ObjectiveTo observe ovarian microvascular damage in rats with cold coagulation and blood stasis syndrome and to explore the mechanism by which Liangfang Wenjing decoction improves this condition in rats. MethodsFifty SPF female SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group， a model group， low-dose （8.1 g·kg^-1） and high-dose groups （16.2 g·kg^-1） of Liangfang Wenjing decoction， and a 4-phenylbutyric acid （0.1 g·kg^-1） group， with 10 rats in each group. The ice-water bath method was employed to establish the rat model of cold coagulation and blood stasis syndrome. Concurrent with modeling， Liangfang Wenjing decoction was administered continuously for 21 days， once daily. The rats' syndrome manifestations and estrous cycles were recorded. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect serum reproductive hormone levels and levels of endothelin-1 （ET-1）， nitric oxide （NO）， thrombomodulin （TM）， and von Willebrand factor （vWF） in ovarian tissue. Prothrombin time （PT）， activated partial thromboplastin time （APTT）， thrombin time （TT）， and fibrinogen （FIB） were measured. The ovarian microcirculatory blood perfusion was detected by laser speckle contrast imaging. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to observe the ovarian histopathology， flow cytometry to detect ovarian apoptosis rate， and transmission electron microscopy to observe the ultrastructure of ovarian microvascular endothelial cells. Western blot was employed to detect the protein expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase （eNOS）， phosphorylated eNOS （p-eNOS）， Caspase-3， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， glucose-regulated protein 78 （GRP78）， C/EBP homologous protein （CHOP）， inositol-requiring enzyme1α （IRE1α）， p-IRE1α， apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 （ASK1）， p-ASK1， c-Jun N-terminal kinase （JNK）， and p-JNK. Immunofluorescence was used to detect ovarian Bax and Bcl-2 expression in microvascular endothelial cells. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group showed signs of cold coagulation and blood stasis syndrome， prolonged estrus cycles， and reproductive hormone disorders. Histopathological results revealed a decrease in follicle counts at all stages and disorganized granulosa cell arrangement. Ovarian microcirculatory perfusion was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. PT， APTT， and TT were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while FIB levels were increased （P<0.05）. In ovarian tissue， NO content was decreased， while ET-1， vWF， and TM levels were increased significantly （P<0.01）. The apoptosis rate of ovarian cells was markedly increased （P<0.01）. Furthermore， p-eNOS/eNOS and Bcl-2 were decreased （P<0.05）， whereas Bax， cleaved-Caspase-3/Caspase-3， GRP78， CHOP， p-IRE1α/IRE1α， p-ASK1/ASK1， and p-JNK/JNK expression showed significant increases （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， Liangfang Wenjing decoction intervention alleviated the symptoms of cold coagulation and blood stasis， gradually restored the estrus cycle， and improved ovarian histopathology and endothelial cell ultrastructure. Microcirculatory blood perfusion was significantly elevated （P<0.05）. NO content in ovarian tissue was elevated， while ET-1， vWF， and TM levels were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The p-eNOS/eNOS ratio and Bcl-2 expression were significantly elevated （P<0.05）， while the expression of Bax， cleaved-Caspase-3/Caspase-3， GRP78， CHOP， p-IRE1α/IRE1α， p-ASK1/ASK1， and p-JNK/JNK was significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionLiangfang Wenjing decoction may regulate the IRE1α/ASK1/JNK signaling pathway to inhibit endoplasmic reticulum stress， attenuate apoptosis， and improve microvascular endothelial injury in ovaries of rats with cold coagulation and blood stasis syndrome.

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic performance of radiomics model based on contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS) in predicting pathological complete response(pCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy(nCRT) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer(LARC).Methods:One hundred and six patients with LARC who underwent total mesorectal excision after nCRT between April 2018 and April 2023 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University were retrospectively included, the patients were randomly divided into a training set of 63(14 pCR patients) and a validation set of 43(12 pCR patients) in a 6∶4 ratios. Radiomics features were extracted from the tumors′ region of interest of CEUS images based on PyRadiomics. Intra-class correlation coefficient(ICC), Mann-Whitney U test, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO) algorithms were used to reduce features dimension. Finally, 7 radiomics features relevanted to pCR were selected to construct an ultrasomics model using elastic network regression, based on the R language. A combined model was constructed by jointing clinical feature. The performance of the models was assessed with the area under the ROC curve(AUC). Results:The AUC of the ultrasomics model and the combined model was 0.695(95% CI=0.532-0.859) and 0.726(95% CI=0.584-0.868) respectively in the training set. The AUC of the ultrasomics model and the combined model was 0.763(95% CI=0.625-0.902) and 0.790(95% CI=0.653-0.928) respectively in the validation set. Both univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses showed that CA199( P<0.05) and ultrasomics score( P<0.001) could be an independent predictor of pCR after nCRT in patients with LARC. Conclusions:The CEUS-based radiomics scores has certain predictive value for whether LARC patients achieve pCR after nCRT, and may provide a non-invasive imaging biomarker for predicting LARC patients achieve pCR after nCRT.

Objective:To investigate the effects of aerosol therapy with budesonide suspension combined with compound ipratropium bromide on partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO 2) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in children with bronchiolitis. Methods:A total of 124 children with bronchiolitis admitted to Gujiao Central Hospital from January 2019 to December 2021 were included in this study. These children were randomly divided into two groups using the coin-tossing method. The control group ( n = 62) was treated with routine symptomatic treatment, and the study group ( n = 62) was treated with aerosol therapy of budesonide suspension combined with compound ipratropium bromide based on routine symptomatic treatment. The time at which clinical symptoms disappear, clinical efficacy, inflammatory reaction, and blood gas index were determined in each group. Results:After treatment, the time at which asthma, cough, pulmonary rales, and fever in the study group were (2.28 ± 0.71) days, (3.30 ± 0.82) days, (5.25 ± 1.03) days, and (19.01 ± 2.65) hours, respectively, which were significantly shorter than (2.71 ± 0.89) days, (3.81 ± 0.98) days, (5.72 ± 1.37) days, and (20.76 ± 3.12) hours in the control group ( t = 2.97, 3.14, 2.15, 3.36, all P < 0.05). Total response rate and PaO 2 in the study group were 91.94% and (83.94 ± 4.02) mmHg, respectively, which were significantly higher than 77.42% and (81.25 ± 5.53) mmHg in the control group ( χ2 = 5.03, t = 3.09, both P < 0.05). Interleukin-18, interleukin-33, TNF-α, and PaCO 2 in the study group were (141.03 ± 34.69) ng/L, (143.87 ± 38.43) ng/L, (75.49 ± 18.43) ng/L, and (41.85 ± 3.31) mmHg, respectively, which were significantly lower than (158.64 ± 47.92) ng/L, (162.75 ± 50.32) ng/L, (83.22 ± 21.75) ng/L, and (43.58 ± 4.46) mmHg in the control group ( t = -2.34, -2.34, -3.23, -2.45, all P < 0.05). Conclusion:Aerosol therapy with budesonide suspension combined with compound ipratropium bromide based on routine symptomatic treatment is more effective on bronchiolitis than routine symptomatic treatment alone. The combined therapy can effectively decrease PaCO 2 and TNF-α levels.

The syndrome of dampness stagnancy due to spleen deficiency (DSSD) is relatively common globally. Although the pathogenesis of DSSD remains unclear, evidence has suggested that the gut microbiota might play a significant role. Radix Astragali, used as both medicine and food, exerts the effects of tonifying spleen and qi. Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) comprises a macromolecule substance extracted from the dried root of Radix Astragali, which has many pharmacological functions. However, whether APS mitigates the immune disorders underlying the DSSD syndrome via regulating gut microbiota and the relevant mechanism remains unknown. Here, we used DSSD rats induced by high-fat and low-protein (HFLP) diet plus exhaustive swimming, and found that APS of moderate molecular weight increased the body weight gain and immune organ indexes, decreased the levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and endotoxin, and suppressed the Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-‍κB (TLR4/NF-‍κB) pathway. Moreover, a total of 27 critical genera were significantly enriched according to the linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe). APS increased the diversity of the gut microbiota and changed its composition, such as reducing the relative abundance of Pseudoflavonifractor and Paraprevotella, and increasing that of Parasutterella, Parabacteroides, Clostridium XIVb, Oscillibacter, Butyricicoccus, and Dorea. APS also elevated the contents of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Furthermore, the correlation analysis indicated that 12 critical bacteria were related to the body weight gain and immune organ indexes. In general, our study demonstrated that APS ameliorated the immune disorders in DSSD rats via modulating their gut microbiota, especially for some bacteria involving immune and inflammatory response and SCFA production, as well as the TLR4/NF-κB pathway. This study provides an insight into the function of APS as a unique potential prebiotic through exerting systemic activities in treating DSSD.
Rats ; Animals ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Spleen ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; Polysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Astragalus Plant/metabolism* ; Immune System Diseases/drug therapy* ; Body Weight

Objective: To describe the epidemiological characteristics of a cluster of COVID-19 cases reported in Baodi district of Tianjin as of 18 February, 2020, which might be associated with the exposure in a local department store, and provide suggestions for prevention and control strategy development. Methods: The basic characteristics, time and area distributions, clinical manifestations, epidemiological history and transmission mode of the COVID-19 cases associated with the department store exposure were analyzed. Results: A total of 40 COVID-19 cases were associated with the department store exposure, accounting for 75.47% of the total confirmed cases (53 cases) reported in Baodi district. The cases were mainly at the age of 60 years or older (35.00%) and farmers (40.00%). The main clinical manifestations included fever (95.00%), cough (35.00%), and diarrhea (15.00%). The proportion of confirmed severe cases was 32.50%. The incidence curve showed that the incidence peak occurred on 31 January, 2020. Among the 40 cases, 6(15.00%) were department store employees, 19(47.50%) were customers and 15(37.50%) were close contacts (secondary cases). The first case occurred on 21 January, 2020, this case was a department store employee who had a purchasing history at whole sale markets in other provinces and cities before the onset, and 3 employees were still on duty after symptom onsets. The median of the incubation period of customer cases was 6 days, and the median of the interval between onset and medical treatment of customer cases was 7 days. Conclusion This was a cluster epidemic of COVID-19, which might be associated with the exposure in the department store. By now, the current prevention and control measures have achieved satisfied effects.

OBJECTIVE:To optimize the extraction technology of Duoxuekang. METHODS:Using comprehensive score of salidroside,gallic acid content and extraction yield as indexes,U6(63)uniform design was designed to optimize the liquid-solid ra-tio,ethanol volume fraction and extraction time of Duoxuekang,then optimize extraction times,and verification test was conduct-ed. RESULTS:The optimal extraction technology was as follows as 50% ethanol,liquid-solid ratio of 1:14,soaking time of 1.5 h,reflux extraction for 1 h and repeated twice;the average extraction yield in 3 tests was 50.18%,contents of salidroside and gal-lic acid were 1.82 mg/g,16.54 mg/g (RSD≤0.84%,n=3). CONCLUSIONS:The optimized extraction technology for Duox-uekang is reasonable,simple and feasible.

Objective To investigate the effect of chronotherapy (chemotherapy plus timely medication) on neutrophils in breast cancer patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.Methods Fifty breast cancer patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy were selected from 2011 to 2014 and divided into chronotherapy group and conventional treatment group (conventional group) by random number table method with 25 cases each.Conventional group received conventional neoadjuvant chemotherapy and conventional drug treatment.Chronotherapy group received neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with chronochemotherapy and timely medication treatment,and applied clinical nursing care pathway.Both groups were conducted three cycles of chemotherapy,three weeks after the first and the second chemotherapy,the results of routine blood and liver function were compared in patients between two groups.The number of readmission and fever because of agranulocytosis were calculated.Results The two groups of patients were successfully completed three cycles of chemotherapy,after the first cycle of chemotherapy,the neutrophil was (4.40 ± 2.20)x109/L in chronotherapy group,and (3.18 ± 1.35) × 109/L in conventional group;after the second cycle of chemotherapy,the neutrophil was (3.95 ± 1.58) × 109/L,and (2.83 ± 1.49) x 109/L in conventional group,the two groups were statistically significant,t=2.375,2.563,P ＜0.05.Two cases needed readmission in chronotherapy group during chemotherapy,accounting for 8％(2/25),much lower than conventional group of 8 cases accounting for 32％(8/25).Conclusions The use of chronotherapy in breast cancer chemotherapy has less neutropenia,mild side effects of bone marrow suppression.It is an effective and safe viable option.