OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of Tripterygium wilfordii multiglycoside (TGW) in the treatment of psoriatic dermatitis from a cellular immunological perspective. METHODS: Mouse models of psoriatic dermatitis were established by imiquimod (IMQ). Twelve male BALB/c mice were assigned to IMQ or IMQ₊TGW groups according to a random number table. Histopathological changes in vivo were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Ratios of immune cells and cytokines in mice, as well as PAM212 cell proliferation in vitro were assessed by flow cytometry. Pro-inflammatory cytokine expression was determined using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: TGW significantly ameliorated the severity of IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse skin lesions and restrained the activation of CD45⁺ cells, neutrophils and T lymphocytes (all P<0.01). Moreover, TGW significantly attenuated keratinocytes (KCs) proliferation and downregulated the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-23, tumor necrosis factor α, and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Furthermore, it reduced the number of γ δ T17 cells in skin lesion of mice and draining lymph nodes (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS TGW improved psoriasis-like inflammation by inhibiting KCs proliferation, as well as the associated immune cells and cytokine expression. It inhibited IL-17 secretion from γ δ T cells, which improved the immune-inflammatory microenvironment of psoriasis.
Male ; Animals ; Mice ; Tripterygium ; Psoriasis/drug therapy* ; Keratinocytes ; Skin Diseases/metabolism* ; Cytokines/metabolism* ; Imiquimod/metabolism* ; Dermatitis/pathology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Skin/metabolism*

Physcion (PHY) is an anthraquinone compound derived from traditional Chinese medicine such as Rhei Radix et Rhizoma. The aim of this study is to investigate the improvement of PHY on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its underlying mechanism. NAFLD was induced in mice by feeding with the methionine- and choline-deficient diet (MCD) for 6 weeks. This experiment was approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (approval number: PZSHUTCM190705019). The results displayed that PHY (5 and 20 mg·kg^-1) reversed liver damage, reduced hepatic lipid accumulation and decreased the elevated NAFLD activity score (NAS) in MCD-fed NAFLD mice. Results from Western blot and enzyme activity demonstrated that PHY could enhance the protein expression and enzyme activity of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A) in the liver and L-02 cells, but it did not affect Cpt1a mRNA expression. Immunofluorescence results indicated that PHY (10 and 25 μmol·L^-1) could reduce the mitochondrial injury induced by non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) in L-02 cells. Results from seahorse assay showed that PHY could enhance mitochondrial basic respiration, maximal respiration, ATP synthesis and reserve respiration in L-02 cells treated with NEFA, but had no effect on mitochondrial proton leakage. In summary, PHY reversed mitochondrial damage and enhanced fatty acid β-oxidation, thereby reducing hepatic steatosis and improving NAFLD.

Objective To observe the efficacy of Minchuanke Granules combined with conventional Western medicine in the treatment of allergic rhinitis-asthma syndrome(CARAS);To explore the mechanism of its efficacy.Methods Totally 69 patients with CARAS were divided into 34 cases in the control group and 35 cases in the treatment group using random number table method.Both groups were given oral theophylline extended-release tablets and topical budesonide nasal spray.The treatment group was given Minchuanke Granules on the basis of the control group,one dosage per day,twice a day,orally.30 d was one treatment course for both groups,and two courses were observed.Asthma control efficacy and clinical efficacy were observed.TCM symptom scores and sign scores,serum IgE,interleukin(IL)-4,IL-33,γ interferon(IFN-γ),and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)levels before and after treatment in two groups were compared.Safety indicators and adverse reactions of both groups were monitored.Results Two Cases were lost in each group.The total effective rate of asthma control in the treatment group was 87.88%(29/33),while in the control group it was 65.63%(21/32),without statistical significance(P>0.05).The total effective rate of clinical efficacy in the treatment group was 87.88%(29/33),while that in the control group was 56.25%(18/32),with statistical significance(P<0.05).Compared with before treatment,the total score of TCM symptoms decreased in both groups after treatment(P<0.05);after treatment,the total score of TCM symptoms in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group(P<0.05).Compared with before treatment,there was no statistically significant difference in nasal congestion,itching,runny nose,cough,wheezing,shortness of breath and chest tightness of the two groups after treatment(P>0.05);after treatment,there was no statistical significance(P>0.05)in the grading of the above symptoms in the treatment group.Compared with before treatment,the serum IgE,IL-4,and IL-33 levels in the treatment group significantly decreased after treatment,while TNF-α and IFN-γ levels significantly increased(P<0.05);after treatment,the treatment group showed better improvement in IgE,IL-4,IL-33,TNF-α,and IFN-γ compared to the control group(P<0.05).There were no significant abnormalities in the safety indicators of the two groups,and no obvious adverse reactions were observed.Conclusion Minchuanke Granules combined with conventional Western medicine can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of CARAS patients by lowering IgE,regulating Th1/Th2 levels,and inhibiting the release of inflammatory mediators,thereby exerting the effects of treating CARAS.

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of Shengxiantang in the treatment of early Parkinson's disease with autonomic dysfunction of Qi deficiency pattern. MethodA total of 82 eligible patients were randomized into control group （41 cases） and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） group （41 cases）. On the basis of standardized treatment of western medicine， TCM group was prescribed Shengxiantang while control group were treated with placebo for 12 consecutive weeks additionally. Scale for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease-Autonomic （SCOPA-AUT） questionnaire， Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale （UPDRS）， Traditional Chinese Medicine Qi Deficiency Symptom Score of Parkinson's Disease （TCMQDSSPD）， serum levels of glutathione peroxidase （GPx） and superoxide dismutase （SOD）， daily dosage of pramipexole and levodopa and benserazide hydrochloride， and safety index were evaluated both before and after treatment. ResultAfter treatment， the total score of SCOPA-AUT， gastrointestinal score， urinary score， and thermoregulatory score in the control group were higher than those before treatment （P<0.01）， while the above sores in the TCM group were lower than those before treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In addition， the cardiovascular score， pupillomotor score， and sexual score in two groups showed no significant difference from those before treatment. After treatment， the total score of SCOPA-AUT， gastrointestinal score， urinary score， and thermoregulatory score in the TCM group were lower than those in the control group （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and cardiovascular score， pupillomotor score， and sexual score showed no significant difference between two groups. After treatment， the total score of TCMQDSSPD， main symptom scores， and minor symptom scores in the control group had no significant difference from those before treatment. The total score of TCMQDSSPD and minor symptom scores of TCM group were lower than those before treatment （P<0.01）， while the main symptom scores of the TCM group showed no significant difference from those before treatment. After treatment， the UPDRS score， serum GPx and SOD levels， and daily dosage of pramipexole and levodopa and benserazide hydrochloride demonstrated no significant difference from those before treatment in the two groups and between the two groups. No abnormality was found in the safety indexes. ConclusionBased on the standardized treatment of western medicine， Shengxiantang can effectively and safely improve the autonomic symptoms of gastrointestinal system， urinary system， and thermoregulation， as well as the symptoms of Qi deficiency syndrome in early Parkinson's disease with autonomic dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at investigating the carrier rate of, and molecular variation in, α- and β-globin gene mutations in Hunan Province. METHODS: We recruited 25,946 individuals attending premarital screening from 42 districts and counties in all 14 cities of Hunan Province. Hematological screening was performed, and molecular parameters were assessed. RESULTS: The overall carrier rate of thalassemia was 7.1%, including 4.83% for α-thalassemia, 2.15% for β-thalassemia, and 0.12% for both α- and β-thalassemia. The highest carrier rate of thalassemia was in Yongzhou (14.57%). The most abundant genotype of α-thalassemia and β-thalassemia was -α ^3.7/αα (50.23%) and β ^IVS-II-654/β ^N (28.23%), respectively. Four α-globin mutations [CD108 (ACC>AAC), CAP +29 (G>C), Hb Agrinio and Hb Cervantes] and six β-globin mutations [CAP +8 (C>T), IVS-II-848 (C>T), -56 (G>C), beta nt-77 (G>C), codon 20/21 (-TGGA) and Hb Knossos] had not previously been identified in China. Furthermore, this study provides the first report of the carrier rates of abnormal hemoglobin variants and α-globin triplication in Hunan Province, which were 0.49% and 1.99%, respectively. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates the high complexity and diversity of thalassemia gene mutations in the Hunan population. The results should facilitate genetic counselling and the prevention of severe thalassemia in this region.
Humans ; beta-Thalassemia/genetics* ; alpha-Thalassemia/genetics* ; Hemoglobinopathies/genetics* ; China/epidemiology* ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing

ObjectiveTo conduct a visualized analysis of the researches related to the physiotherapy for exercise-induced muscle damage, identify the present situation, and predict the hotspots and developing trends. MethodsRelevant literature about physiotherapy of exercise-induced muscle damage were collected in Web of Science Core Collection from the establishment of the database to October 31, 2022, and CiteSpace 6.1.R3 software was used for visualized analysis. ResultsA total of 357 articles were included, involving 51 countries/regions, 532 authors and 346 institutions. The annual number of documents issued showed an overall upward trend. The country with the highest number of documents was the United States, the organization was Edith Cowan University, and the author was Howatson Glyn. Keywords with high attention in the last three years were performance, eccentric exercise, recovery and soreness. Cited document clustering words were exercise-induced muscle damage, delayed-onset muscle soreness, foam rolling and exercise performance. ConclusionExercise-induced muscle damage is a muscle micro-injury, and the most important concerns are post-injury muscle soreness, myofascial pain and ultrastructural changes. Researches about physiotherapy of exercise-induced muscle damage are gradually increasing. Main physiotherapy treatments include cryotherapy, cold water therapy, massage, foam rolling and eccentric exercise. Presently, eccentric exercise is a hot topic in this field, and foam rolling would be hot in the future.

Objective:To develop a training system for head and neck oncology nurses to improve the emergency response competency to recognize and response to acute and critical medical conditions.Methods:Based on literature review and semi-structured interviews with 12 nurses, two rounds of consultation with 15 head and neck cancer care specialists from 6 Tertiary hospitals using Delphi method were conducted to establish the training system for head and neck oncology nurses.Results:The authority coefficients of experts were 0.87 and 0.89, respectively. The coefficient of variation of each item ranged from 0 to 0.167. The coefficients of concordance ranged from 0.243 to 0.403 ( P<0.01). There was statistical significance after Chi-square test ( χ2 values were 14.60-436.64, all P<0.01). In the final training system, training aims included 5 first-level indicators and 16 second-level indicators; training contents included 5 first-level indicators, 16 second-level indicators, and 60 third-level indicators. Conclusions:The authority coefficients and the coefficients of concordance of the experts for the training system were both high. The training system can be applied to improve the emergency response competency of head and neck oncology nurses.

【Objective】 To understand the abnormalities of HbA1c in the blood donor population in order to improve blood quality and blood donor safety. 【Methods】 The qualified voluntary blood donors, from April 2021 to March 2022, were recruited from Yueyang Central Blood Station, Loudi Central Blood Station and Chenzhou Central Blood Station. The baseline data and HbA1c screening results of blood donors were collected for cross-sectional analysis. 【Results】 Among 1 397 eligible blood donors, 30.0% (419/1397) was in the prediabetes range (HbA1c 5.7%~6.4%) and 5.3% (74/1397) was in the diabetes range (HbA1c≥6.5%). Logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR=1.073, 95%CI: 1.058~1.088, P<0.05, BMI (OR=1.096, 95%CI: 1.060~1.133, P<0.05), gender (OR=2.392, 95%CI: 1.482~3.303, P<0.05, smoking (OR=2.216, 95%CI: 1.818~3.743, P<0.05), drinking (OR=3.615, 95%CI: 2.240~4.990, P<0.05), and education level (OR=0.077, 95%CI: 0.022~0.278, P<0.05) were the influencing factors of HbA1c in blood donors. 【Conclusion】 Among the blood donors in Hunan, 35.3% had abnormal HbA1c (diabetes and prediabetes). HbA1c screening of blood donors is helpful to improve the health management of blood donors, and may also help to improve the storage quality of red blood cells and reduce the occurrence of adverse reactions to blood transfusion in patients.

Animals ; Schistosoma japonicum ; Colitis, Ulcerative

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a whole-process health education model among inpatients with ascites type of advanced schistosomiasis. Methods A “admission-hospitalization-discharge” whole-process health education model was created, 101 inpatients with ascites type of advanced schistosomiasis were given the whole-process health education. The scores of schistosomiasis control knowledge, attitudes towards schistosomiasis control and healthy behaviors, and awareness of schistosomiasis control knowledge, correct rate of attitudes towards schistosomiasis control and correct rate of healthy behaviors were compared among inpatients with ascites type of advanced schistosomiasis before and after implementation of the whole-process health education. Results The scores of schistosomiasis control knowledge, schistosomiasis control attitudes and healthy behaviors were all significantly higher among inpatients with ascites type of advanced schistosomiasis after implementation of the whole-process health education than before implementation (Z = −7.688, −3.576 and −4.328, all P values < 0.01). In addition, the awareness of schistosomiasis control knowledge increased from 54.3% to 82.7% (χ² = 188.886, P < 0.01), and the correct rate of attitudes towards schistosomiasis control increased from 88.4% to 98.0% (χ² = 22.001, P < 0.01), while the correct rate of healthy behaviors increased from 48.2% to 59.7% (χ² = 11.767, P < 0.01). Conclusions The whole-process health education model may remarkably improve the awareness of schistosomiasis control knowledge and promote the formation of positive attitudes towards schistosomiasis control and correct behaviors among inpatients with ascites type of advanced schistosomiasis, which is of great significance to facilitate patients’ cure.