Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a serious intracranial hemorrhage characterized by acute bleeding into the subarachnoid space. The effects of shikonin, a natural compound from the roots of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, on oxidative stress and blood–brain barrier (BBB) injury in SAH was evaluated in this study. A rat model of SAH was established by endovascular perforation to mimic the rupture of intracranial aneurysms. Rats were then administered 25 mg/kg of shikonin or dimethylsulfoxide after surgery. Brain edema, SAH grade, and neurobehavioral scores were measured after 24 h of SAH to evaluate neurological impairment. Concentrations of the oxidative stress markers superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the brain cortex were determined using the corresponding commercially available assay kits. Evans blue staining was used to determine BBB permeability. Western blotting was used to quantify protein levels of tight junction proteins zonula occludens-1, Occludin, and Claudin-5. After modeling, the brain water content increased significantly whereas the neurobehavioral scores of rats with SAH decreased prominently. MDA levels increased and the levels of the antioxidant enzymes GSH and SOD decreased after SAH. These changes were reversed after shikonin administration. Shikonin treatment also inhibited Evans blue extravasation after SAH. Furthermore, reduction in the levels of tight junction proteins after SAH modeling was rescued after shikonin treatment. In conclusion, shikonin exerts a neuroprotective effect after SAH by mitigating BBB injury and inhibiting oxidative stress in the cerebral cortex.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a serious intracranial hemorrhage characterized by acute bleeding into the subarachnoid space. The effects of shikonin, a natural compound from the roots of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, on oxidative stress and blood–brain barrier (BBB) injury in SAH was evaluated in this study. A rat model of SAH was established by endovascular perforation to mimic the rupture of intracranial aneurysms. Rats were then administered 25 mg/kg of shikonin or dimethylsulfoxide after surgery. Brain edema, SAH grade, and neurobehavioral scores were measured after 24 h of SAH to evaluate neurological impairment. Concentrations of the oxidative stress markers superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the brain cortex were determined using the corresponding commercially available assay kits. Evans blue staining was used to determine BBB permeability. Western blotting was used to quantify protein levels of tight junction proteins zonula occludens-1, Occludin, and Claudin-5. After modeling, the brain water content increased significantly whereas the neurobehavioral scores of rats with SAH decreased prominently. MDA levels increased and the levels of the antioxidant enzymes GSH and SOD decreased after SAH. These changes were reversed after shikonin administration. Shikonin treatment also inhibited Evans blue extravasation after SAH. Furthermore, reduction in the levels of tight junction proteins after SAH modeling was rescued after shikonin treatment. In conclusion, shikonin exerts a neuroprotective effect after SAH by mitigating BBB injury and inhibiting oxidative stress in the cerebral cortex.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a serious intracranial hemorrhage characterized by acute bleeding into the subarachnoid space. The effects of shikonin, a natural compound from the roots of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, on oxidative stress and blood–brain barrier (BBB) injury in SAH was evaluated in this study. A rat model of SAH was established by endovascular perforation to mimic the rupture of intracranial aneurysms. Rats were then administered 25 mg/kg of shikonin or dimethylsulfoxide after surgery. Brain edema, SAH grade, and neurobehavioral scores were measured after 24 h of SAH to evaluate neurological impairment. Concentrations of the oxidative stress markers superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the brain cortex were determined using the corresponding commercially available assay kits. Evans blue staining was used to determine BBB permeability. Western blotting was used to quantify protein levels of tight junction proteins zonula occludens-1, Occludin, and Claudin-5. After modeling, the brain water content increased significantly whereas the neurobehavioral scores of rats with SAH decreased prominently. MDA levels increased and the levels of the antioxidant enzymes GSH and SOD decreased after SAH. These changes were reversed after shikonin administration. Shikonin treatment also inhibited Evans blue extravasation after SAH. Furthermore, reduction in the levels of tight junction proteins after SAH modeling was rescued after shikonin treatment. In conclusion, shikonin exerts a neuroprotective effect after SAH by mitigating BBB injury and inhibiting oxidative stress in the cerebral cortex.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a serious intracranial hemorrhage characterized by acute bleeding into the subarachnoid space. The effects of shikonin, a natural compound from the roots of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, on oxidative stress and blood–brain barrier (BBB) injury in SAH was evaluated in this study. A rat model of SAH was established by endovascular perforation to mimic the rupture of intracranial aneurysms. Rats were then administered 25 mg/kg of shikonin or dimethylsulfoxide after surgery. Brain edema, SAH grade, and neurobehavioral scores were measured after 24 h of SAH to evaluate neurological impairment. Concentrations of the oxidative stress markers superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the brain cortex were determined using the corresponding commercially available assay kits. Evans blue staining was used to determine BBB permeability. Western blotting was used to quantify protein levels of tight junction proteins zonula occludens-1, Occludin, and Claudin-5. After modeling, the brain water content increased significantly whereas the neurobehavioral scores of rats with SAH decreased prominently. MDA levels increased and the levels of the antioxidant enzymes GSH and SOD decreased after SAH. These changes were reversed after shikonin administration. Shikonin treatment also inhibited Evans blue extravasation after SAH. Furthermore, reduction in the levels of tight junction proteins after SAH modeling was rescued after shikonin treatment. In conclusion, shikonin exerts a neuroprotective effect after SAH by mitigating BBB injury and inhibiting oxidative stress in the cerebral cortex.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a serious intracranial hemorrhage characterized by acute bleeding into the subarachnoid space. The effects of shikonin, a natural compound from the roots of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, on oxidative stress and blood–brain barrier (BBB) injury in SAH was evaluated in this study. A rat model of SAH was established by endovascular perforation to mimic the rupture of intracranial aneurysms. Rats were then administered 25 mg/kg of shikonin or dimethylsulfoxide after surgery. Brain edema, SAH grade, and neurobehavioral scores were measured after 24 h of SAH to evaluate neurological impairment. Concentrations of the oxidative stress markers superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the brain cortex were determined using the corresponding commercially available assay kits. Evans blue staining was used to determine BBB permeability. Western blotting was used to quantify protein levels of tight junction proteins zonula occludens-1, Occludin, and Claudin-5. After modeling, the brain water content increased significantly whereas the neurobehavioral scores of rats with SAH decreased prominently. MDA levels increased and the levels of the antioxidant enzymes GSH and SOD decreased after SAH. These changes were reversed after shikonin administration. Shikonin treatment also inhibited Evans blue extravasation after SAH. Furthermore, reduction in the levels of tight junction proteins after SAH modeling was rescued after shikonin treatment. In conclusion, shikonin exerts a neuroprotective effect after SAH by mitigating BBB injury and inhibiting oxidative stress in the cerebral cortex.

Objective:To research the association between exposure to solid fuels for heating and its duration and the risk of respiratory diseases morbidity.Methods:Data from the China Kadoorie Biobank project sited in Pengzhou City, Sichuan Province. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to analyze the association between exposure to solid fuels for heating and its duration and the risk of total respiratory diseases and the association between exposure to solid fuels for heating and the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia among respiratory diseases.Results:A total of 46 082 participants aged 30-79 years were enrolled, with 11 634 (25.25%) heating during the winter, of whom 8 885 (19.28%) used clean fuels and 2 749 (5.97%) used solid fuels, of whom 34 448 (74.75%) did not heat. After controlling for multiple confounding factors, Cox proportional hazard regression model was used, which revealed that compared with clean fuels, unheating could reduce the risk of total respiratory disease ( HR=0.81,95% CI:0.77-0.86), COPD ( HR=0.86,95% CI:0.78-0.95) and pneumonia ( HR=0.80,95% CI:0.74-0.86), respectively. Exposure to solid fuels increased the risk of total respiratory disease ( HR=1.10, 95% CI:1.01-1.20) and were not associated with COPD and pneumonia. Compared with no solid fuel exposure, the risk of total respiratory disease (1-19 years: HR=1.23, 95% CI:1.10-1.37; 20-39 years: HR=1.25, 95% CI:1.16-1.35; ≥40 years: HR=1.26, 95% CI:1.15-1.39) and COPD (1-19 years: HR=1.21, 95% CI:1.03-1.42; 20-39 years: HR=1.30, 95% CI:1.16-1.46; ≥40 years: HR=1.35, 95% CI:1.18-1.54) increased with the length of exposure of solid fuels (trend test P<0.001). Solid fuels exposure for 1-19 years and 20-39 years increased the risk of COPD by 23% ( HR=1.23,95% CI:1.02-1.49) and 16% ( HR=1.16, 95% CI:1.00-1.35). Conclusion:Heating solid fuels exposure increases the risk of total respiratory disease, COPD, and pneumonia.

Objective:To investigate the morbidity of cerebrovascular disease among residents ≥30 years in Pengzhou, Sichuan Province, and analyze the effect of physical activity level on the risk of morbidity of cerebrovascular disease.Methods:From 2004 to 2008, people from Pengzhou, Sichuan Province were randomly selected. All the local people aged 30-79 were asked to receive a questionnaire survey, physical examination, and long-term follow-up to determine the morbidity of cerebrovascular disease. The physical activity level and the morbidity of cerebrovascular disease were described, and Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to evaluate the association of domain-specific physical activity with the risk of morbidity of cerebrovascular disease.Results:In 55 126 participants, there were 5 290 new cases of cerebrovascular disease, with a cumulative incidence of 9.60%. After the adjustment for multiple confounding factors, multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that increased levels of occupational, transportation, and total physical activity reduced the risk of cerebrovascular disease and its subtypes (cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction). The highest group of occupational physical activity level had the lowest risk of cerebrovascular disease, with a hazard ratio ( HR) value of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.75-0.88), the highest group of transportation physical activity level had the lowest risk of cerebrovascular disease, with an HR value of 0.84 (95% CI: 0.78-0.91), the highest group of total physical activity level had the lowest risk of cerebrovascular disease, with an HR value of 0.87 (95% CI: 0.80-0.94), compared with the lowest group of corresponding physical activity. No association was found between the household/leisure-time physical activity level and the risk of cerebrovascular disease and its subtypes (cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction). Conclusions:In project areas of Pengzhou, Sichuan Province, increased physical activity has been associated with reduced morbidity of cerebrovascular disease and its subtypes (cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction). Increased levels of physical activity in adults are encouraged for health benefits.

Objective:To investigate the effects and mechanism of metformin on the wound healing of full-thickness skin defects in diabetic rats.Methods:This study was an experimental study. Eighteen 8-week-old male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into control group, diabetes group, and diabetes+metformin group according to complete random grouping method, with 6 rats in each group. The latter two groups of rats were used to create diabetic models, and then four circular full-thickness skin defect wounds with a diameter of 5 mm were made on the back of 18 rats. Metformin F-127 hydrogel was applied only to the wounds of rats in diabetes+metformin group. The wound healing status on post injury day (POD) 7 and 13 was observed and the wound healing rate was calculated. The wound tissue on POD 7 and 13 was collected for hematoxylin-eosin staining to measure the length of re-epithelialized epidermis and calculate the change rates in diameters of epidermal and dermal wounds, for immunohistochemical staining to detect the relative expressions of keratin 10 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and for Western blotting to detect the protein expressions of keratin 10 and PCNA. The sample size in all the above experiments was 8 except that in the last experiment was 3. The correlations between the relative expressions of keratin 10 and PCNA in wound tissue in three groups of rats and their wound healing rates, and the correlation between the relative expressions of keratin 10 and PCNA in wound tissue were analyzed.Results:On POD 7, the wound healing rates of rats in diabetes group and diabetes+metformin group were 81.48% (77.89%, 85.53%) and 93.04% (92.51%, 94.24%), which were significantly lower than 100% (97.17%, 100%) in control group (with Z values of 2.37 and -3.36, respectively, P<0.05); the wound healing rate of rats in diabetes+metformin group was significantly higher than that in diabetes group ( Z=3.45, P<0.05). On POD 13, the wound healing rates of rats in control group and diabetes+metformin group were both 100% (100%, 100%), which were significantly higher than 94.47% (90.68%, 99.82%) in diabetes group (with Z values of 2.90 and -2.90, respectively, P<0.05). On POD 7, the change rates in epidermal wound diameter of rats in control group and diabetes+metformin group were significantly higher than that in diabetes group (with Z values of 3.36 and -2.74, respectively, P<0.05). The change rates in dermal wound diameter of rats in the three groups were similar on POD 7 and 13 ( P>0.05). The lengths of re-epithelialized epidermis of rats in control group and diabetes+metformin group on POD 13 were significantly longer than that in diabetes group (with Z values of 3.34 and -2.64, respectively, P<0.05). The relative expressions of keratin 10 in wound tissue of rats in diabetes group on POD 7 and 13 were significantly higher than those in control group (with Z values of -3.36 and -3.26, respectively, P<0.05) and diabetes+metformin group (with Z values of 3.36 and 3.15, respectively, P<0.05), and the relative expression of keratin 10 in wound tissue of rats in diabetes+metformin group on POD 7 was significantly lower than that in control group ( Z=3.05, P<0.05); the relative expressions of PCNA in wound tissue of rats in diabetes group on POD 7 and 13 were significantly lower than those in control group (with both Z values of 3.36, P<0.05) and diabetes+metformin group (with both Z values of -3.36, P<0.05). The protein expressions of keratin 10 in wound tissue of rats in control group and diabetes+metformin group on POD 7 as well as that in diabetes+metformin group on POD 13 were significantly lower than those in diabetes group ( P<0.05), and the protein expressions of PCNA in wound tissue of rats in control group and diabetes+metformin group on POD 7 were significantly higher than that in diabetes group ( P<0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between the relative expression of keratin 10 in wound tissue and the wound healing rate in control group and diabetes+metformin group of rats (with r values of 0.78 and 0.71, respectively, P<0.05), there was a significant negative correlation between the relative expression of PCNA in wound tissue and the wound healing rate in diabetes+metformin group of rats ( r=-0.60, P<0.05), and there was a significant negative correlation between the relative expressions of PCNA and keratin 10 in wound tissue of rats in diabetes group and diabetes+metformin group (with r values of -0.41 and -0.49, respectively, P<0.05). Conclusions:The diabetic rats with full-thickness skin defect wound exhibit delayed healing, accompanied by up-regulation of keratin 10 and down-regulation of PCNA in keratinocytes in the wound tissue. Metformin can promote wound healing in diabetic rats with full-thickness skin defects by down-regulating keratin 10 expression and up-regulating PCNA expression in keratinocytes in the wound tissue, and the wound healing rate was positively correlated with the expression of keratin 10 and negatively correlated with the expression of PCNA.

Objective:To explore the expression of homologous recombination repair (HRR) deficiency related genes in endometrial cancer and their relationship with clinical pathological features and immune infiltration.Methods:A total of 53 patients with endometrial cancer (endometrial cancer group) who underwent surgical treatment at the Affiliated People′s Hospital of Shandong First Medical University from June 2018 to June 2020 were selected as the study subjects. Clinical data of the patients were retrospectively analyzed, and 50 healthy women who underwent physical examinations were selected as the control group. Clinical and pathological characteristics of 53 patients with endometrial cancer were collected, and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed Methods The mRNA expressions of human breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1), tumor suppressor gene homologous loss phosphatase tensin gene (PTEN) on chromosome 10 in the peripheral blood of the subjects were detected, and the proportions of CD 4+ T cell subsets in peripheral blood monocytes were detected by flow cytometry; Pearson analysis of the correlation between peripheral blood BRCA1, PTEN mRNA expression and various subsets of CD 4+ T cell; Analysis of prognostic factors for endometrial cancer using COX risk regression model. Results:The peripheral blood BRCA1 and PTEN mRNA expression levels in patients with endometrial cancer were higher than those in the healthy control group: 2.87 ± 0.65 vs. 1.02 ± 0.13, 3.25 ± 0.74 vs. 1.01 ± 0.20, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.01). The proportion of peripheral blood helper T cell-2 (Th2), helper T cell-17 (Th17), regulatory T cell (Treg) and helper T cell-22 (Th22) in patients with endometrial cancer was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group: (10.72 ± 1.33)% vs. (5.43 ± 0.80)%, (9.78 ± 0.80)% vs. (3.31 ± 0.62)%, (10.81 ± 1.29)% vs. (5.74 ± 0.69)%, (6.09 ± 0.70)% vs. (3.09 ± 0.73)%, and the proportion of helper T cell-1 (Th1) was significantly lower than that in the healthy control group: (5.54 ± 0.90)% vs. (13.07 ± 2.55)%, the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.01). The peripheral blood BRCA1 and PTEN mRNA expression levels were significantly higher in patients with muscle infiltration depth ≥1/2, histological grade G 2 to G 3, lymph node metastasis, and International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (FIGO) stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ than in patients with muscle infiltration depth<1/2, histological grade G 1, no lymph node metastasis, and FIGO stage Ⅰ to Ⅱ, with statistical significance ( P<0.01 or<0.05). Peripheral blood BRCA1 and PTEN mRNA were significantly positively correlated with Th2, Th17, Treg and Th22 ratios ( P<0.01), and negatively correlated with Th1 ratios ( P<0.01). COX risk regression analysis showed that histological grading, FIGO staging, depth of muscle infiltration, peripheral blood BRCA1 and PTEN mRNA expression with lymph node metastasis were all independent prognostic factors for endometrial cancer ( P<0.01 or<0.05). Conclusions:HRR deficiency related genes BRCA1 and PTEN mRNA exhibit high levels in patients with endometrial cancer, and are closely related to muscle infiltration depth, histological grading, lymph node metastasis, and FIGO staging. They can also affect the immune microenvironment of endometrial cancer patients, thereby affecting disease progression and prognosis.

Objective:To study the clinical effects of modified surgical method with H-uvulopalatopharyngoplasty(H-UPPP)and traditional surgical method in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome(OSAHS)in children.Methods:The clini-cal data of 364 pediatric patients with OSAHS were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into 2 groups and treated by low-temperature plasma knife radio frequency ablation for bilateral tonsil removal combined with H-UPPP(group A,n=204)and low-temperature plasma knife radio frequency ablation only(group B,n=160)respectively.The operative time,intraoperative bleed-ing,postoperative secondary bleeding,VAS of pain following operation,postoperative traumatic white film shedding time,OAH1,LSaO2,ESS scores and complications of the 2 groups were compared.Results:In group A the operative time,intraoperative bleed-ing,VAS,OAHI and ESS scores were lower than those in group B(P＜0.05),wile postoperative traumatic white film detachment time and LSaO2 were higher(P＜0.05).No statistically significant difference in terms of the number of cases of postoperative seconda-ry bleeding and complications was observed between the 2 groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion:The combination of low-temperature plas-ma radio frequency ablation and H-UPPP for the treatment of OSAHS may provide clear intraoperative view,and may improve the treatment effects.