Background: The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing yearly, some of the IBD patients have extraintestinal manifestations (EIM), and EIM has impact on the treatment of IBD. Aims: To summarize the clinical characteristics of IBD patients associated with EIM, and evaluate the therapeutic effect of infliximab (IFX). Methods: The clinical data of IBD patients associated with EIM from January 2010 to December 2020 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University were retrospectively analyzed, and the therapeutic effect of IFX was investigated. Results: In 811 patients with IBD, 50 (6.17%) patients had EIM. The commonly seen EIM was arthritis (78.00%) and erythema nodosum (26.00%); 52.00% had one EIM; 68.42% of UC patients with EIM involved E3, and 50.00% of CD patients with EIM involved L3. A total of 21 patients received IFX treatment, 2 weeks after medication, HB and ALB significantly increased, while ESR, CRP and PLT significantly decreased. Twenty⁃two weeks after medication, 83.33% of UC patients turned mild, and 70.00% of CD patients entered the remission phase. After the use of IFX, the first disappearance time of arthritis was significantly decreased when compared with those without using IFX (2.50 days vs. 10.50 days, P<0.05). The median time for the first disappearance of arthritis in patients with elevated CRP was significantly decreased than in patients with normal CRP (3.00 days vs. 9.00 days, P<0.05). Conclusions: Arthritis and erythema nodosum are common EMI in patients with IBD, and the treatment with IFX can significantly shorten the time of the first disappearance of some EIM.

Intestinal disorders often co-occur with inflammation and dysmotility. However, drugs which simultaneously improve intestinal inflammation and co-occurring dysmotility are rarely reported. Atractylodin, a widely used herbal medicine, is used to treat digestive disorders. The present study was designed to characterize the effects of atractylodin on amelioration of both jejunal inflammation and the co-occurring dysmotility in both constipation-prominent (CP) and diarrhea-prominent (DP) rats. The results indicated that atractylodin reduced proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in the plasma and inhibited the expression of inflammatory mediators iNOS and NF-kappa B in jejunal segments in both CP and DP rats. The results indicated that atractylodin exerted stimulatory effects and inhibitory effects on the contractility of jejunal segments isolated from CP and DP rats respectively, showing a contractile-state-dependent regulation. Atractylodin-induced contractile-state-dependent regulation was also observed by using rat jejunal segments in low and high contractile states respectively (5 pairs of low/high contractile states). Atractylodin up-regulated the decreased phosphorylation of 20 kDa myosin light chain, protein contents of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), and MLCK mRNA expression in jejunal segments of CP rats and down-regulated those increased parameters in DP rats. Taken together, atractylodin alleviated rat jejunal inflammation and exerted contractile-state-dependent regulation on the contractility of jejunal segments isolated from CP and DP rats respectively, suggesting the potential clinical implication for ameliorating intestinal inflammation and co-occurring dysmotility.
Animals ; Constipation* ; Cytokines ; Diarrhea* ; Herbal Medicine ; Inflammation* ; Interleukin-6 ; Myosin Light Chains ; Myosin-Light-Chain Kinase ; NF-kappa B ; Phosphorylation ; Plasma ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger

Objective    To compare the in-hospital and midterm outcomes after simultaneous hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR) with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) in diabetic patients with multivessel coronary artery disease. Methods    One hundred thirty-two diabetic patients with multivessel coronary artery disease underwent one-stop HCR at Fuwai Hospital from January 2010 to January 2015. These patients were 1∶2 matched with those who underwent OPCAB using propensity score matching. Results    Simultaneous HCR had less chest tube drainage (618 (420, 811) ml vs. 969 (711, 1 213)ml, P<0.001), lower transfusion rate (19.7% vs. 34.1%, P=0.026), shorter mechanical ventilation time (11.6 (8.2, 14.8) h vs. 16.0 (12.1, 18.7) h, P<0.001), and shorter stay in intensive care unit (21.5 (18.8, 42.0)   h vs. 44.6 (23.7, 70.1) h, P<0.001) than OPCAB. During over median 40 months follow-up, simultaneous HCR offered similar major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCE) rate (6.8% vs 9.0%, P=0.826), but lower stroke rate (0%vs 3.0%, P=0.029), compared with OPCAB. Conclusion    For selected patients with diabetes, simultaneous HCR provides a safe and effective revascularization alternative. It decreases perioperative invasiveness and incurred similar and favorable midterm outcomes with OPCAB.

This study sought to reveal the difference of brain functions at resting-state between subjects with sub-health and normal controls by using the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology. Resting-state fMRI scans were performed on 24 subjects of sub-health and on 24 healthy controls with gender, age and education matched with the sub-health persons. Compared to the healthy controls, the sub-health group showed significantly higher regional homogeneity (ReHo) in the left post-central gyrus and the right post-central gyrus. On the other hand, the sub-health group showed significantly lower ReHo in the left superior frontal gyrus, in the right anterior cingulated cortex and ventra anterior cingulate gyrus, in the left dorsolateral frontal gyrus, and in the right middle temporal gyrus. The Significant difference in ReHo suggests that the sub-health persons have abnormalities in certain brain regions. It is proved that its specific action and meaning deserves further assessment.
Brain ; physiology ; physiopathology ; Brain Mapping ; Case-Control Studies ; Cerebral Cortex ; Frontal Lobe ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Parietal Lobe

The present study used the experimental patterns of Go/No Go and no motion contingent negative variation (CNV) task into the research in order to study whether the CNV can express the implication of expectation. Through comparing the CNV under different conditions, the data collected from experiment showed that the key to evoked CNV was close to the warning signal and command signal. Whether the command signal was related to the task would impact on the amplitude of the CNV. This characteristics responses to the subjects' expectation. On this basis, CNV can be used as the electrophysiological index for the reflection of expected value in the conditions of this experiment.
Anticipation, Psychological ; Brain Waves ; Contingent Negative Variation ; Humans

Objective To assess the correlation of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) levels with vitamin D-binding protein (the group-specific component,GC) gene polymorphism in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Methods In a cross-sectional case-control study,250participants,including 116 COPD patients with smoking history and 134 healthy smokers,were investigated.A questionnaire about smoking history,vitamin D intake and comorbidities was collected.General pulmonary function was done by routine.Serum 25-OHD levels were detected by ELISA.The genetic variants (rs4588and rs7041) were genotyped by real time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with TaqMan probe technology.Results The COPD patients had lower serum vitamin D level than the smoker subjects (36.58 nmol/L vs 43.80 nmol/L,P ＜0.001).In the COPD patients,vitamin D level was 39.43 nmol/L in those with percentage of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1 ％ pred) greater than or equal to 80％.In other groups with FEV1 ％ pred 50％-80％,30％-50％ and lower than 30％,vitamin D levels were 35.32 nmol/L,32.21 nmol/L,26.25 nmol/L respectively (P ＜ 0.01).Moreover,there was a significant relevance of 25-OHD levels with FEV1 ％ pred in both COPD patients and healthy smokers (r2 =1.911; P ＜0.000 1).The mean 25-OHD concentration had a negative correlation with Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stages.Homozygous carriers of vitamin D-binding protein gene rs7041 T allele were independently related to 25-OHD levels and susceptibility of COPD (P ＜ 0.01 ; OR =2.140,95％ CI 1.157-3.959,P =0.015 respectively).Conclusions Patients with COPD are at high risk of vitamin D deficiency and the severity of COPD is inversely correlated with vitamin D levels.Furthermore,homozygous carrier of rs7041 T allele influences 25-OHD serum levels and is related to susceptibility of COPD,which may be a potential candidate gene for screening COPD.

This study compared the efficacy and safety of tiotropium bromide inhalation powder (spiriva) and doxofylline oral tablet (doxofylline) in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A multi-center, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-controlled study involved 127 eligible stable moderate to severe COPD patients treated with inhaled tiotropium dry powder (18 μg/day) or oral doxofylline tablets (0.2 g/time, 2 times a day) for 12 and 24 weeks. Before and after treatment for 12 weeks and 24 weeks, respectively, pulmonary function, 6-min walking distance and dyspnea index were recorded. The results showed that in both tiotropium group and doxofylline groups, after 12-week treatment, FEV(1), FEV(1)/FVC% and 6-min walk distance were significantly higher than those before the medication, while dyspnea index decreased as compared with that before treatment. After 24-week treatment, a slight improvement in the measures was observed as compared with that of 12-weeks treatment, but the difference was not statistically significant. With both 12-week and 24-week treatment, the effect of tiotropium was slightly better than that of doxofylline tablets, with the difference being statistically insignificant. The major adverse events in the tiotropium group and doxofylline group were observed in 9 cases (9.9%) and 12 cases (12.9%), respectively, and no statistically significant difference was found between them. We are led to conclude that both tiotropium at 18 μg a day and doxofylline tablets at 0.2 g/day (two times a day) are effective and safe for the treatment of COPD.

Objective:To study the effects of the conditioned medium (CM) from human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 on the viability and apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and the role of PI3K-Akt signaling pathway in the process. Methods:HUVECs were cultured with CM of A549 cells. Cell viability was detected by XTT assay. The morphological changes of HUVECs were analyzed by Hoechst 33258 staining and fluorescence microscopy. The apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Expression levels of total Akt and phosphorylated Akt were assessed by Western blotting. PI3K inhibitors wortmannin(WT)and Akt1 siRNA(siAkt1)were used to block PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. The mRNA transcription of Akt subtype was determined by RT-PCR.Results:A549 CM significantly increased cell viability after 24 h treatment (P=0.037) and inhibited apoptosis (P=0.001) of HUVECs. CM time-dependently activated phosphorylation of Akt. Akt was phosphorylated at 15 min after CM treatment and reached the peak at 30 min and then tended to decline. Both WT and siAkt1 blocked the effects of CM. Conclusion:The CM of A549 cells increased the survival and inhibit the apoptosis of HUVECs. Akt1 played a significant role in the process.

In order to confirm the alteration and significance of cigarette smoke exposure on SP-A in rats, 20 Wistar rats were assigned randomly to two groups: an N group (n=10), and an S group (n=10). The ultra-structural change was observed by electron microscopy. The number of cells positive for SPA was by immunohistochemically measured. The mRNA expression in the lung tissues was deter-mined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The number of cells positive for SPA of the S group (0.52±0.05) was lower than that of the N group (0.72±0.06) (P<0.05). The lev-els of mRNA of SPA in the lung tissues of the S group (0.3522±0.0512) was significantly lower than that of the N group (0.4432±0.05628) (P<0.05). It is concluded that cigarette smoke alone decreased the level of SP-A and that might have an important effect on surfactant metabolism and the host deense functions of surfactant in the peripheral airways, which might play a crucial role in the devel-opment of chronic obstructive lung disease.

Whether inhibiting the activity of nuclear factor (NF)-κB potentiates cisplatin-induced apoptosis in non-small cell lung cell line A549 cells was investigated. The recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1(+)/IκBα expressing IκBα was constructed. The in vitro cultured A549 cells were trans-fected with pcDNA3.1(+)/IκBα alone, or pcDNA3.1(+)/IκBα combined with cisplatin. The mitochondrial membrane potential (△ψm) was determined by rhodamine 123, the activity of caspase-3 was tested by colorimetric assay, and cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry with the annexin V/propidium iodide assay. The results showed that the activity of NF-κB in A549 cells was inhibited by transfecting pcDNA3.1(+)/IκBα. Transfection of pcDNA3.1(+)/IκBα alone did not promote apoptosis. Treatment of cisplatin alone had a little effect on cell apoptosis. Transfection of pcDNA3.1(+)/IκBα combined with cisplatin treatment significantly induced apoptosis of A549 cells. It was concluded that inhibiting the activity of NF-κB potentiated cisplatin-induced apoptosis of A549 cells.