Olmesartan Prevents Oligomerized Amyloid β (Aβ)-Induced Cellular Senescence in Neuronal Cells.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with high morbidity. The deposition of oligomerized amyloid β (Aβ) is the pathological feature of AD. The Aβ-caused neuronal oxidative stress and cellular senescence play an important role in the development and progression of AD.

Alpha-asarone Improves Cognitive Function of APP/PS1 Mice and Reducing Aβ P-tau and Neuroinflammation, and Promoting Neuron Survival in the Hippocampus.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease most often characterized by memory impairment and cognitive decline. Alpha-asarone has been reported to have the potential to treat AD. Our previous studies have found that alpha-asarone improves aged rats' cognitive function by alleviating neuronal excitotoxicity via type A gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors.

The progress and perspective of nanoparticle-enabled tumor metastasis treatment.

As one of the most serious threats to human being, cancer is hard to be treated when metastasis happens. What's worse, there are few identified targets of metastasis for drug development. Therefore, it is important to develop strategies to prevent metastasis or treat existed metastasis.

Altered Functional Connectivity after Epileptic Seizure Revealed by Scalp EEG.

Epileptic seizures are considered to be a brain network dysfunction, and chronic recurrent seizures can cause severe brain damage. However, the functional brain network underlying recurrent epileptic seizures is still left unveiled. This study is aimed at exploring the differences in a related brain activity before and after chronic repetitive seizures by investigating the power spectral density (PSD), fuzzy entropy, and functional connectivity in epileptic patients.

IFN-γ gene loaded human umbilical mesenchymal stromal cells targeting therapy for Graft-versus-host disease.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a frequent complication following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). The application of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to treat GVHD patients refractory to initial steroid treatment has led to impressive results. In this study, we explored the potential of human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs) transfected with the IFN-γ gene of human (h)/mice (m) (HUMSCs + Ad-h/mIFN-γ) carried by a recombinant adenoviral vector in the prevention and treatment of GVHD.

Postnatal exposure to hypobaric hypoxia and its impact on inflammation and injury indexes after a cardiac valve procedure.

Objectives: There is accumulating evidence that hypobaric hypoxia adaptation confers cardiac protection. We investigated whether postnatal exposure to a high-altitude hypoxia environment results in less inflammation injury and better clinical indexes after a cardiac valve procedure.

Methods: A total of 326 consecutively eligible patients undergoing mitral valve surgery from May 2013 through May 2019 in Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital were retrospectively included and stratified by the altitude of residence: the northwest Sichuan plateau residents (altitude 3000-4000 m, group A, n = 101) and the Sichuan basin residents (altitude <1000 m, group B, n = 225).

Establishment of a pediatric trigger tool based on Global Trigger Tool to identify adverse drug events of children: experience in a Chinese hospital.

Background: The Global Trigger Tool (GTT),which is a method using "triggers" to review medical record retrospectively to identify possible adverse events. Several studies showed that the GTT was effective. However, there were only a few localized trigger tools that had been established to detect pediatric adverse drug events (ADEs) in China.

[Clinical characteristics of liver damage in 30 patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 in Sichuan area].

Objective: To describe the characteristics of liver damage in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in Sichuan area and the effect of antiviral drugs on liver function.

Methods: The clinical data of severe COVID-19 patients admitted to Chengdu Public Health Clinical Medical Center from January 21 to February 24, 2020 were retrospectively collected, including demographic data, clinical manifestations and liver function changes within 1 week after admission to intensive care unit (ICU). The changes of liver function during the course of disease in severe COVID-19 patients were analyzed and summarized, and group analysis was performed.

Expression and Clinical Significance of Mucin Gene in Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Purpose Of Review: This review highlights the expression and regulation of mucin in CRS and discusses its clinical implications.

Recent Findings: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is common chronic nasal disease; one of its main manifestations and important features is mucus overproduction. Mucin is the major component of mucus and plays a critical role in the pathophysiological changes in CRS.

Tibetan patients with hepatic hydatidosis can tolerate hypoxic environment without incident increase of pulmonary hypertension: an echocardiography study.

Use of echocardiography to evaluate the characteristics of right heart and pulmonary artery of Tibetans with hepatic hydatidosis living in a high plateau area. We recruited 222 Tibetan adults diagnosed with hydatidosis from June 2016 to June 2017 in Shiqu and Seda areas of Tibet; 40 healthy control from the same area, denoted as the high plateau group. We also include 755 Healthy adults of Han nationality living in the plain from the EMINCA study as the low altitude group.

Development of eugenol-loaded submicron emulsion and its antiepileptic effect through regulating the oxidative stress.

The purpose of this study was to develop an injectable submicron emulsion of eugenol (Eug-SE) and to investigate its antagonism on epilepsy. The formulation was optimized using a complete randomized design, comprising 5% (w/v) eugenol, 5% (w/v) soybean oil, 1.2% (w/v) egg phosphatidylcholine, 0.

The impact of cigarette smoking in predicting stroke using CHADS and CHADS-VASc schemas.

Objective: To determine the impact of smoking status in the prediction of stroke using CHADS and CHADS-VASc schemes.

Methods: Five hundred twenty-eight consecutive patients with arrhythmic symptoms and without any documented arrhythmia from Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, were followed up to determine the incidence of ischemic stroke, new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF), or all-cause mortality. Smoking status was classified into nonsmokers and smokers.

Effect of changes in serum levels of endogenous hydrogen sulfide on fracture healing: Study protocol clinical trial (SPIRIT compliant).

Background: Fracture is a common disease; many factors affect fracture healing. Recent studies have confirmed that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) plays an essential role in bone formation, but most of these studies are drawing conclusions based on animal experiment; whether H2S could promote fracture healing in patients is still unclear. We aim to investigate the change of serum H2S in fracture patients, and analyze its effort on fracture healing.

Death burden of high systolic blood pressure in Sichuan Southwest China 1990-2030.

Background: Hypertension is highly prevalent and is the primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). While declining in some developed countries, it is increasing rapidly in some developing countries. Sichuan province is the largest and underdeveloped region in southwest China, with 486 thousand square kilometers, more than 80 million residents, unbalanced economic development, and high prevalence, low awareness, low treatment and low control rate of hypertension.

[Clinical practice guidelines for single gene glaucoma disorder].

Glaucoma is a group of progressive optic neuropathies featuring retinal ganglion cell and axonal degeneration, which typically manifest as sunken atrophy of optic papilla and characteristic visual field defect. Genetic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. This guideline mainly focuses on single gene mutation-related glaucoma by summarizing the pathogenic genes, disease diagnosis and clinical consultation of primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), with an aim to regulate their molecular diagnosis, genetic counseling and treatment.

[Clinical practice guidelines for retinitis pigmentosa].

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of hereditary retinitis disorders which mainly affect the rod cells. In the early stage, the function of rod cells is affected. At the same time or later, the function of cone cells can also be affected.

SEZ6L2 knockdown impairs tumour growth by promoting caspase-dependent apoptosis in colorectal cancer.

Seizure-related 6 homolog (mouse)-like 2 (SEZ6L2) was shown to be involved in transcription of a type 1 transmembrane protein for regulating cell fate. Until now, the expression and function of SEZ6L2 in various cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC), were unclear. In the present study, we determined the expression of SEZ6L2 in a tissue microarray from patients with CRC and then, analysed the correlation between SEZ6L2 expression and the prognosis of the patients.

Retrospective Comparison of Endoscopic Versus Open Procedure for Mitral Valve Disease.

Objectives: We investigated whether the totally video-assisted thoracoscopic mitral valve surgery provides superior clinical outcomes and less inflammatory injury reaction compared with conventional sternotomy.

Methods: A total of 504 consecutive patients admitted for mitral valve surgery from May 2014 through May 2019 in a single center were retrospectively analyzed according to two distinct procedure approach: the totally video-assisted thoracoscopic approach (group A, n = 127) and standard median sternotomy (group B, n = 377). The primary end point was the durations of cardiopulmonary bypass, aortic cross-clamping, the ventilation time and intensive care unit of stay; the secondary endpoints included inflammation indexes like high sensitivity C-reactive protein, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and metabolic injury parameters cardiac Troponin and lactate.

The effects of diagnosis-related groups payment on hospital healthcare in China: a systematic review.

Background: There has been a growing interest in using diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) payment to reimburse inpatient care worldwide. But its effects on healthcare and health outcomes are controversial, and the evidence from low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) is especially scarce. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of DRGs payment on healthcare and health outcomes in China.

The presence of De Winter electrocardiogram pattern following elective percutaneous coronary intervention in a patient without coronary artery occlusion: A case report.

Rationale: The De Winter electrocardiogram (ECG) pattern is considered as a ST elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI)-equivalent pattern. Due to its rare nature, it is unclear whether this ECG pattern suggests the presence of some other condition.

Patient Concerns: We reported a 47-year-old man with new-onset chest discomfort several hours after the second-stage percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

TRPM2-AS promotes cancer cell proliferation through control of TAF15.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks the third among all common malignancy worldwide. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been demonstrated as implicated in CRC, but the roles of many lncRNAs in CRC remain unclear. Exploration of lncRNA TRMP2-AS and its nearby gene in CRC progress was the focus of current study.

The Association Between the Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Gene -308A/G Polymorphism and Chronic Pancreatitis: A Meta-Analysis.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a major proinflammatory cytokine that has been posited to be involved in the development of chronic pancreatitis (CP). Several studies have been carried out that explored the association between the TNF-α -308A/G polymorphism and CP; however, conflicting results have emerged. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis to provide a more precise assessment of the relationship between the TNF-α -308A/G polymorphism and CP risk.

PRKCH polymorphism is associated with rheumatoid arthritis in a Chinese population.

Genetic factors have been widely considered to have a substantial effect on the susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the four newly discovered polymorphisms in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis confer susceptibility to RA in a Chinese Han population. We conducted a case-control study involving 359 RA cases and 873 age-and gender-matched controls and performed genotyping of four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs227163, rs726288, rs3783782 and rs2469434, using the dye terminator-based SNaPshot method.

Ethyl Vanillin Protects against Kidney Injury in Diabetic Nephropathy by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis.

Diabetes-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis is regarded as a critical role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Treating diabetes-induced kidney damage and renal dysfunction has been thought a promising therapeutic option to attenuate the development and progression of DN. In this study, we investigated the renoprotective effect of ethyl vanillin (EVA), an active analogue of vanillin isolated from vanilla beans, on streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced rat renal injury model and high glucose-induced NRK-52E cell model.