Search

Objective. To explore the factors affecting the early neurological deterioration (END) and short-term prognosis of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) after intravenous thrombolysis. Methods. The clinical data of 212 patients with AIS who received intravenous thrombolysis in our hospital from July 2017 to November 2020 were selected and divided into the END group (n = 71) and the non-END group (n = 141) according to the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and divided into the poor prognosis group (n = 85) and the good prognosis group (n = 127) according to the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score at discharge. The basic data of patients, vascular risk factors, imaging examinations, and laboratory indicators were collected. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of END and the short-term prognosis of AIS patients after intravenous thrombolysis. Results. Univariate analysis showed that the patient's age, time from onset to treatment (OTT), NIHSS score, diabetes, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, TOAST classification, infarct size, carotid artery stenosis, white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), and D-dimer (DD) were associated with END (P < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis found that NIHSS score, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, infarct size, carotid stenosis, and CRP were independent influencing factors of END after intravenous thrombolysis in AIS patients (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that the patient's age, OTT, NIHSS score, diabetes, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, infarct size, carotid stenosis, and the occurrence of END were all related to the short-term prognosis of AIS patients (P < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age, NIHSS score, infarct size, carotid artery stenosis, and the occurrence of END were all independent factors affecting the short-term prognosis of AIS patients. Conclusion. High NIHSS score, combined with diabetes, atrial fibrillation, moderate to severe carotid stenosis, and elevated CRP are all risk factors for END after intravenous thrombolysis in AIS patients. Moreover, advanced age, high NIHSS score, moderate to severe carotid stenosis, and occurrence of END are risk factors for poor short-term prognosis after intravenous thrombolysis in AIS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been identified as the key receptor of SARS coronavirus that plays a key role in the pathogenesis of SARS. It is known that ACE2 mRNA can be expressed in most organs. However, the protein expression of ACE2 is not clear yet. To explore the role of ACE2 as a precipitating factor in digestive organ damage in COVID-19, this study investigated the expression of ACE2 protein in the human liver, esophagus, stomach, and colon. The result showed that ACE2 can be expressed in the liver, esophagus, stomach, and colon, which suggests SARS-CoV-2 may enter the digestive system through ACE2 and cause liver damage and gastrointestinal damage. It is hoped that the result of the study will provide a new strategy for the prevention and treatment of digestive organ damage under COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many clinical trials and meta-analyses related to acupuncture for osteoporosis (OP) have been published. However, identifying the evidence from these studies still remains a challenge for acupuncturists. We conducted a systematic search of the Chinese Biomedical Medicine (CBM), VIP Database, Wanfang Data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), PubMed, Springer, Cochrane Library, and Embase to identify relevant trials, systematic reviews, and/or meta-analyses up to October 31, 2018. Data were extracted to assess the methodological quality using Veritas plots and to explore potential acupuncture prescriptions using the Traditional Chinese Medicine inheritance support system (TCMISS). In addition, potential mechanisms of core acupoints identified by data mining were summarized based on published studies. A total of 218 clinical trials and ten meta-analyses were included, involving 212 acupuncture prescriptions, 102 acupoints, 13 meridians, three extra meridians, and one Ashi point. The mean Veritas score of publication year, type of study, Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews 2, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, heterogeneity, and publication bias were 5.5, 7.2, 6, 5.6, 5.8, and 7.5, respectively. The study of Pan et al. received the highest Veritas score of 8.67 points. The most frequently used meridian was BL. Acupoint combinations BL23 and BL20, BL23 and GV4, and BL23 and ST36 were used frequently. The core acupoints association networks were acupoints BL23, BL20, ST36, GV4, SP6, CV4, and KI3. The potential mechanisms of core acupoints involved upregulated expression of members in OPG/RANKL, Wnt/β-catenin, and MAPK pathways, such as LRP5, β-catenin, Runx2, and OPG. In conclusion, our Veritas plots enable acupuncturists to evaluate key attributes of meta-analysis quality related to acupuncture for primary OP and to improve the quality of evidence-based medicine relating to acupuncture. Data mining analysis revealed an association network of meridians, acupoint combinations, core acupoints, and the underlying mechanisms of acupuncture for primary OP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to adverse early-life events is thought to be the risk factors for the development of psychiatric and altered cognitive function in adulthood. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether electroacupuncture (EA) treatment in young adult rat would improve impaired cognitive function and synaptic plasticity in adult rat with neonatal maternal separation (MS). Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group, MS group, MS with EA treatment (MS + EA) group, and MS with Sham-EA treatment (MS + Sham-EA) group. We evaluated the cognitive function by using Morris water maze and fear conditioning tests. Electrophysiology experiment used in vivo long-term potentiation (LTP) at Schaffer Collateral-CA1 synapses was detected to assess extent of synaptic plasticity. Repeated EA stimulation at Baihui (GV 20) and Yintang (GV 29) during postnatal 9 to 11 weeks was identified to significantly ameliorate poor performance in behavior tests and improve the impaired LTP induction detected at Schaffer Collateral-CA1 synapse in hippocampus. Collectively, the findings suggested that early-life stress due to MS may induce adult cognitive deficit associated with hippocampus, and EA in young adult demonstrated that its therapeutic efficacy may be via ameliorating deficit of hippocampal synaptic plasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Microglial activation contributes to neuroinflammation and neuronal damage in neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. It has been suggested that neurodegenerative disorders may be improved if neuroinflammation can be controlled. trans-cinnamaldehyde (TCA) isolated from the stem bark of Cinnamomum cassia possesses potent anti-inflammatory capability; we thus tested whether TCA presents neuroprotective effects on improving neuronal survival by inhibiting neuroinflammatory responses in BV2 microglial cells. Results. To determine the molecular mechanism behind TCA-mediated neuroprotective effects, we assessed the effects of TCA on lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced proinflammatory responses in BV2 microglial cells. While LPS potently induced the production and expression upregulation of proinflammatory mediators, including NO, iNOS, COX-2, IL-1β, and TNF-α, TCA pretreatment significantly inhibited LPS-induced production of NO and expression of iNOS, COX-2, and IL-1β and recovered the morphological changes in BV2 cells. TCA markedly attenuated microglial activation and neuroinflammation by blocking nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. With the aid of microglia and neuron coculture system, we showed that TCA greatly reduced LPS-elicited neuronal death and exerted neuroprotective effects. Conclusions. Our results suggest that TCA, a natural product, has the potential of being used as a therapeutic agent against neuroinflammation for ameliorating neurodegenerative disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]