Liver fibrosis is a dynamic wound-healing response characterized by the agglutination of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Si-Wu-Tang (SWT), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, is known for treating gynecological diseases and liver fibrosis. Our previous studies demonstrated that long non-coding RNA H19 (H19) was markedly upregulated in fibrotic livers while its deficiency markedly reversed fibrogenesis. However, the mechanisms by which SWT influences H19 remain unclear. Thus, we established a bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced liver fibrosis model to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of SWT on various cells in the liver. Our results showed that SWT markedly improved ECM deposition and bile duct reactions in the liver. Notably, SWT relieved liver fibrosis by regulating the transcription of genes involved in the cytoskeleton remodeling, primarily in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), and influencing cytoskeleton-related angiogenesis and hepatocellular injury. This modulation collectively led to reduced ECM deposition. Through extensive bioinformatics analyses, we determined that H19 acted as a miRNA sponge and mainly inhibited miR-200, miR-211, and let7b, thereby regulating the above cellular regulatory pathways. Meanwhile, SWT reversed H19-related miRNAs and signaling pathways, diminishing ECM deposition and liver fibrosis. However, these protective effects of SWT were diminished with the overexpression of H19 in vivo. In conclusion, our study elucidates the underlying mechanisms of SWT from the perspective of H19-related signal networks and proposes a potential SWT-based therapeutic strategy for the treatment of liver fibrosis.
Humans ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics* ; Liver Cirrhosis/genetics* ; Liver/metabolism* ; Hepatic Stellate Cells/pathology* ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Extracellular Matrix/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

Oral and maxillofacial malignant tumors threaten the life and health of patients, and seriously affect their swallowing, language function and face. 125I seeds brachytherapy for oral and maxillofacial malignant tumors has been widely concerned and studied because of its advantages such as less surgical trauma, large and uniform dose distribution in the target tissue, little damage to the surrounding normal tissue, and reducing radiation exposure of medical staff. Low-dose brachytherapy with 125I seeds can effectively reduce the tumor volume and prolong the survival time of patients. This article reviews the clinical application of 125I seeds brachytherapy in oral and maxillofacial malignant tumors.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of heart rate variability(HRV)in obese patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome(OSAHS).Methods We retrospectively analyzed 78 patients with severe OSAHS diagnosed by polysomnography(PSG)in The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from April 2018 to May 2022.According to body mass index(BMI),the patients were divided into obese with severe OSAHS group(43 cases)and non-obese with severe OSAHS group(35 cases).All patients received 24-hour Holter monitoring while on polysomnography monitoring.The differences in HRV indexes between the groups and the correlation between HRV and clinical indicators were analyzed.Results In terms of basic data and PSG indexes,the analysis results showed that compared with those in the non-obese OSAHS group,weight,BMI,neck circumference,waist circumference,and AHI in obese with severe OSAHS group were significantly higher,while the standard deviation of the 24-hour normal R-R interval(SDNN),the standard deviation of the 5-minute mean(SDANN),the triangle index(TI),the heart rate deceleration force(DC),the standard deviation of the normal R-R interval(awake SDNN),and high frequency during sleep in the obese with severe OSAHS group were significantly lower(P＜0.05).The correlation results showed that among obese with severe OSAHS patients,root mean square of the difference of adjacent R-R interval(rMSSD)was negatively correlated with the course of hypertension;TI and DC were negatively correlated with AHI.After adjusting for neck circumference and waist circumference,the linear regression analysis showed that SDNN,SDANN,and rMSSD were correlated with systolic blood pressure(P＜0.05).Conclusion There is significant decrease in HRV index in obese patients with severe OSAHS,suggesting that deterioration of cardiac autonomic nervous regulation function may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of different treatment duration of dual therapy including vonoprazan and low-dose amoxicillin in Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori) eradication. Methods:From December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023, a total of 150 H. pylori-infected patients who underwent primary treatment in the Affiliated Changzhou No.2 People′s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were recruited. The patients were divided into 10-day treatment group and 14-day treatment group with 75 patients in each group by random number table method. Patients of both groups were treated with vonoprazan (20 mg each time, twice per day) combined with amoxicillin (0.75 g each time, 3 times per day), and the treatment duration was 10 and 14 days, respectively. Intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses were used to evaluate the eradication efficacy of H. pylori of the 10-day treatment group and 14-day treatment group. PP analysis was used to compare the incidence of adverse events between the 2 groups. Cost-effectiveness analysis was performed to evaluate the economic efficiency of the 2 treatment regimens. Identified factors affecting the eradication rate in the 10-day treatment group based on the PP. Independent sample t-test and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. Results:In ITT and PP analysis, a total of 75, 75 patients and 70, 72 patients were included in the 10-day treatment group and 14-day treatment group, respectively. The results of ITT analysis showed that the eradication rates of 10-day treatment group and 14-day treatment group were 86.7% (65/75) and 90.7% (68/75), respectively. The results of PP analysis showed that the eradication rates of the 2 groups were 92.9% (65/70) and 94.4% (68/72), respectively, and the differences were not statistically significant (both P>0.05). The results of PP analysis showed that the incidences of adverse events of the 10-day treatment group and 14-day treatment group were 12.9% (9/70) and 9.7% (7/72), respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant( P>0.05). The cost-effectiveness ratios of the 10-day treatment group and 14-day treatment group were 3.29 and 4.19 yuan/%, respectively. The optimal cut-off values were 63.5 kg for body weight and 1.73 m 2 for body surface area to affect the H. pylori eradication rate. The H. pylori eradication rate of patients with body weight ≤ 63.5 kg was higher than that of patients with body weight >63.5 kg (100.0%, 42/42 vs. 82.1%, 23/28), and the H. pylori eradication rate of the patients with body surface area≤1.73 m 2 was higher than that of patients with body surface area>1.73 m 2 (100.0%, 45/45 vs. 80.3%, 20/25), and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=5.61 and 6.91, P=0.018 and 0.009). Conclusions:The 10-day combination therapy of vonoprazan and low-dose amoxicillin is a safe and effective primary treatment regimen for H. pylori eradication. Body weight and body surface area are influencing factors of the eradication rate.

Objective To explore the effect of intermittent fasting combined with diversified management mode on weight loss of overweight and obese people. Methods A total of 120 overweight and obese patients were selected as research objects, and randomly divided into control group (n=60) and experimental group (n=60). The control group was given intermittent fasting, and the experimental group was given diversified management mode on the basis of the control group. Waist circumference, body mass, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio and blood lipid level were compared between the two groups; the scores of hunger, satiety, satisfaction and the incidence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Results After intervention, waist circumference, body mass, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the experimental group were significantly lower, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). After intervention, the hunger score of the experimental group was significantly lower, and the satiety score and satisfaction score were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The total incidence of adverse reactions in the experimental group was 6.67%, which was significantly lower than 20.00% in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion The application of intermittent fasting combined with diversified management mode in overweight and obese people is better, which can improve the relevant clinical indicators and blood lipid levels, and has high safety.

Chuanxiong Rhizoma (CX, the dried rhizome of Ligusticum wallichii Franch.), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, is clinically used for treating cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and hepatobiliary diseases. Cholestatic liver damage is one of the chronic liver diseases with limited effective therapeutic strategies. Currently, little is known about the mechanism links between CX-induced anti-cholestatic action and intercellular communication between cholangiocytes and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). The study aimed to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of different CX extracts including the aqueous, alkaloid, phenolic acid and phthalide extracts of CX (CX_AE, CX_AL, CX_PA and CX_PHL) and investigate the intercellular communication-related mechanisms by which the most effective extracts work on cholestatic liver injury. The active compounds of different CX extracts were identified by UPLC-MS/MS. A cholestatic liver injury mouse model induced by bile duct ligation (BDL), and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-treated human intrahepatic biliary epithelial cholangiocytes (HIBECs) and HSC cell line (LX-2 cells) were used for in vivo and in vitro studies. Histological and other biological techniques were also applied. The results indicated that CX_AE, CX_AL and CX_PHL significantly reduced ductular reaction (DR) and improved liver fibrosis in the BDL mice. Meanwhile, both CX_AE and CX_PHL suppressed DR in injured HIBECs and reduced collagen contraction force and the expression of fibrosis biomarkers in LX-2 cells treated with TGF-β. CX_PHL suppressed the transcription and transfer of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and fibronectin (FN) from the 'DR-like' cholangiocytes to activated HSCs. Mechanistically, the inhibition of PAI-1 and FN by CX_PHL was attributed to the untight combination of the acetyltransferase KAT2A and SMAD3, followdd by the suppression of histone 3 lysine 9 acetylation (H3K9ac)-mediated transcription in cholangiocytes. In conclusion, CX_PHL exerts stronger anti-cholestatic activity in vivo and in vitro than other CX extracts, and its protective effect on the intracellular communication between cholangiocytes and HSCs is achieved by reducing KAT2A/H3K9ac-mediated transcription and release of PAI-1 and FN.

【Objective】 To construct a prediction model of severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) risk in the general population by using nomogram in order to explore the independent risk factors of severe OSA and guide the early diagnosis and treatment. 【Methods】 We retrospectively enrolled patients who had been diagnosed by polysomnography and divided them into training and validation sets at the ratio of 7∶3. Patients were divided into severe OSA group and non-severe OSA group according to apnea hypopnea index (AHI)>30. Variables entering the model were identified by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression model (Lasso), and logistic regression (LR) method. Then, multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to establish the nomogram, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the discriminative properties of the nomogram model. Finally, we conducted decision curve analysis (DCA) of nomogram model, STOP-Bang questionnaire and Berlin questionnaire to assess clinical utility. 【Results】 Through single factor and multiple factor logistic regression analyses, the independent risk factors for severe OSA were screened out, including moderate and severe sleepiness, family history of hypertension, history of smoking, drinking, snoring, history of suffocation, sedentary lifestyle, male, age, body mass index (BMI), waist and neck circumference. Lasso logistic regression identified smoke, suffocation time, snoring time, waistline, Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and BMI as predictive factors for inclusion in the nomogram. The AUC of the model was 0.795 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.769-0.820] . Hosmer-Lemeshow test indicated that the model was well calibrated (χ²=3.942, P=0.862). The DCA results on the visual basis confirmed that the nomogram had superior overall net benefits within a wide, practical threshold probability range which displayed the nomogram was higher than that of STOP-Bang questionnaire and Berlin questionnaire, which is clinically useful. The Clinical Impact Curve (CIC) analysis showed the clinical effectiveness of the prediction model when the threshold probability was greater than 82% of the predicted score probability value. The prediction model determined that the high-risk population with severe OSA was highly matched with the actual population with severe OSA, which confirmed the high clinical effectiveness of the prediction model. 【Conclusion】 The model performed better than STOP-Bang questionnaire and Berlin questionnaire in predicting severe OSA and can be applied to screening. And it can be helpful to the early diagnosis and treatment of OSA in order to reduce social burden.

Objective:To explore the expression level and clinicopathological characteristics of 14-3-3θ protein in distal cholangiocarcinoma tissues, and further analyze the long-term prognosis of patients with different expression levels.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect and analyze the clinical data of 135 patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma who underwent surgical resection at the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from January 2015 to December 2021, including 86 males and 49 females.(65.1±10.1) years old. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression level of 14-3-3θ protein in cholangiocarcinoma tissue. The postoperative pathological sections of patients were evaluated based on the immune response score(IRS). The optimal cutoff value was determined through the receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve was 3.5. Currently, the area under the curve was 0.741, the sensitivity was 73.5%, and the specificity was 71.3%. The patients were divided into two groups: IRS<4 was the 14-3-3θ low expression group( n=81), IRS≥4 was the 14-3-3θ high expression group( n=54). After surgery, the patient′s survival status was followed up through a combination of outpatient review and telephone follow-up. Normally distributed measurement data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation( ± s), and comparisons between groups were made using the t test; non-normally distributed measurement data were expressed as M( Q1, Q3), and comparisons between groups were made using the rank sum test. The chi-square test was used to compare enumeration data between groups. Results:The preoperative CA19-9 and lymph node metastasis in the 14-3-3θ low expression group were 44.3(20.8, 132.2) U/mL and 28 cases respectively. The preoperative CA19-9 and lymph node metastasis in the 14-3-3θ high expression group were 82.3(43.4, 396.9) U/mL and 32 cases respectively. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant( P<0.05). All patients had regular postoperative telephone calls or return to the hospital for follow-up. The median postoperative survival time of the 14-3-3θ low-expression group was 36 months. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates after surgery were 88.9%, 66.5%, and 66.5%, respectively. 49.4%, the median survival time after surgery in the 14-3-3θ high expression group was 13 months, and the 1, 2, and 3-year survival rates after surgery were 53.7%, 23.3%, and 13.3% respectively. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant. significance( P<0.01). Cox proportional hazard model performed multivariate analysis, CA19-9>37 U/mL ( RR=1.970, 95% CI: 1.186-3.272, P=0.009), lymph node metastasis( RR=1.681, 95% CI: 1.035-2.729, P=0.036) and 14-3-3θ staining intensity≥4 ( RR=2.438, 95% CI: 1.546-3.845, P<0.001) have worse long-term prognosis. Conclusions:The expression level of 14-3-3θ protein is related to CA19-9 and lymph node metastasis in distal cholangiocarcinoma. A high expression of 14-3-3θ protein indicates poor long-term prognosis in patients with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Objective:To survey and update the epidemiological data of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in people≥40 years old in Yinchuan City in the last 10 years.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study in which questionnaires and physical measurements were taken from April 2019 to December 2022 using multi-stage stratified whole population sampling of residents≥40 years in three districts, two counties, and one city in Yinchuan City. In this survey, 14 666 cases were extracted, and finally 11 547 cases with qualified lung function measurements and complete questionnaires were included in the analysis to obtain the basic information of the respondents, exposure to disease-related factors, symptoms related to COPD, disease awareness and lung function test rate, and logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of COPD.Results:A total of 11 547 cases were included in the study, and 1 841 patients with COPD were detected, giving an overall prevalence of COPD of 15.9%. The prevalence was higher in men (18.6%) than in women (12.9%); it was higher in urban areas (17.3%) than in rural areas (14.7%); and it was statistically significant that the prevalence of current smokers (24.4%) and ex-smokers (24.6%) was higher than the prevalence of non-smokers (13.0%) (all P<0.001) in those COPD patients. The prevalence rates of COPD in people aged 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and ≥70 years were 11.7%, 12.9%, 16.9%, and 24.6%, respectively, which tended to increase gradually with age ( P<0.001). 10.5% of patients with COPD said they were aware of the disease and 17.4% received a pulmonary function test. The results of logistic regression analyses showed that the risk factors for COPD included male, advanced age, living in an urban area, low literacy, current smoking, former smoking, history of secondhand smoke exposure, low body weight, history of biomass fuel use, and family history of respiratory disease. Conclusions:The prevalence of COPD among people≥40 years in Yinchuan City is significantly higher than 10 years ago and is higher than the national data. However, the disease awareness rate is low, and active intervention of risk factors and enhancement of publicity are important measures to prevent and control the disease.

Objective:To construct a new reporter mycobacteriophage, ΦFN, based on a nanoluciferase (Nluc) reporter system, and to analyze its ability to detect drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb). Methods:A Nluc reporter system controlled by P furAma promoter was constructed and integrated into Mycobacterium smegmatis ( Msm) genome to assess its reporting ability in mycobacteria. Then the P furAma- nluc reporter system was integrated into TM4 mycobacteriophage genome to construct a new phage termed ΦFN. A rapid procedure for detecting drug resistance in mycobacteria using ΦFN was established by adjusting conditions such as drug exposure time and time of infection. The susceptibility of 52 clinical isolates of Mtb with known drug resistance to three first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs were tested in 96-well plates. Results:The recombinant Msm mc 2155 expressing P furAma- nluc repoerter system could generate luminescence signal at a low limit of 100 colony-forming unit (CFU), which was lower than the previously reported nluc system controlled by Pleft promoter. The detection limit of ΦFN for mycobacteria reached 100 CFU within 24 h by luminescent microplate reader. After 48 h of antibiotic exposure and 24 h of phage incubation, no luminescence signal could be detected when susceptible strains were below 10 5 CFU, which could effectively distinguish susceptible strains and rapidly detect drug resistance. The drug susceptibility of 52 clinical isolates of Mtb to rifampin, isoniazid and streptomycin was tested using ΦFN, and the accuracy was 51/52, 48/52 and 49/52, respectively, by using the conventional drug susceptibility test, Lwenstein-Jensen culture medium assay, as reference. Conclusions:The new recombinant luminescent reporter phage, ΦFN, showed high accuracy in detecting the drug susceptibility of Mtb to rifampicin, isoniazid and streptomycin and it only took three days. It is expected to be a new simple assay for the rapid detection of drug susceptibility of Mtb.