Cardiac Denervation for Arrhythmia Treatment with Transesophageal Ultrasonic Strategy in Canine Models

Stellate ganglion (SG) modification has been investigated for arrhythmia treatment. In this study, transesophageal SG imaging and intervention were explored using a homemade 30F integrated focused ultrasonic catheter in healthy mongrel canines in vivo. Anatomic details of SGs were ultrasonically imaged and evaluated. SG had a heterogeneous echoic structure and characteristic profiles sketched by hyper-echoic outlines in an ultrasonogram. Left SGs in the experimental group were successfully ablated through the esophagus under ultrasonic guidance provided by the catheter itself. Two weeks after the ablation, the QT and QTc of the experimental group decreased compared with those of the sham group and at baseline (both p values < 0.001). Histologic examination revealed that left SGs were destroyed. No major complications were observed. This approach may be further explored as a method for ganglia remodeling evaluation and as a strategy of ganglia modification for arrhythmia and for other diseases.     

四妙勇安汤方源探析

四妙勇安汤由金银花、玄参、当归、甘草4味药物组成,为《古代经典名方目录(第一批)》中100个经典名方之一。经溯源发现,四妙勇安汤源于《石室秘录》,后由《古今图书集成·医部全录》《验方新编》等书引用。从古代文献记载来看均有方无名,"四妙勇安汤"之名,最早见于1956年《中医治疗动脉栓塞性坏疽症的成效》,是由当时记者吕民报道河北省释迦宝山用"四妙勇安汤"治疗当地的动脉栓塞性坏疽时冠名。四妙勇安汤从方药组成与剂量上看,从《石室秘录》开始即是"金银花三两,当归二两,生甘草一两,玄参三两",历代版本《方剂学》确定四妙勇安汤金银花、玄参、当归、甘草的比例就是3∶3∶2∶1。而查阅文献,释迦宝山临证所用的四妙勇安汤由"玄参132 g,当归99 g,银花66 g,甘草33 g"组成,金银花、玄参、当归、甘草的比例变成2∶4∶3∶1。从治疗时间上看,原方记载的7日愈或是10日愈,而释迦宝山将其用到了三四个月,甚至五六个月。研究认为,古籍中的四妙勇安汤,应该是用于疾病的初期,尽早发现和治疗;而释迦宝山修改过的剂量,是广泛用于脱骨疽的中后期,甚至出现坏疽的严重病情所使用的,因此服药时间长,剂量大。且四妙勇安汤临证不仅限于治疗脱骨疽,也用于大头疮等,现代该方的使用已经大为拓展。相关研究已证实四妙勇安汤具有抗炎、稳定斑块、降脂、保护血管、改善血液流变学、抗凝、抑制血栓形成和促纤溶等作用,后续应开展君臣佐使辨析,对其临床应用范围重新进行界定。     

Safety and efficacy of different anesthetic regimens for parturients with COVID-19 undergoing Cesarean delivery: a case series of 17 patients

Canadian Journal of Anesthesia/Journal canadien d'anesthésie - To assess the management and safety of epidural or general anesthesia for Cesarean delivery in parturients with coronavirus...     

Helicobacter pylori induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition in gastric carcinogenesis via the AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a main risk factor for gastric cancer (GC). Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in the development and progression of H. pylori-associated GC. However, the exact molecular mechanism of this process remains unclear. The AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway has been demonstrated to promote EMT in several types of cancer. The present study investigated whether H. pylori infection induced EMT, and promoted the development and metastasis of cancer in the normal gastric mucosa, and whether this process was dependent on AKT activation. The expression levels of the EMT-associated proteins, including E-cadherin and N-cadherin, were determined in 165 gastric mucosal samples of different disease stages by immunohistochemical analysis. The expression levels of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, AKT, phosphorylated (p-)AKT (Ser473), GSK3β and p-GSK3β (Ser9) were further determined in H. pylori-infected Mongolian gerbil gastric tissues and cells co-cultured with H. pylori by immunohistochemical analysis and western blotting. The results indicated that the expression levels of the epithelial marker E-cadherin were decreased, whereas the expression levels of the mesenchymal marker N-cadherin were increased during gastric carcinogenesis. Their expression levels were associated with H. pylori infection. Furthermore, H. pylori infection resulted in downregulation of E-cadherin expression and upregulation of N-cadherin expression in Mongolian gerbils and GES-1 cells. In addition, an investigation of the associated mechanism of action revealed that p-AKT (Ser473) and p-GSK3β (Ser9) were activated in GES-1 cells following co-culture with H. pylori. Furthermore, following pretreatment of the cells with the AKT inhibitor VIII, the expression levels of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, p-AKT and p-GSK3β did not show significant differences between GES-1 cells that were co-cultured with or without H. pylori. The levels of p-AKT and p-GSK3β were increased in H. pylori-infected Mongolian gerbils. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that H. pylori infection activated AKT and resulted in the phosphorylation and inactivation of GSK3β, which in turn promoted early stage EMT. These effects were AKT-dependent. This mechanism may serve as a prerequisite for GC development.