Objective To explore the predictive value of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1(sFlt-1)and leukotriene B4(LTB4)in patients with intracranial aneurysms for cerebral vasospasm(CVS)after interventional embolization.Methods A total of 98 patients with intracranial aneurysms admitted to our hospital from January 2019 to September 2023 were regarded as the observation group,and were divided into the CVS group(32 cases)and the non CVS group(66 cases)according to whether CVS occurred or not within 3 to 5 days after surgery;102 healthy examinees in our hospital were selected as the control group.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect serum levels of sFlt-1 and LTB4;the influencing factors for CVS after interventional embolization of intracranial aneurysms were analyzed by Logistic regression analysis;the predictive value of serum sFlt-1 and LTB4 levels for the occurrence of CVS after interventional embolization of intracranial aneurysms was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results The serum levels of sFlt-1 and LTB4 of patients in the observation group were obviously higher than those in the control group,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The serum levels of sFlt-1 and LTB4,and the proportions of patients with postoperative blood pressure fluctuation range≥30 mmHg and Hunt-Hess grade Ⅲ in the CVS group were obviously higher than those in the non CVS group,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).SFlt-1(OR:2.985;95%CI:1.684 to 5.291)and LTB4(OR:2.868;95%CI:1.581 to 5.204)were the independent risk factors for CVS after interventional embolization of intracranial aneurysms(P<0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of sFlt-1 and LTB4 alone and in combination for predicting the occurrence of CVS after interventional embolization of intracranial aneurysms were 0.839,0.825,and 0.915,respectively,with sensitivity of 84.44%,87.59%,and 81.36%,and specificity of 74.26%,75.87%,and 90.98%,respectively.The AUC of the combination of the two was higher than those of sFlt-1 and LTB4 alone,and the differences were statistically significant(Z=2.150,2.546,P<0.05).Conclusion The serum levels of sFlt-1 and LTB4 in patients with CVS after interventional embolization of intracranial aneurysms are increased,and the combination of the two can serve as the important indicators for predicting CVS.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficiency of China-made Toumai Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prosta-tectomy(LRP).Methods:This study included 40 cases of PCa treated from January 2023 to May 2023 by robot-assisted LRP with preservation of the bladder neck and maximal functional urethral length,15 cases with the assistance of Toumai Robot(the TMR group)and the other 25 with the assistance of da Vinci Robot as controls(the DVR group).We recorded the docking time,laparo-scopic surgery time,vesico-urethral anastomosis time,intraoperative blood loss and postoperative urinary continence,and compared them between the two groups.Results:Operations were successfully completed in all the cases.No statistically significant differ-ences were observed between the TMR and DVR groups in the docking time(6 min vs 5 min,P＞0.05)or intraoperative blood loss(200 ml vs 150 ml,P＞0.05).The TMR group,compared with the DVR group,showed a significantly longer median laparoscopic surgery time(146 min vs 130 min,P＜0.05)and median vesico-urethral anastomosis time(19 min vs 16 min,P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences between the TMR and DVR groups in the rates of urinary continence recovery immediately af-ter surgery(60.0％[9/15]vs 64.0％[16/25],P＞0.05)or at 1 month(80.0％[12/15])vs(76.0％[19/25],P＞0.05),3 months(93.3％[14/15])vs(92.0％[23/25],P＞0.05)and 6 months postoperatively(100％[15/15])vs(96％[24/25],P＞0.05).Conclusion:China-made Toumai? Robot surgical system is safe and reliable for laparoscopic radical prosta-tectomy,with satisfactory postoperative recovery of urinary continence.

Chemical cleaning and disinfection are crucial steps for eliminating infection in root canal treatment.However,irrigant selection or irrigation procedures are far from clear.The vapor lock effect in the apical region has yet to be solved,impeding irrigation efficacy and resulting in residual infections and compromised treatment outcomes.Additionally,ambiguous clinical indications for root canal medication and non-standardized dressing protocols must be clarified.Inappropriate intracanal medication may present side effects and jeopardize the therapeutic outcomes.Indeed,clinicians have been aware of these concerns for years.Based on the current evidence of studies,this article reviews the properties of various irrigants and intracanal medicaments and elucidates their effectiveness and interactions.The evolution of different kinetic irrigation methods,their effects,limitations,the paradigm shift,current indications,and effective operational procedures regarding intracanal medication are also discussed.This expert consensus aims to establish the clinical operation guidelines for root canal irrigation and a position statement on intracanal medication,thus facilitating a better understanding of infection control,standardizing clinical practice,and ultimately improving the success of endodontic therapy.

Objective To explore the optimal image-guided verification mode by using combined cone-beam CT(CBCT)and ExacTrac X-ray(ETX)image-guided system for the position verification during the first and remaining fractionated radiotherapy of high-grade glioma patients.Methods Twenty high-grade glioma patients undergoing intensity-modulated radiotherapy at some hospital from January 2018 to June 2020 were analyzed retrospectively.CBCT image-guided system was used for the patients treated for the first time to determine the corresponding position of the treatment center on the body surface and to reset and mark the treatment center,then on-line auto registration of the CBCT images with CT positioning images was carried out,and the residual setup errors were verified with ETX image-guided system;position verification of the setup errors was performed with ETX image-guided sysem during the remaining fractionated treatment.The setup errors and their interval distributionswere calculated for the patients in six directions including left-right direction(Lat),head-foot direction(Lng),anterior-posterior direction(Vrt),rotation around left-right(Pitch),rotation around head-foot(Roll)and rotation around anterior-posterior(Yaw).SPSS 22.0 statistical software was used for data analysis.Results There were 75％patients treated for the first time and 78.62％ones undergoing the remaining fractionated radiotherapy only needed one time of setup error corre-ction.Combined CBCT and ETX image-guided resetting during the first radiotherapy met clinical requirements;during the remaining fractionated radiotherapy there were significant differences between the setup errors in the six directions before and after calibration(P＜0.05).The interval distribution of setup errors showed the error values in the six directions were all restricted within 0 to 1 mm and within 0° to l °during the first and remaining fractionated radiotherapy.Conclusion Involve-ment of combined CBCT and ETX image-guided system in the first and remaining fractionated radiotherapy of high-grade glioma patients after operation contributes to determining and resetting the treatment center rapidly and accurately,decreasing setup errors and enhancing the accuracy and repeatability of radiotherapy.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(8):57-62].

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of daratumumab based regimens in relapse and/or refractory multiple myeloma(RRMM)in the real world,as well as the impact of daratumumab on stem cell collection and engraftment.Methods:The clinical data of patients with RRMM who received daratumumab in hematology department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University from February 2019 to March 2023 and had evaluable efficacy were retrospective analysis.Results:All 43 RRMM patients were treated with daratumumab-based combination regimens,including Dd,DVd,DRd,Dkd,DId,and Dara-DECP.With median follow-up time 10.1(2.1-36.6)months,the best overall response rate(ORR)was 74.4％and a best complete response rate(CR)was 25.6％.1-year overall survival rate(OS)was 84.5％.The most common severe hematologic adverse events(Grade＞3)are 3/4 grade leukopenia(18.6％),and the most common severe non-hematologic adverse events were infusion-related reactions(IRRs,20.9％)and infections(7.0％).Multivariate prognostic analysis showed that extramedullary infiltration was an independent adverse prognostic factor affecting OS(P=0.004).The use of daratumumab has no effect on stem cell collection,or engraftment.Conclusion:Daratumumab is safe and effective in RRMM.

In the context of Pharma 4.0, the design tools that support the pharmaceutical Quality by Design(QbD) are iterating fast toward intelligent or smart design. The conventional development methods for traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) preparations have the limitations such as over dependence on experience, low dimensions for the designed experiment parameters, poor compatibility between the process and equipment, and high trial-and-error cost during process scale-up. Therefore, this paper innovatively proposed the intelligent co-design involving material, process, and equipment for manufacturing high-quality TCM preparations, and introduced the design philosophy, targets, tools, and applications with TCM oral solid dosage(OSD) as an example. In terms of design philosophy, the pharmaceutical design tetrahedron composed of critical material attributes, critical process parameters, critical equipment attributes, and critical quality attributes was developed. The design targets were put forward based on the product performance classification system. The design tools involve a design platform that contains several modules, such a as the iTCM material database, the processing route classification system, the system modeling and simulation, and reliability-based optimization. The roles of different modules in obtaining essential and universal design knowledge of the key common manufacturing units were introduced. At last, the applications of the co-design methodology involving material, process, and equipment in the high shear wet granulation process development and the improvement of the dissolving or dispersion capability of TCM formula granules are illustrated. The research on advanced pharmaceutical design theory and methodology will help enhance the efficiency and reliability of drug development, improve the product quality, and promote the innovation of high-end TCM products across the industry.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Reproducibility of Results ; Quality Control ; Computer Simulation ; Commerce ; Pharmaceutical Preparations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

Solubility is an important sensory quality attribute of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) granules. In this paper, 90 batches of granules(30 batches of TCM formula granules, 30 batches of Chinese patent medicine granules and 30 batches of Japanese Kampo granules) were used as the research objects. The turbidity sensor was used to characterize the turbidity curve of the granule dissolution process. The classification system of granule dissolution behaviors was constructed from three dimensions: dissolution degree, equilibrium time, and dissolution mechanism. According to the equilibrium time, the granule dissolution rates were divided into three categories : faster(<100 s), general(101-300 s) and slow(>301 s). According to the turbidity curve profile, the granule dissolution mechanisms were classified into dissolution-controlled type(α-type), dispersion-controlled type(β-type), and dispersion-controlled type followed by dissolution-controlled type(γ-type). The proportion of TCM formula granules, Chinese patent medicine granules and Japanese Kampo granules with complete dissolution or slight turbidity at the end of dissolution was 46.7%, 96.7%, and 10.0%. The proportion of TCM formula granules, Chinese patent medicine granules, and Japanese Kampo granules with faster dissolution rates(<100 s) was 23.3%, 26.7%, and 40.0%. The average dissolution rate of Japanese Kampo granules was faster than that of TCM formula granules, and it was slightly faster than the average dissolution rate of Chinese patent medicine granules. The dissolution mechanism of Chinese patent medicine granules was mainly α-type, while that of Japanese Kampo granules was mainly β-type, and the three types of dissolution mechanisms of TCM formula granules accounted for a relatively average. The purpose of improving the solubility and dispersion of granules can be achieved by combining the comprehensive application of various functional excipients with the small dosage of Japanese Kampo granules and the wide addition scope of excipients. In the process of transforming TCM compound prescriptions into formulas, there is still much room for innovation in formula excipients and process optimization.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Excipients ; Solubility ; Nonprescription Drugs ; Biological Products

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare hereditary orphan condition that results in variable phenotypes, including infertility. About 50 gene variants are reported in the scientific literature to cause PCD, and among them, dynein axonemal assembly factor 4 ( DNAAF4 ) has been recently reported. DNAAF4 has been implicated in the preassembly of a multiunit dynein protein essential for the normal function of locomotory cilia as well as flagella. In the current study, a single patient belonging to a Chinese family was recruited, having been diagnosed with PCD and asthenoteratozoospermia. The affected individual was a 32-year-old male from a nonconsanguineous family. He also had abnormal spine structure and spinal cord bends at angles diagnosed with scoliosis. Medical reports, laboratory results, and imaging data were investigated. Whole-exome sequencing, Sanger sequencing, immunofluorescence analysis, hematoxylin-eosin staining, and in silico functional analysis, including protein modeling and docking studies, were used. The results identified DNAAF4 disease-related variants and confirmed their pathogenicity. Genetic analysis through whole-exome sequencing identified two pathogenic biallelic variants in the affected individual. The identified variants were a hemizygous splice site c.784-1G>A and heterozygous 20.1 Kb deletion at the DNAAF4 locus, resulting in a truncated and functionless DNAAF4 protein. Immunofluorescence analysis indicated that the inner dynein arm was not present in the sperm flagellum, and sperm morphological analysis revealed small sperm with twisted and curved flagella or lacking flagella. The current study found novel biallelic variants causing PCD and asthenoteratozoospermia, extending the range of DNAAF4 pathogenic variants in PCD and associated with the etiology of asthenoteratozoospermia. These findings will improve our understanding of the etiology of PCD.
Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Asthenozoospermia/genetics* ; Dyneins/genetics* ; East Asian People ; Kartagener Syndrome/genetics* ; Mutation ; Proteins/genetics* ; Semen/metabolism*

BACKGROUND: Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) is a serious and irreversible injury. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is considered to be a potential therapy for I/R injury due to the paracrine effects. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a novel mediator in MSC and regulates the response of inflammation injury. Signal Transduction and Transcription Activator 3 (STAT3) is a critical transcription factor and important for release of paracrine factors. However, the relationship between HMGB1 and STAT3 in paracrine effect of MSC remains unknown. METHODS: In vitro, hypoxia/reoxygenation injury model was established by AnaeroPack System and examined by Annexin V flow cytometry, CCK8 assay and morphology observation. Detection of apoptotic proteins and protein expression of HMGB1 and STAT3 by Western blot. RESULTS: The conditioned medium of MSCs with or without LPS pretreatment was cocultured with H9C2 cells for 24 h before hypoxia treatment and MSC showed obvious cardiomyocytes protect role, as evidence by decreased apoptosis rate and improved cells viability, and LPS pretreated MSC exhibited better protect role than untreated MSC. However, such effect was abolished in HMGB1 deficiency group, silencing HMGB1 decreased the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), insulin growth factor (IGF), cell viability, and the expression of STAT3. Furthermore, STAT3 silence attenuated the protective effect of LPS in MSC. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggested that LPS improved MSC-mediated cardiomyocytes protection by HMGB1/STAT3 signaling.

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.