ObjectiveTo explore the material basis of the "interaction of blood stasis and toxin" mechanism in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury， as well as the protective role of Huoxue Huayu Jiedu prescription （HXHYJDF） against ferroptosis. MethodsSixty SPF-grade male SD rats were randomly divided into six groups： sham group， model group， deferoxamine （DFO） group （100 mg·kg^-1）， low-dose HXHYJDF group （4.52 g·kg^-1）， medium-dose HXHYJDF group （9.04 g·kg^-1）， and high-dose HXHYJDF group （18.07 g·kg^-1）， with ten rats in each group. Except for the sham group， the other groups were used to replicate the model of focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in the middle cerebral artery of rats by the reforming Longa method. Neurological function was assessed at 1^st， 3^rd， 5^th， and 7^th days post-reperfusion using the modified neurological severity scores （m-NSS）. Brain tissue pathology and the morphology of mitochondria were observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and transmission electron microscopy. The contents of malondialdehyde （MDA）， glutathione （GSH）， divalent iron ions （Fe²⁺）， and reactive oxygen species （ROS） in the ischemic cerebral tissue were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot （WB） were used to detect the expression of iron death marker proteins glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）， ferroportin-1 （FPN1）， transferrin receptor protein 1 （TfR1）， and ferritin mitochondrial （FtMt） in brain tissue. ResultsCompared with the sham group， the mNSS score of the model group was significantly increased （P<0.01）. HE staining showed that the number of neurons in the cortex of brain tissue was seriously reduced， and the intercellular space was widened. The nucleus was fragmented， and the cytoplasm was vacuolated. The results of transmission electron microscopy showed that the mitochondria in the cytoplasm contracted and rounded， and the mitochondrial cristae decreased. The matrix was lost and vacuolated， and the density of the mitochondrial bilayer membrane increased. The results of ELISA showed that the content of GSH decreased significantly （P<0.01）， and the contents of MDA， Fe²⁺， and ROS increased significantly （P<0.01）. The results of immunohistochemistry and WB showed that the expression of GPX4 and FPN1 proteins was significantly decreased （P<0.01）， and the expression of FtMt and TfR1 proteins was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with those of the model group， the m-NSS scores of the high-dose and medium-dose HXHYJDF groups began to decrease on the 3^rd and 5^th days， respectively （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The results of HE and transmission electron microscopy showed that the intervention of HXHYJDF improved the pathological changes of neurons and mitochondria. The results of ELISA showed that the content of GSH in the medium-dose and high-dose HXHYJDF groups increased significantly （P<0.01）， and the contents of MDA， Fe²⁺， and ROS decreased significantly （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The content of GSH in the low-dose HXHYJDF group increased significantly （P<0.01）， and the contents of MDA and ROS decreased significantly （P<0.01）. The results of immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of GPX4 and FPN1 in the high-dose HXHYJDF group increased significantly （P<0.01）， and the expression of FtMt and TfR1 decreased significantly （P<0.01）. The expression of GPX4 and FPN1 in the medium-dose HXHYJDF group increased significantly （P<0.05）， and the expression of TfR1 decreased significantly （P<0.01）. WB results showed that the expression levels of FPN1 and GPX4 proteins in the high-dose， medium-dose， and low-dose HXHYJDF groups were significantly up-regulated （P<0.01）， and the expression levels of FtMt and TfR1 proteins were significantly down-regulated （P<0.01）. ConclusionHXHYJDF can significantly improve neurological dysfunction symptoms in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury， improve the pathological morphology of the infarcted brain tissue， and protect the brain tissue of rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury to a certain extent. Neuronal ferroptosis is involved in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury， with increased levels of MDA， Fe²⁺， ROS， and TfR1 and decreased levels of FtMt， FPN1， GPX4， and GSH potentially constituting the material basis of the interaction of blood stasis and toxin mechanism in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. HXHYJDF may exert brain-protective effects by regulating iron metabolism-related proteins， promoting the discharge of free iron， reducing brain iron deposition， alleviating oxidative stress， and inhibiting ferroptosis.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an intelligent handheld ultrasound (US) device for assisting non-expert general practitioners (GPs) in detecting carotid plaques (CPs) in community populations. Methods: This prospective parallel controlled trial recruited 111 consecutive community residents. All of them underwent examinations by non-expert GPs and specialist doctors using handheld US devices (setting A, setting B, and setting C). The results of setting C with specialist doctors were considered the gold standard. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the features of CPs were measured and recorded. The diagnostic performance of GPs in distinguishing CPs was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Inter-observer agreement was compared using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were completed to evaluate clinical benefits. Results: Among the 111 community residents, 80, 96, and 112 CPs were detected in settings A, B, and C, respectively. Setting B exhibited better diagnostic performance than setting A for detecting CPs (area under the curve, 0.856 vs. 0.749; P<0.01). Setting B had better consistency with setting C than setting A in CIMT measurement and the assessment of CPs (ICC, 0.731 to 0.923). Moreover, measurements in setting B required less time than the other two settings (44.59 seconds vs. 108.87 seconds vs. 126.13 seconds, both P<0.01). Conclusion Using an intelligent handheld US device, GPs can perform CP screening and achieve a diagnostic capability comparable to that of specialist doctors.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an intelligent handheld ultrasound (US) device for assisting non-expert general practitioners (GPs) in detecting carotid plaques (CPs) in community populations. Methods: This prospective parallel controlled trial recruited 111 consecutive community residents. All of them underwent examinations by non-expert GPs and specialist doctors using handheld US devices (setting A, setting B, and setting C). The results of setting C with specialist doctors were considered the gold standard. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the features of CPs were measured and recorded. The diagnostic performance of GPs in distinguishing CPs was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Inter-observer agreement was compared using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were completed to evaluate clinical benefits. Results: Among the 111 community residents, 80, 96, and 112 CPs were detected in settings A, B, and C, respectively. Setting B exhibited better diagnostic performance than setting A for detecting CPs (area under the curve, 0.856 vs. 0.749; P<0.01). Setting B had better consistency with setting C than setting A in CIMT measurement and the assessment of CPs (ICC, 0.731 to 0.923). Moreover, measurements in setting B required less time than the other two settings (44.59 seconds vs. 108.87 seconds vs. 126.13 seconds, both P<0.01). Conclusion Using an intelligent handheld US device, GPs can perform CP screening and achieve a diagnostic capability comparable to that of specialist doctors.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an intelligent handheld ultrasound (US) device for assisting non-expert general practitioners (GPs) in detecting carotid plaques (CPs) in community populations. Methods: This prospective parallel controlled trial recruited 111 consecutive community residents. All of them underwent examinations by non-expert GPs and specialist doctors using handheld US devices (setting A, setting B, and setting C). The results of setting C with specialist doctors were considered the gold standard. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the features of CPs were measured and recorded. The diagnostic performance of GPs in distinguishing CPs was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Inter-observer agreement was compared using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were completed to evaluate clinical benefits. Results: Among the 111 community residents, 80, 96, and 112 CPs were detected in settings A, B, and C, respectively. Setting B exhibited better diagnostic performance than setting A for detecting CPs (area under the curve, 0.856 vs. 0.749; P<0.01). Setting B had better consistency with setting C than setting A in CIMT measurement and the assessment of CPs (ICC, 0.731 to 0.923). Moreover, measurements in setting B required less time than the other two settings (44.59 seconds vs. 108.87 seconds vs. 126.13 seconds, both P<0.01). Conclusion Using an intelligent handheld US device, GPs can perform CP screening and achieve a diagnostic capability comparable to that of specialist doctors.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an intelligent handheld ultrasound (US) device for assisting non-expert general practitioners (GPs) in detecting carotid plaques (CPs) in community populations. Methods: This prospective parallel controlled trial recruited 111 consecutive community residents. All of them underwent examinations by non-expert GPs and specialist doctors using handheld US devices (setting A, setting B, and setting C). The results of setting C with specialist doctors were considered the gold standard. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the features of CPs were measured and recorded. The diagnostic performance of GPs in distinguishing CPs was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Inter-observer agreement was compared using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were completed to evaluate clinical benefits. Results: Among the 111 community residents, 80, 96, and 112 CPs were detected in settings A, B, and C, respectively. Setting B exhibited better diagnostic performance than setting A for detecting CPs (area under the curve, 0.856 vs. 0.749; P<0.01). Setting B had better consistency with setting C than setting A in CIMT measurement and the assessment of CPs (ICC, 0.731 to 0.923). Moreover, measurements in setting B required less time than the other two settings (44.59 seconds vs. 108.87 seconds vs. 126.13 seconds, both P<0.01). Conclusion Using an intelligent handheld US device, GPs can perform CP screening and achieve a diagnostic capability comparable to that of specialist doctors.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an intelligent handheld ultrasound (US) device for assisting non-expert general practitioners (GPs) in detecting carotid plaques (CPs) in community populations. Methods: This prospective parallel controlled trial recruited 111 consecutive community residents. All of them underwent examinations by non-expert GPs and specialist doctors using handheld US devices (setting A, setting B, and setting C). The results of setting C with specialist doctors were considered the gold standard. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the features of CPs were measured and recorded. The diagnostic performance of GPs in distinguishing CPs was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Inter-observer agreement was compared using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were completed to evaluate clinical benefits. Results: Among the 111 community residents, 80, 96, and 112 CPs were detected in settings A, B, and C, respectively. Setting B exhibited better diagnostic performance than setting A for detecting CPs (area under the curve, 0.856 vs. 0.749; P<0.01). Setting B had better consistency with setting C than setting A in CIMT measurement and the assessment of CPs (ICC, 0.731 to 0.923). Moreover, measurements in setting B required less time than the other two settings (44.59 seconds vs. 108.87 seconds vs. 126.13 seconds, both P<0.01). Conclusion Using an intelligent handheld US device, GPs can perform CP screening and achieve a diagnostic capability comparable to that of specialist doctors.

ObjectiveTo investigate the potential machanism of Xiaozhong Zhitong Mixture （消肿止痛合剂， XZM） in the treatment of diabetes foot ulcer （DFU）. MethodsFifty SD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， XZM group， inhibitor group， XZM plus inhibitor group （combination group）， with 10 rats in each group. Except for the blank group， rats were fed with high-sugar， high-fat， high-cholesterol diet， intraperitoneally injected with streptozotocin， and subjected to skin defect to establish DFU model. After successful modeling， the XZM group and the combination group were given 1 ml/（100 g·d）of XZM by gavage， while the blank group， model group， and inhibitor group were all given an equal volume of 0.9% sodium chloride injection by gavage. Thirty minutes later， the inhibitor group and the combination group were intraperitoneally injected with 5 mg/（kg·d） of Notch1 inhibitor DAPT. All groups were treated once a day. After 14 days of administration， the skin tissue from the dorsal foot of the blank group rats and wound tissue from the other groups were collected. The pathological changes of granulation tissue in the wound were detected using hematoxylin eosin （HE） staining. The microvascular density （MVD） in wounds was detected through immunohistochemical staining. Real time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） and western blotting were used to detect the mRNA and protein levels of Notch1 homolog （Notch1）， Delta-like ligand 4 （Dll4）， Delta-like ligand 4 （VEGF）， and angiopoietin 2 （Ang-2）， respectively. ResultsHistological results showed that the epidermal structure in the dorsal foot skin tissue of the rats in the blank group was intact. In the wound tissue of the model group， the epidermis exhibited excessive keratinization， vacuolar cytoplasm， and a large number of inflammatory cells infiltrating the tissue， while in the XZM group， a large amount of scab formation was observed in the epidermis， with no significant inflammatory cell infiltration and a noticeable increase in fibroblasts. In the combination group and the inhibitor group， partial epidermal scab formation was observed in the wound tissue with a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared to those in the blank group， the MVD in the wound tissue increased in the model group， as well as the mRNA expression and protein levels of Notch1 and Dll4， while VEGFA and Ang-2 mRNA expression and protein levels significantly decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared to those in the model group， the MVD in the wound tissue of all medication groups significantly increased， and the mRNA and protein levels of Notch1 and Dll4 decreased， while VEGFA and Ang-2 mRNA expression and protein levels increased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared to the XZM group， the inhibitor group and the combination group showed decreased MVD in wound tissue， increased Notch1 and Dll4 mRNA and protein levels， and decreased expression of VEGFA and Ang-2 mRNA and proteins （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionXZM can effectively promote wound healing in DFU rats， and its mechanism of action may be related to the inhibition of Dll4/Notch1 signaling pathway in the wound tissue， therey promoting angiogenesis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of rhizosphere organic acids secreted by the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza on continuous cropping obstacles. MethodsThe mixed solution of organic acids in the rhizosphere of S. miltiorrhiza in continuous cropping and rotation cropping was added to the hairy roots subcultured for 21 days， and samples were collected on days 0， 2， 4， 6， 8， and 10. The changes of biomass， effective components， primary metabolites， secondary metabolites， antioxidant enzymes， and hormones in hairy roots of S. miltiorrhiza were observed and determined. ResultsCompared with the rotation cropping group and the blank control group， the simulation of organic acid secretion from the roots of S. miltiorrhiza had a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of hairy roots and decreased the content of effective components as well as total sugar and total protein in primary metabolites. Compared with the blank control group， the rotation cropping group and the continuous cropping group showed total sugar and total protein content decreases of 33.9% and 5.1%， respectively. On the other hand， the secretion of organic acids from S. miltiorrhiza roots significantly promoted the accumulation of total phenolic acids and total tanshinone， which showed increases of 14.6% and 1.6%， respectively， in continuous cropping group and rotation cropping group compared with the blank control group. ConclusionThe organic acid environment under continuous cropping significantly inhibited the growth of hairy roots and the accumulation of primary metabolites， while promoting the synthesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites of S. miltiorrhiza.

Objective To compare the long-term survival of elderly patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated with surgical versus non-surgical treatment. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of elderly patients aged ≥70 years with ESCC who underwent esophagectomy or radiotherapy/chemotherapy at Sichuan Cancer Hospital from January 2009 to September 2017. Patients were divided into a surgical group (S group) and a non-surgical group (NS group) according to the treatment method. The propensity score matching method was used to match the two groups of patients at a ratio of 1∶1, and the survival of the two groups before and after matching was analyzed. Results A total of 726 elderly patients with ESCC were included, including 552 males and 174 females, with 651 patients aged ≥70-80 years and 75 patients aged ≥80-90 years. There were 515 patients in the S group and 211 patients in the NS group. The median follow-up time was 60.8 months, and the median overall survival of the S group was 41.9 months [95%CI (35.2, 48.5)], while that of the NS group was only 24.0 months [95%CI (19.8, 28.3)]. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates of the S group were 84%, 54%, and 40%, respectively, while those of the NS group were 72%, 40%, and 30%, respectively [HR=0.689, 95%CI (0.559, 0.849), P<0.001]. After matching, 138 patients were included in each group, and there was no statistical difference in the overall survival between the two groups [HR=0.871, 95%CI (0.649, 1.167), P=0.352]. Conclusion Compared with conservative treatment, there is no significant difference in the long-term survival of elderly patients aged ≥70 years who undergo esophagectomy for ESCC. Neoadjuvant therapy combined with surgery is still an important choice to potentially improve the survival of elderly patients with ESCC.

Humans ; Aged ; Lung Diseases ; Pneumonia/drug therapy* ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones/therapeutic use* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/drug therapy* ; Administration, Inhalation ; Community-Acquired Infections/drug therapy*