surgical treatment from March 2014 to March 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 43 cases were treated by ACDF combined with ACCF(anterior group), and 20 cases were treated by cervical posterior single open-door laminoplasty with mini-titanium plate fixation(posterior group). Operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative complications were compared between two groups. And according to JOA score to evaluate the clinical effect.

RESULTSAll the patients were follow-up from 16 to 40 months with an average of 25.8 months. Operative time of anterior group and posterior group were (123.70±6.21) min and(118.70±5.41) min, respectively, there was no significant difference between two groups(>0.05). Intraoperative blood loss of anterior group and posterior group were (85.23±7.51) ml and (107.18±9.41) ml, respectively, there was significant difference between two groups(<0.05). In anterior group, axial symptoms occurred in 6 cases, dysphagia in 1 case, and no C₅ nerve root palsy, hoarseness and choking cough were found, the incidence rate of complication was 16.3%(7/43); and in posterior group, axial symptoms occurred in 5 cases, C5 nerve root palsy in 1 case, and no dysphagia, hoarseness and choking cough were found, the incidence rate of complication was 30.0%(6/20); there was significant defference in incidence rate of complication between two group(<0.05). At 1 week after operation and final follow-up, the JOA scores of anterior group were obviously better than that of posterior group(<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAbove-mintioned two surgical treatment for cervical spondylotic myelopathy can provide instantly stability, the method of ACDF combined with ACCF was obviously better that of the method of cervical posterior single open-door laminoplasty in intraoperative blood loss, the incidence rate of complications, clinical effect.Thus, for the treatment of three-segment cervical spondylotic myelopathy, the method of ACDF combined with ACCF would be firstly chosen.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anti-proliferative effects of saponins prepared from Plena Clematis (PC) cultured in Fujian Province, China on 4 human tumor cell lines and its possible anti-tumor mechanism. METHODS: The growth inhibition assays of saponins on human esophageal squamous carcinoma cell line (EC9706), human hepatoma cell line (HepG-2), human oral cancer cell line (KB) and human gastric cancer cell line (BGC-823) were evaluated in vitro by thiazolyl blue (MTT) method. The inhibitory effects on EC9706 treated with different concentrations of saponins (15.62, 31.25, 62.50, 125, 250 and 500 μg/mL) were performed in vitro by MTT method. The morphology and nuclear staining with acridine orange/ethidium bromide of EC9706 cells treated with saponins were illustrated under an inverted phase fluorescence microscope. The apoptotic effects of saponins were further evaluated by annexin-V/propidium iodide dual staining experiment to examine the occurrence of phosphatidylserine externalization onto the cell surface by a flflow cytometer. RESULTS: MTT assay showed that the saponins could inhibit the proliferation of 4 tumor cell lines. Among them, the maximum inhibition rate of 73.1% was detected in EC9706 cells at the saponins concentration of 250 μg/mL for 24 h. Further investigation indicated that the saponins induced EC9706 cells apoposis. The EC9706 cells presented apoptotic characteristics when treated with saponins, including that the morphologies of EC9706 cells were appeared round-shaped with higher refraction, and the cell nuclear stained orange with EB after 250 μg/mL saponins exposure. The flow cytometry analysis results showed that the induction of cell cycle arrest in apoptotic system may participate in the anti-proliferative activity of saponins on EC9706 cells. CONCLUSION The saponins from PC exhibited significant cytotoxicity against human EC9706, KB, BGC-823, and HepG-2 cells and might be beneficial to development of ethnic pharmaceutical plant for potential anti-tumor drugs.
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Clematis ; chemistry ; Humans ; Saponins ; pharmacology

Chondral injuries are short of self-healing ability and need to surgical repair after articular cartilage injury. Conventional treatment includes debridement and drainage under arthroscope, micro-fracture, osteochondral autograft transplantation (OATS), mosaiplasty and osteochondral allografts (OCA), autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). Debridement and drainage could remove pain factor, and has advantages of simple operation, wide clinical application and early clinical effect. Micro-fracture and osteochondral autograft transplantation is suitable for small area of cartilage repair, while the further effect showed that fibrous cartilage permeated by drill could decrease postoperative clinical effect. Osteochondral autograft transplantation has better advantages for reconstruction complete of wear-bearing joint. Autologous chondrocyte implantation and allogeneic cartilage transplantation are suitable for large area of cartilage defect, postoperative survival of allogeneic cartilage transplantation is effected by local rejection reaction and decrease further clinical effect. Cartilage tissue engineering technology could improve repair quality of autologous chondrocyte implantation, and make repair tissue close to transparent cartilage, but has limit to combined subchondral bone plate, reactive bone edema, bone loss and bad axis of lower limb. New technology is applied to cartilage injury, and has advantages of less trauma, simple operation, rapid recover, good clinical effect and less cost;and could be main method for treat cartilage injury with surgical repair technology. How to improve repair quality with compression resistance and abrasive resistance are expected to be solved.
Cartilage, Articular ; injuries ; surgery ; Chondrocytes ; transplantation ; Humans ; Knee Injuries ; surgery ; Knee Joint ; surgery ; Transplantation, Autologous

Objective To investigate the dynamic change and signifi-cance of proliferating cell nuclear antigen ( PCNA ) expression of mice which were induced into hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC ) by diethylni-trosamine ( DEN ) .Methods Mice continuously induced cancer with DEN containing drinking water for 24 weeks .The mice were killed in the induction of cancer at different time points.The expression of PCNA protein and nucleic acid in mice liver with HCC were evaluated by Western blot and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction,respec-tively.Results The expressions level of PCNA protein and nucleic acid in the liver tissue in mice after induced into HCC by DEN increased gra-dually.They reached a peaked at 24th week, and there was significant differences between them ( P<0.05 ).Conclusion There is a signifi-cant dynamic change of PCNA expression in the liver tissue in mice during the progression of HCC which were induced by DEN.It suggest that PCNA might play an important role in the incidence and development of HCC.

Animals ; Cellular Reprogramming ; Dentate Gyrus ; cytology ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; Mice ; Neural Stem Cells ; cytology ; transplantation ; Swine