Cardioprotective effects of sinomenine in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in a rat model

BackgroundIschemia reperfusion (I/R) play an imperative role in the expansion of cardiovascular disease. Sinomenine (SM) has been exhibited to possess antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anticarcinogenic properties. The aim of the study was scrutinized the cardioprotective effect of SM against I/R injury in rat.MethodsRat were randomly divided into normal control (NC), I/R control and I/R + SM (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg), respectively. Ventricular arrhythmias, body weight and heart weight were estimated. Antioxidant, inflammatory cytokines, inflammatory mediators and plasmin system indicator were accessed.ResultsPre-treated SM group rats exhibited the reduction in the duration and incidence of ventricular fibrillation, ventricular ectopic beat (VEB) and ventricular tachycardia along with suppression of arrhythmia score during the ischemia (30 and 120 min). SM treated rats significantly (P < 0.001) altered the level of antioxidant parameters. SM treatment significantly (P < 0.001) repressed the level of creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), creatine kinase (CK) and troponin I (Tnl). SM treated rats significantly (P < 0.001) repressed the tissue factor (TF), thromboxane B2 (TXB2), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and plasma fibrinogen (Fbg) and inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory mediators.ConclusionOur result clearly indicated that SM plays anti-arrhythmia effect in I/R injury in the rats via alteration of oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction.     

尿毒清颗粒治疗慢性肾功能衰竭临床研究

目的:观察尿毒清颗粒治疗慢性肾功能衰竭(CRF)的临床疗效及其对钙磷代谢、结缔组织生长因子(CTGF)的影响。方法:选取120例CRF患者,按随机数字表法分为对照组和观察组各60例。对照组采用常规治疗,包括控制饮食、纠正酸碱、水电解质平衡;观察组在对照组的基础上加用尿毒清颗粒治疗。2组均连续治疗2个月,观察比较2组肾功能[肌酐(SCr)、血尿素氮(BUN)]、血磷(P3-)、血钙(Ca2+)、甲状旁腺激素(PTH)、CTGF指标水平变化,并评定2组临床疗效及不良反应情况。结果:观察组总有效率为80.00%,对照组为61.67%,2组比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗后,2组SCr、BUN水平均较治疗前降低(P<0.05),且观察组SCr、BUN水平均低于对照组(P<0.05)。治疗后,2组PTH、CTGF、P3-水平较治疗前降低(P<0.05),Ca2+水平较治疗前升高(P<0.05);观察组PTH、P3-、CTGF水平均低于对照组(P<0.05),Ca2+水平高于对照组(P<0.05)。观察组不良反应发生率为3.33%,对照组为16.67%,2组比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:尿毒清颗粒治疗CRF临床疗效显著,可有效调节钙磷代谢、CTGF平衡,改善肾功能,且安全性较高。     

Risk factors for neurocognitive decline in lung cancer patients treated with prophylactic cranial irradiation: A systematic review

BackgroundProphylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) reduces brain metastasis incidence in lung cancer, however with risk of neurocognitive decline. Nevertheless, risk factors for neurocognitive decline after PCI remain unclear.MethodsWe systematically reviewed the PubMed database according to the PRISMA guideline. Inclusion criteria were: randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and observational/single arm trials evaluating PCI, including ≥20 patients, reporting neurocognitive test results for lung cancer. Primary aim: evaluate risk factors associated with neurocognitive decline after PCI.ResultsTwenty records were eligible (8 different RCTs, 8 observational studies), including 3553 patients in total (858 NSCLC, 2695 SCLC) of which 73.6% received PCI. Incidence of mild/moderate cognitive decline after PCI varied from 8 to 89% (grading not always provided); for those without PCI, this was 3.4–42%. Interestingly, 23–95% had baseline cognitive impairment. Risk factors were often not reported. In one trial, both age (>60 years) and higher PCI dose (36 Gy) including twice-daily PCI were associated with a higher risk of cognitive decline. In one trial, white matter abnormalities were more frequent in the concurrent or sandwiched PCI arm, but without significant neuropsychological differences. One trial identified hippocampal sparing PCI to limit the neurocognitive toxicities of PCI and another reported an association between hippocampal dose volume effects and memory decline. As neurocognition was a secondary endpoint in most RCTs, and was assessed by various instruments with often poor/moderate compliance, high-quality data is lacking.ConclusionsAge, PCI dose, regimen and timing might be associated with cognitive impairment after PCI in lung cancer patients, but high-quality data is lacking. Future PCI trials should collect and evaluate possible risk factors systematically.     

Relationship between plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and prognosis of TACE for primary hepatocellular carcinoma

BackgroundOur study aims to investigate changes in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) concentration and integrity in primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) patients before and after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment and their influence on the evaluation of prognosis of the disease.MethodsA total of 84 PHC patients admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from December 2016 to December 2017 were included as the study group, while 55 healthy people served as the control group. Plasma cfDNA concentration and integrity were determined using qRT-PCR. The correlation between cfDNA concentration/integrity and clinical characteristics of PHC patients were analyzed. A ROC curve was used to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of cfDNA as detection indices. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to analyze factors affecting recurrence in PHC patients and compare recurrence-free survival (RFS) of PHC patients with high cfDNA expression and low cfDNA expression.ResultsPlasma cfDNA concentration and integrity were significantly higher in PHC patients before TACE treatment than in healthy people and significantly lower after treatment than before (P<0.05). The cfDNA concentration was significantly correlated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and BCLC stage, while cfDNA integrity was significantly correlated with tumor size, TNM stage, and BCLC stage (P<0.05). ROC results showed that the area under the curve (AUC) value of cfDNA concentration was the largest, with an optimal cut-off of 10.51 ng/mL. Multivariate regression analysis for COX showed that the TNM stage, cfDNA concentration, and AFP were independent risk factors that affected PHC patients’ survival.ConclusionsPlasma cfDNA concentration in PHC patients is more sensitive and specific than any other tumor marker. It is an independent risk factor for PHC patients treated with TACE. Therefore, it is hypothesized cfDNA is a potential biomarker for prognostic evaluation of PHC patients treated with TACE.     

创伤后重型急性弥漫性脑肿胀临床治疗策略

目的 探讨重型创伤后急性弥漫性脑肿胀（PADBS）患者保守治疗与手术治疗的疗效。方法 分析 2016年1月—2019年12月该院神经外科收治的44例重型PADBS患者，根据治疗方式分为手术组和保守治疗组，统计入院时格拉斯哥昏迷量表（GCS）评分、头颅CT检查情况、伤后6个月格拉斯哥预后量表（GOS）评分等资料。结果 两组患者入院时年龄、性别及GCS评分比较，差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。两组患者伤后6个月时GOS评分比较，差异无统计学意义（P>0.05），但两组住院时间比较，差异有统计学意义（P<0.05），手术组长于保守治疗组。结论 重型PADBS在无瞳孔变化及GCS评分下降的情况下，可密切观察病情下选择保守治疗。     

基于“凡土脏取决于胆”议从胆论治阿尔茨海默病

阿尔茨海默病(Alzheimer’s Disease,AD)归属于中医"痴呆""呆病""健忘"等范畴,历代医家认为此病多以肾精失养,髓海空虚为主要病机,治疗多从脾、肾两脏着手,鲜有提及从胆论治。从中医学"凡土脏取决于胆"理论切入,以土脏与AD发病的关系为着眼点,并结合胆内藏精汁,助脾胃腐熟运化水谷;胆主升清降浊,疏利中土;胆内寄相火,参与腐熟水谷的生理功能和特性,阐述从胆论治AD的理论基础,以期为中医临床更加有效的防治阿尔茨海默病提供参考。     

Use of colony-stimulating factor primary prophylaxis and incidence of febrile neutropenia from 2010 to 2016: a longitudinal assessment

Background: Guidelines recommend primary prophylactic use of colony-stimulating factor (PP-CSF) when risk of febrile neutropenia (FN) – based on chemotherapy and patient risk factors – is high. Whether and how PP-CSF use may have changed over time (e.g. due to guideline revisions, increasing use of myelosuppressive regimens, controversy regarding inappropriate CSF use), and whether there has been a concomitant change in the incidence of FN, is unknown.

Methods: A retrospective cohort design and data from two US healthcare claims repositories were employed. The study population included patients who had non-metastatic cancer of the breast, colon/rectum, lung or ovaries, or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), and who received myelosuppressive chemotherapy regimens with an intermediate/high risk for FN. For each patient, the first cycle of the first course was characterized in terms of PP-CSF use and FN episodes. Crude incidence proportions for PP-CSF and FN during the first cycle were estimated by calendar quarter (2010–2016); multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate quarter-specific adjusted mean probabilities of FN by PP-CSF use.

Results: The study population totaled 142,730 patients with breast cancer (61%), colorectal cancer (14%), NHL (11%), ovarian cancer (10%) or lung cancer (5%). PP-CSF use increased from 52% in 1Q2010 to 58% in 4Q2016; pegfilgrastim was the most commonly used agent (>96% across quarters). PP-CSF administration on the same day as chemotherapy ranged from 8 to 11% until 1Q2015, and increased to 64% by 4Q2016. Adjusted incidence proportions for FN in the first chemotherapy cycle ranged from 2.7% (95% CI: 2.3–3.0) to 3.7% (95% CI: 3.1–4.3) among those who did not receive PP-CSF, and was 2.6% (95% CI: 2.5–2.7) across quarters among those who received PP-CSF.

Conclusions: Although the use of PP-CSF is commonplace in current US clinical practice, underutilization in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy regimens with an intermediate/high risk for FN may still be an issue. Use of same-day PP-CSF increased markedly from the end of 2015, although this finding reflects (at least in part) increased uptake of pegfilgrastim delivered via an on-body injector as well as the recent change in clinical practice guidelines. Overall, patients receiving PP-CSF appear to have a lower risk of FN during the first cycle of chemotherapy.