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Emergency Medicine International 2023[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/4295423.].
[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/4295423.].
PubMed: 37663082
DOI: 10.1155/2023/9782943 -
Medicine Sep 2023This study aimed to examine whether the 3 harmonic components (HCs) of photoplethysmography (PTG) - total harmonic distortion (THD), harmonic power (HP), and normalized...
This study aimed to examine whether the 3 harmonic components (HCs) of photoplethysmography (PTG) - total harmonic distortion (THD), harmonic power (HP), and normalized harmonic amplitude (HA) - have aging effects and may serve as an arterial stiffness marker and examine the relationship between HCs and clinical severity of pathological patterns. This study had a retrospective chart review design, and electronic medical records of 173 female patients (age: 38.57 ± 11.64 years) were reviewed. Patients were asked to complete the phlegm, blood stasis (BS), and food retention (FR) pattern questionnaires and underwent PTG and the second derivative of PTG measurements. THD, HP, and HA data were extracted till the 12th HCs from the raw PTG data. THD and HA had an aging effect (β: -0.179 to -0.278) and were related to b/a (r: -02.76 to -0.455) and d/a (r: 0.265-0.360) of the second derivative of PTG. In the younger group (≤33 years), HP and HA were positively correlated with phlegm, BS, and FR patterns (r: 0.257-0.370), while HP was positively correlated with the FR pattern (r: 0.278-0.315) in the middle age group (34-45 years). In the older group (≥46 years), HP and HA were positively or negatively correlated with the phlegm pattern (r: ±0.263 to ±0.440). HCs may serve as an arterial stiffness marker, and may be partially related to phlegm, BS, and FR patterns. Aging effect needs to be considered when utilizing HCs as an indicator of phlegm, BS, and FR patterns.
Topics: Middle Aged; Humans; Female; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Photoplethysmography; Retrospective Studies; Mucus; Aging
PubMed: 37657055
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000034200 -
BMC Pulmonary Medicine Aug 2023Extra-adrenal myelolipoma is an unusual entity, and endobronchial myelolipoma is rarer, which is often ignored by clinicians, delaying the disease and affecting the... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Extra-adrenal myelolipoma is an unusual entity, and endobronchial myelolipoma is rarer, which is often ignored by clinicians, delaying the disease and affecting the prognosis.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 71-year-old man with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus, with recurrent fever, cough, and expectoration for more than 2 weeks experienced relief in cough, phlegm reduction, and glycemic control with anti-inflammatory treatment. Further examination revealed that new growths obstructing all lobar bronchi impaired flexible bronchoscope entry. In order to relieve the patient's symptoms, under general anesthesia, we performed liquid nitrogen cryobiopsy at multiple bronchial openings, and then used argon plasma coagulation (APC) to achieve hemostasis. The pathological diagnosis was bronchial myelolipoma. The largest volume of the resected tissue was a mass measuring 0.6 cm × 0.4 cm × 0.3 cm at the bronchial opening of the upper lobe of the left lung. The patient's condition was stable and the symptoms were partially relieved after surgery. No recurrence was observed during the 12-month follow-up, although the long-term treatment efficacy is unknown.
CONCLUSION
Pathological biopsy is key to the diagnosis of endobronchial myelolipoma, and the development of the endobronchial myelolipomas may have been associated with long-term poor control of steroid levels in this patient.
Topics: Male; Humans; Aged; Myelolipoma; Cough; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Bronchi; Lipoma
PubMed: 37653374
DOI: 10.1186/s12890-023-02608-z -
Applied Bionics and Biomechanics 2023[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/5143408.].
Retracted: Acupuncture Combined with Traditional Chinese Medicine and Drug Therapy for the Treatment of Cerebral Infarction (Phlegm-Blood Stasis Syndrome) and Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Study.
[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/5143408.].
PubMed: 37621499
DOI: 10.1155/2023/9823108 -
PloS One 2023Indoor air pollutants (IAP) and household conditions such as dampness, crowding and chemical exposures have been associated with acute and chronic respiratory...
BACKGROUND
Indoor air pollutants (IAP) and household conditions such as dampness, crowding and chemical exposures have been associated with acute and chronic respiratory infections. In Uganda, literature on the effects of IAP on respiratory outcomes in informal settlements is limited.
METHODS
We describe the baseline household characteristics of 284 adults and their children in an informal settlement in Uganda from April to May 2022. We monitored same-day indoor concentrations of particulate matter PM2.5, PM10, Carbon monoxide (CO), relative humidity %, and temperature from 9 am to 2 pm and interviewed caregivers/mothers about their respiratory symptoms and those of their children in the previous 30 days. We employed robust Poisson regressions to evaluate the associations between indoor air indicators and respiratory health symptoms.
RESULTS
Approximately 94.7% of households primarily used biomass fuels and 32.7% cooked from inside their dwelling rooms. The median PM2.5, PM10 and CO levels were 49.5 (Interquartile range (IQR) = 31.1,86.2) μg/m3, 73.6 (IQR = 47.3,130.5) μg/m3 and 7.70 (IQR = 4.1,12.5) ppm respectively. Among adults, a 10 unit increase in PM2.5 was associated with cough (Prevalence Ratio (PR) = 3.75, 95%CI 1.15-1.55). Dwelling unit dampness was associated with phlegm (PR = 2.53, 95%CI = 1.39-4.61) and shortness of breath (PR = 1.78, 95% CI 1.23-2.54) while cooking from outside the house was protective against shortness of breath (PR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.44-0.87). In children, dampness was associated with phlegm (PR = 13.87, 95% CI 3.16-60.91) and cough (PR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.12-2.34) while indoor residual spraying was associated with phlegm (PR = 3.36, 95%CI 1.71-6.61).
CONCLUSION
Poor indoor air conditions were associated with respiratory symptoms in adults and children. Efforts to address indoor air pollution should be made to protect adults and children from adverse health effects.
Topics: Adult; Child; Humans; Air Pollutants; Cross-Sectional Studies; Uganda; Cough; Particulate Matter; Alarmins; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Dyspnea
PubMed: 37590259
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290170 -
Journal of Ethnopharmacology Jan 2024Alzheimer's disease (AD) belongs to the category of "senile dementia" in traditional Chinese medicine. AD is associated with brain emptiness or collaterals blocked by...
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE
Alzheimer's disease (AD) belongs to the category of "senile dementia" in traditional Chinese medicine. AD is associated with brain emptiness or collaterals blocked by phlegm-heat. "Fumanjian" from Jingyue Quanshu treats dementia by promoting qi circulation, alleviating depression, eliminating turbidity, cultivating positivity, and dispelling evil spirits. Qingxin Kaiqiao Fang (QKF), derived from Fumanjian, is effective in treating AD owing to previously mentioned clinical effects. Elucidating the mechanism(s) of action of QKF on AD associated with phlegm-heat may be beneficial for therapeutic management; however, further research is needed.
AIM OF THE STUDY
This study aimed to determine the role of the PI3K/Akt pathway in AD, especially the specific effector protein involved, and explore the efficacy of QKF in treating AD by modulating the PI3K/Akt signal.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
High-performance liquid chromatography-Q-orbitrap-mass spectrometry was used to analyze the chemical components of QKF. Subsequently, APP/PS1 double-transgenic mice were used for behavioral tests, and hematoxylin-eosin and Nissl staining were used to assess the neuroprotective and cognitive effects of QKF. Cerebrospinal fluid pharmacology was used in in vitro validation, and Aβ was used to induce PC12 cells to establish the AD cell model. Various methods, including immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, morphological assay, cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) assay, and terminal deoxynucleotide transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)staining, were used to evaluate the effect of QKF on Tau hyperphosphorylation and anti-apoptosis. These methods also assessed the influence of QKF on the PI3K/Akt/GSK3β pathway involving the mRNA and protein expressions. Finally, the inhibitor - LY294002 was used for reverse validation.
RESULTS
We identified 295 chemical components in the water extract of QKF.QKF improved spatial cognition and learning memory in APP/PS1 mice, protected PC12 cell morphology, improved cell survival, reduced Aβ-induced apoptosis, and inhibited the hyperphosphorylation of Tau protein via the PI3k/Akt/GSK3β signaling pathway. Furthermore, this protective effect of QKF was reduced by LY294002 in vitro.
CONCLUSIONS
QKF can improve spatial cognition, learning, and memory abilities in APP/PS1 mice and protect PC12 cells. Decreasing the Tau hyperphosphorylation in AD exhibits curative efficacy on AD via the PI3K/Akt/GSK3β pathway in vitro and in vivo.
Topics: Rats; Mice; Animals; Alzheimer Disease; tau Proteins; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Phosphorylation; Mice, Transgenic; Maze Learning
PubMed: 37579924
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.117031 -
Alternative Therapies in Health and... Aug 2023The identification of a patient's constitution in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) allows physicians to understand his or her risk for different diseases, forecast the...
CONTEXT
The identification of a patient's constitution in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) allows physicians to understand his or her risk for different diseases, forecast the mechanism of disease development, and direct treatment strategies, such as herbs and/or acupuncture. However, very few large-scale clinical trials have occurred on the relationships of the TCM constitution to lifestyles and diseases.
OBJECTIVE
The study intended investigate the complex and systematic relationship between the TCM constitution and lifestyles to provide solutions for adjusting unbalanced constitutions and maintaining a balanced constitution and health state among people of various lifestyles in Jilin, China.
DESIGN
The research team conducted a randomized cross-sectional survey.
SETTING
The study took place in Jilin Province in China.
PARTICIPANTS
Participants were 1755 residents of Jilin Province in China, 794 men and 961 women, between September 2006 and February 2013.
OUTCOME MEASURES
The research team: (1) collected participants' data using a basic informational and lifestyle questionnaire and the Constitution in Chinese Medicine Questionnaire (CCMQ); (2) used descriptive analysis to illustrate demographic characteristics and the distribution of TCM constitutions; (3) conducted multivariate logistic regressions to explore potential factors influencing the Deficiency, Excess, Gentleness, and Special-diathesis constitutions.
RESULTS
Approximately one-half of participants in Jilin, China had an unbalanced constitution and one-third had Deficiency constitutions. Lifestyles and disease histories were significant influencing factors for the unbalanced constitutions. Of the 1755 participants, 757 had the Gentleness constitution (43.1%); the remaining participants had unbalanced constitutions, including 501 with a Deficiency constitution (28.6%), 423 with an Excess constitution (24.1%), and 74 with a Special-Diathesis constitution (4.2%). Regarding the influencing factors, the Deficiency constitutions were significantly related to lifestyle factors-especially gender, age, exercise, and diet: (21) the Qi-deficiency constitution was significantly related to excessive exercise and chronic bronchia; (2) the Yang-deficiency constitution was significantly related to female gender and prefer to hot food; and (3) the Yin-deficiency constitution was significantly related to age, from 46 to ≥66, and the barbecue diet. The Excess constitutions were related to medical histories: (1) the Phlegm-dampness and Blood-stasis constitutions were both significantly related to cardio-cerebrovascular disease and hyperlipidemia; (2) the Dampness-heat constitution was significantly related to liver disease and osteoporosis; (3) the Qi-depression constitution was significantly related to liver disease and chronic bronchia. The Gentleness constitution was significantly related to a greasy diet, and the Special-diathesis constitution was significantly related to allergies.
CONCLUSIONS
The identification of TCM constitutions would be beneficial to early identification of potential risk factors and could contribute to the creation of more comprehensive guidelines for health organizations. Controlling the factors influencing the TCM constitutions and using health management plans based on the TCM constitution could help people with unbalanced constitutions to adjust their lifestyles and improve their health.
PubMed: 37573585
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of Ethnopharmacology Jan 2024YangXueQingNaoWan (YXQNW), a compound Chinese medicine, has been widely used for dizziness, irritability, insomnia, and dreaminess caused by blood deficiency and liver...
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANT
YangXueQingNaoWan (YXQNW), a compound Chinese medicine, has been widely used for dizziness, irritability, insomnia, and dreaminess caused by blood deficiency and liver hyperactivity in China. However, whether YXQNW can inhibit cerebral microvascular exudation and cerebral hemorrhage (CH) caused by blood brain barrier (BBB) damage after tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) still unknown.
AIM OF THE RESEARCH
To observe the effect of YXQNW on cerebral microvascular exudation and CH after tPA and investigate its mechanism in protecting BBB.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Male C57BL/6 N mice suffered from ischemia stroke by mechanical detachment of carotid artery thrombi with the stimulation of ferric chloride. Then mice were treated with tPA (10 mg/kg) and/or YXQNW (0.72 g/kg) at 4.5 h. Cerebral blood flow (CBF), infarct size, survival rate, neurological scores, gait analysis, Evans blue extravasation, cerebral water content, fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled albumin leakage, hemorrhage, junction and basement membrane proteins expression, leukocyte adhesion and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) expression were evaluated 24 h after tPA. Proteomics was used to identify target proteins.
RESULTS
YXQNW inhibited cerebral infarction, neurobehavioral deficits, decreased survival, Evans blue leakage, albumin leakage, cerebral water content and CH after tPA thrombolysis; improved CBF, low-expression and degradation of junction proteins, basement membrane proteins, Arhgap21 and its downstream α-catenin and β-catenin proteins expression; and suppressed the increase of adherent leukocytes and the release of MMP-9 derived from macrophage.
CONCLUSION
YXQNW relieved BBB damage and attenuated cerebral microvascular exudation and CH after tPA thrombolysis. The effect of YXQNW on cerebral microvascular exudation was associated with the inhibition of the low-expression of junction proteins, especially AJs mediated by Rho GTPase-activating protein 21 (Arhgap21), while the effect on CH was associated with the inhibition of leukocyte adhesion, the release of MMP-9 derived from macrophage, and low-expression and degradation of collagen IV and laminin in the vascular basement membrane.
Topics: Male; Mice; Animals; Tissue Plasminogen Activator; Blood-Brain Barrier; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; Evans Blue; Brain Ischemia; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Cerebral Hemorrhage; Cerebral Infarction; Ischemic Stroke; Thrombolytic Therapy; Albumins; Stroke
PubMed: 37572928
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.117024 -
Medicine Jul 2023As a multifactorial degenerative disease, Parkinson disease (PD) causes tremor, gait rigidity, and hypokinesia, which interfere with normal life. Because the disease is... (Review)
Review
As a multifactorial degenerative disease, Parkinson disease (PD) causes tremor, gait rigidity, and hypokinesia, which interfere with normal life. Because the disease is usually discovered in the late stage of complete degeneration of neurons, it can greatly delay treatment and even eventually lead to death. Therefore, the diagnosis of this disease is very challenging, and it is gratifying that substantial progress has been made in the development of optical coherence tomography (OCT) as a diagnostic biomarker for this disease, and genetic and imaging tests have become part of routine protocols in clinical practice. In the cognition of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), this disease belongs to deficiency in origin and excess in superficiality, which is always caused by deficiency of liver and kidney, deficiency of qi and blood, and is closely related to wind, fire, phlegm and blood stasis. A large number of studies have shown that TCM can effectively treat motor and non-motor symptoms of PD, combat oxidative stress and reduce inflammatory response, and improve the quality of life of patients. Based on the pathophysiological mechanism of PD, this paper discusses the treatment of PD by TCM acupuncture combined with medicine based on syndrome differentiation.
Topics: Humans; Parkinson Disease; Quality of Life; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Acupuncture Therapy; Syndrome
PubMed: 37505150
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000034278 -
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine... Aug 2023To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine prescriptions for resolving phlegm in the treatment of angina pectoris of phlegm-stasis coronary heart... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine combined with Western Medicine on blood lipid levels and inflammatory factors in patients with angina pectoris in coronary heart disease identified as intermingled phlegm and blood stasis syndrome: a network Meta-analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine prescriptions for resolving phlegm in the treatment of angina pectoris of phlegm-stasis coronary heart disease by a network Meta-analysis.
METHODS
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on clinical efficacy of CHD angina pectoris with interaction of phlegm and blood stasis were searched in PubMed, Springer, the Cochrane Library and Chinese-language databases China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and Wanfang Data from their inception to December 2021. Literature was screened and literature bias risk was assessed by RevMan5.4 software. The overall response rate, the duration of angina attack, the levels of serum lipids such as total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and expression of hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were selected as outcome indicators for network Meta-analysis and mapped using Stata15.1 software.
RESULTS
Totally, 26 RCTs were included, involving 2098 participants. There were 6 TCM formulas with the effects of dispelling phlegm and removing blood stasis. Taking conventional Western Medicine as the common intervention measures, the results showed that the overall response improvement rate from high to low was displayed as modified Xiaoxianxiong decoction (, MXD), Danlou tablet (, DT), modified Gualou Xiebai Banxia decoction (, MGXBD), modified Wendan decoction (, MWD), modified Zhishi Xiebai Guizhi decoction (, MZXGD), and modified Erchen decoction (, MED). The sequence of angina attack duration improvement from high to low was MZXGD, MGXBD, DT, MWD, MXD. The sequence of TC improvement from high to low was MZXGD, MED, DT, and MGXBD. Sequence of improving TG from high to low was MED, MZXGD, MGXBD, and DT. For LDL-C improvement, the effect from good to poor was MZXGD, MGXBD, DT, and MED. With regard to HDL-C improvement, the effect was ranked as MED, MZXGD, MGXBD, and DT from good to poor. hs-CRP expression from high to low was MZXGD, MXD, MED, MWD, and MGXBD.
CONCLUSION
TCM formula with the effects of dispelling phlegm and removing blood stasis combined with conventional Western Medicine has obvious advantages in treating CHD angina pectoris with interaction of phlegm and blood stasis. MZXGD has great potential in increasing the overall response rate, reducing Duration of angina attack improving blood lipids, and reducing inflammatory factors. However, due to the limitations of extant studies, the conclusions of this study need to be confirmed by numerous reasonably-designed RCTs.
Topics: Humans; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Cholesterol, LDL; Network Meta-Analysis; C-Reactive Protein; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Angina Pectoris; Coronary Disease; Lipids; Triglycerides
PubMed: 37454248
DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20230506.001