Objective To analyze the thyroid hormone levels in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Methods A total of 121 patients with AIS were selected, and were divided into NVAF group (AIS patients with NVAF) and control group (AIS patients without atrial fibrillation). Serum levels of triiodothyronine (T₃), free triiodothyronine (FT₃), thyroxine (T₄), free thyroxine (FT₄) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in two groups were measured and compared. The survival of the two groups was compared. Results The serum T₃ level in the NVAF group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in serum FT₃, T₄, FT₄ and TSH levels between the two groups (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in survival between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion NVAF is associated with serum T₃ levels in AIS patients. There is no correlation between the risk of death and NVAF in AIS patients.

The theory of yin and yang is the modest differentiation thought of the traditional Chinese medicine under the guidance of overall dialectics,and the dynamic changes of yin and yang profit and loss can reflect the life activities of the human body.In the early literature research and clinical practice,the author's team found that the"yang deficiency and yin stagnation"is the key pathogen of colorectal cancer,the yang qi is insufficient,and the metabolites of the yin such as phlegm,wetness and stasis are lost in gasification and accumulate to form a"yin tumor",which is stagnant in the intestine and forms colorectal cancer.Yang Qi is the process of normal cell metabolism to produce energy,Yang Qi is insufficient,the"yin knot"of the thing in the body polymerizes into tumors,The imbalance of yin and yang can cause changes in energy or substance metabolism in the body,and glutamine is one of the amino acid which is the largest consumption of tumor cells,and its metabolic process not only provides a material basis for tumor cell growth,but also creates an acidic microenvironment of hypoxia to promote the proliferation and growth of tumor cells.This paper discusses the characteristics of glutamine metabolism of colorectal cancer cells in detail,aiming to explain the occurrence of colorectal cancer from the pathogenesis of"yang deficiency yin knot",and to explain the scientific theory of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of coloral cancer with the principle of Wenyang Tongxia,aiming to provide new ideas and methods for the comprehensive treatment of CRC.

AIM To explore the ameliorative effects of Ziyin Mingmu Pills on mouse retinitis pigmentosa(RP)and the possible mechanism.METHODS The RP transgenic mice(rd10)were randomly divided into the model group,the Leding group(0.15 g/kg)and the low and high dose Ziyin Mingmu Pills groups(4.50,9.00 g/kg),in contrast to the C57BL/6 mice of the normal group,with 12 mice in each group.The mice had their retinal pathological changes detected by HE staining;their visual function detected by electroretinogram(ERG);their fundus conditions and retinal thickness detected by optical coherence tomography(OCT);their retinal blood perfusion detected by laser speckle blood flow technique;their mRNA expressions of Shh,Ptc,Smo,Gli1,N-myc and Cyclin mRNA detected by digital PCR;and their protein expressions of Shh,Ptc,Smo,Gli1,N-myc and Cyclin detected by immunofluorescence staining.RESULTS Compared with the normal group,the model group displayed pathological changes in the fundus and retina and decreased amplitudes of ERG a wave and b wave(P＜0.01);decreased retinal thickness(P＜0.01);decreased retinal blood perfusion(P＜0.01);and decreased retinal expressions of Shh,Ptc,Smo,Gli1,N-myc,Cyclin mRNA and protein(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the groups intervened with Ziyin Mingmu Pills or Leding shared improved pathological changes in the fundus and retina tissue,and increased retinal thickness(P＜0.01);increased retinal blood flow(P＜0.01);increased amplitudes of ERG a wave and b wave(P＜0.01);and increased retinal Shh,Ptc,Smo,Gli1,N-myc and Cyclin mRNA and protein expressions(P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Ziyin Mingmu Pills can improve the fundus pathological changes and visual function to delay RP in mice because of their efficacy in ameliorating retinal thickness and blood flow possibly by activating Shh signaling pathway.

Due to various constraints, such as clinical implementation conditions and unique characteristics of acupuncture-moxibustion, some randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture-moxibustion still suffer from relatively low quality and limited applicability. The single-arm objective performance criteria/performance goal can be considered as an ideal supplementary and alternative research approach to RCTs. In this paper, the feasibility of applying the single-arm objective performance criteria/performance goal in acupuncture-moxibustion clinical research is explored from the limitations of conducting acupuncture-moxibustion RCTs, the principles, the essential design considerations and key statistical steps. In addition, illustrative examples are provided. The objective is to offer insights into resolving practical difficulties in acupuncture-moxibustion clinical research.
Moxibustion ; Goals ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture

Starting from the perspective of meridian theory, this article briefly analyzes the meridian pathophysiology of snoring and the relationship between snoring and meridian theory. It proposes that acupuncture treatment for snoring should focus on regulating qi from the shaoyang meridians, harmonizing the spirit by the governor vessel, resolving phlegm through the three yang meridians, and harmonizing qi and blood from the yangming meridians. Additionally, attention is placed on both the root cause and the symptoms, the theory of "four seas". The ultimate goal is to promote the flow of meridian and qi-blood, improve symptoms such as nighttime snoring, poor sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness, and achieve the desired outcome of stopping snoring and ensuring restful sleep.
Humans ; Meridians ; Snoring/therapy* ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Mucus ; Acupuncture Points

Objective:To retrospectively summarize the clinical experiences of managing renal artery stenosis after donor kidney transplantation in children.Methods:From January 2018 to October 2021, 114 pediatric kidney transplants(donor/recipient aged <18 years)were performed.According to the findings of color Doppler ultrasonography, they were divided into two groups of normal( n=80)and rapid flow( n=34). Rapid flow group were assigned into symptomatic( n=13)and asymptomatic( n=21)sub-groups based upon clinical features of hypertension and renal instability. Results:Among them, there were 65 males and 49 females.A significant inter-gender difference existed in the proportion of higher arterial flow rate of transplanted kidney(38.5% and 18.4%, P=0.02). No significant difference existed in age or body weight of transplant recipients among all groups( P>0.05). The mean age(10.4 months)and body weight(9 kg)of donors were significantly lower in symptomatic group than those in normal group(65.3 months, 21 kg)and asymptomatic group(64.4 months, 21.2 kg). The mean velocity of symptomatic group was significantly higher than that of asymptomatic group(363.5 vs 228.8 cm/s)( P<0.001). In symptomatic group, 6 cases received medications and their clinical manifestations were completely relieved.Among 7 patients invasively treated, one percutaneous transluminal angioplasty(PTA)was offer once( n=2), twice( n=2)and triple( n=1)with clinical relief and stable renal function.One case of bleeding at puncture site during PTA had treatment failure with a gradual loss of graft function.One ineffective case of PTA was subsequently placed with an endovascular stent.However, repeated stent dilation failed due to restenosis.After surgical exploration, vascular stent removal and transplantation of renal artery clipping, clinical symptoms were relieved. Conclusions:Male recipient, low body weight or young donor may be risk factors for transplant renal artery stenosis(TRAS)during pediatric donor renal transplantation.A higher flow rate of transplanted renal artery on ultrasonography could not confirm the diagnosis of TRAS.Greater arterial flow and associated clinical manifestations often hint at a strong possibility of TRAS, requiring drug or invasive treatment interventions.If PTA efficacy is not satisfactory, multiple treatments should be performed.Nevertheless, stenting should be avoided as far as possible to prevent in-stent restenosis.

Background::The risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD) is influenced by genetic predisposition, sex, and lifestyle. Previous research indicates that coffee is a potentially protective factor in CKD. The current study aims to investigate whether sex disparity exists in the coffee–CKD association, and whether genetic risk of CKD or genetic polymorphisms of caffeine metabolism affect this association.Methods::A total of 359,906 participants from the UK Biobank who were enrolled between 2006 and 2010 were included in this prospective cohort study, which aimed to estimate the hazard ratios for coffee intake and incident CKD using a Cox proportional hazard model. Allele scores of CKD and caffeine metabolism were additionally adjusted for in a subsample with qualified genetic data ( n = 255,343). Analyses stratified by genetic predisposition, comorbidities, and sex hormones were performed. Tests based on Bayesian model averaging were conducted to ascertain the robustness of the results. Results::Coffee was inversely associated with CKD in a dose-dependent manner. The effects of coffee did not differ across different strata of genetic risk for CKD, but were more evident among slower genetically predicted caffeine metabolizers. Significant sex disparity was observed ( P value for interaction = 0.013), in that coffee drinking was only associated with the risk reduction of CKD in females. Subgroup analysis revealed that testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), but not estradiol, modified the coffee–CKD association. Conclusions::In addition to the overall inverse coffee–CKD association that was observed in the general population, we could also establish that a sex disparity existed, in that females were more likely to experience the benefit of the association. Testosterone and SHBG may partly account for the sex disparity.

Objective To investigate the expression and possible role of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) at the maternal-fetal interface following Toxoplasma gondii infection during early pregnancy. Methods Twenty pregnant C57BL/6 mice, each weighing 16 to 20 g, were randomly divided into 4 groups, including the 12-d control group, 12-d infection group, 18-d control group and 18-d infection group. Mice in the 12-d and 18-d infection groups were injected intraperitoneally with 150 tachyzoites of the T. gondii PRU strain on day 6 of pregnancy, while mice in the 12-d control and 18-d control groups were injected with the same volume of phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Mice in the control and infection groups were sacrificed on days 12 and 18 of pregnancy, and the placental and uterine specimens of the pregnant mice in each group were sampled for pathological examinations. The mRNA expression of HIF-1α, HIF-1β and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was quantified using quantitative fluorescent real-time PCR (qPCR) assay in the placental and uterine specimens, and the correlation between HIF-1α and VEGF mRNA expression was examined. In addition, and the HIF-1α expression was detected using immunohistochemical staining in the placental and uterine specimens of pregnant mice. Results Compared with the 12-d and 18-d control groups, adverse pregnant outcomes were observed in mice in 12-d and 18-d infection groups, such as teratism and placental dysplasia. HE staining showed swelling and blood stasis of cells, sinusoid reduction and inflammatory cell infiltration in the labyrinth area of the placenta specimens of mice in 12-d and 18-d infection groups relative to 12-d and 18-d control groups, and columnar epithelial cell injury and inflammatory cell infiltration were seen in the mouse uterine specimens in both infection groups. qPCR assay detected significantly higher HIF-1α (F = 132.6, P < 0.05) and HIF-1β mRNA expression (F = 286.9, P < 0.05) in the placental specimens and lower HIF-1α (F = 111.5, P < 0.05) and HIF-1β mRNA expression (F = 55.2, P < 0.05) in the uterine specimens in the 12-d infection group than in the 12-day control group, and significantly lower HIF-1α and HIF-1β mRNA expression was detected in the placental and uterine specimens in the 18-d infection group than in the 18-day control group (F = 215.8, 418.9, 156.8 and 200.1; all P values < 0.05). Significantly lower VEGF-A (F = 426.2, P < 0.05), VEGF-B (F = 104.6, P < 0.05) and VEGF-C mRNA expression (F = 566.9, P < 0.05) in the placental specimens and higher VEGF-A (F = 426.2, P < 0.05), VEGF-B (F = 104.6, P < 0.05) and VEGF-C mRNA expression (F = 566.9, P < 0.05) in the uterine specimens were detected in the 12-d infection group than in the 12-d control group, and higher VEGF-A, VEGF-B and VEGF-C mRNA expression was found in the placental and uterine specimens in the 18-d infection group than in the 18-d control group (F = 521.9, 100.6, 275.9, 224.6, 108.2 and 333.4; all P values < 0.05). Immunohistochemical staining showed strongly and mildly positive HIF-1α expression in the mouse placental labyrinth area in the 12-d and 18-d infection groups relative to 12-d and 18-d control groups, while no HIF-1α expression was detected in mouse uterine specimens. Conclusions HIF-1α expression appears a tendency towards a rise in the second trimester and a reduction in the third trimester in mice following T. gondii infection during early pregnancy, which is contrary to the changing tendency of VEGF-A, VEGF-B, and VEGF-C expression. It is hypothesized that HIF-1α inhibits placental angiogenesis in mice during pregnancy through suppressing VEGF expression, resulting in adverse pregnant outcomes.

Professor
Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Angina, Stable ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Humans ; Moxibustion

Pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 has seriously threatened human life and health worldwide and caused a large number of deaths. Viral infection and acute inflammation are important causes of death, so it is particularly important to combine antiviral therapy with anti-inflammatory therapy. Glycyrrhizic acid, the main component of the glycyrrhizic root extract, has a wide range of pharmacological effects as well as high efficiency and low toxicity, its preparation has been widely used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis and other diseases. Glycyrrhizic acid can regulate the expression and release of a variety of cytokines and play a significant anti-inflammatory effect. At the same time, glycyrrhizic acid also showed significant inhibition towards a variety types of viruses. Therefore, the potential application of glycyrrhizic acid as COVID-19 treatment should be explored.