BackgroundIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic progressive interstitial lung disease of unknown etiology, is characterized by continuous damage to alveolar epithelial cells, abnormal repair of alveolar tissue, and alveolar wall scar formation. Currently, the recommended treatment for IPF in Western medicine is relatively limited. In contrast, traditional Chinese medicine and compound prescriptions show advantages in the diagnosis and treatment of IPF, which can be attributed to their multi-channel and multi-target characteristics and minimal side-effects. The purpose of this study was to further corroborate the effectiveness and significance of the traditional Chinese medications Astragalus and Danshen in IPF treatment.MethodsWe performed whole-genome methylation analysis on nine rat lung tissue samples to determine the epigenetic variation between IPF and non-fibrotic lungs using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions.ResultsWe identified differentially methylated regions and 105 associated key functional genes in samples related to IPF and Chinese medicine treatment. Based on the methylation levels and gene expression profiles between the Chinese medicine intervention and pulmonary fibrosis model groups, we speculated that Astragalus and Salvia miltiorrhiza (traditionally known as Danshen) act on the Isl1, forkhead box O3, and Sonic hedgehog genes via regulation at transcriptional and epigenetic levels during IPF.ConclusionsThese findings provide novel insights into the epigenetic regulation of IPF, indicate the effectiveness of Astragalus and Danshen in treating IPF, and suggest several promising therapeutic targets for preventing and treating IPF.

BackgroundTo analyze the real-world growth pattern of very premature infants (VPI) with small for gestational age (SGA) after birth by using the ΔZ value of weight at discharge.MethodsThe clinical data were collected from 28 hospitals in China from September 2019 to December 2020. They were divided into the EUGR(Extrauterine Growth Restriction) and the non-EUGR group according to the criterion of ΔZ value of weight at discharge < –1.28.ResultsThis study included 133 eligible VPI with SGA. Following the criterion of ΔZ value, the incidence of EUGR was 36.84% (49/133). The birth weight, the 5-min Apgar score, and the proportion of male infants in the EUGR group were lower (P < 0.05). The average invasive ventilation time, cumulative duration of the administration of antibiotics, blood transfusion time, blood transfusion ratio, and total days of hospitalization were significantly higher in the EUGR group (P < 0.05). In the EUGR group, several factors exhibited higher values (P < 0.05), including the initiation of enteral feeding, the volume of milk supplemented with human milk fortifier (HMF), the duration to achieve complete fortification, the cumulative duration of fasting, the duration to achieve full enteral feeding, the length of parenteral nutrition (PN), the number of days required to attain the desired total calorie intake and oral calorie intake, as well as the age at which birth weight was regained. The average weight growth velocity (GV) was significantly lower in the EUGR group (P < 0.001). The incidences of patent ductus arteriosus with hemodynamic changes (hsPDA), neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)stage≥ 2, late-onset sepsis (LOS), and feeding intolerance (FI) in the EUGR group were higher (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that birth weight, male, and GV were the protective factors, while a long time to achieve full-dose fortification, slow recovery of birth weight, and NECstage ≥2 were the independent risk factors.ConclusionSGA in VPI can reflect the occurrence of EUGR more accurately by using the ΔZ value of weight at discharge. Enhancing enteral nutrition support, achieving prompt and complete fortification of breast milk, promoting greater GV, reducing the duration of birth weight recovery, and minimizing the risk of NEC can contribute to a decreased occurrence of EUGR.Trial registrationCHICTR, ChiCTR1900023418. Registered 26/05/2019, http://www.chictr.org.cn.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the differences in the effectiveness of percutaneous radiofrequency thermocoagulation (PRT) and microvascular decompression (MVD) in treating glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN).MethodsMedical records of patients were reviewed to investigate their baseline characteristics and immediate postoperative prognosis. Long-term outcomes of these patients were obtained through telephone interviews. Visual analog scale (VAS) and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) scores at 1 day and 1, 4, 12, 24, and 48 weeks after surgery were compared between the MVD and PRT groups, in addition to complete pain relief rate, effective rate, adverse reactions, length of hospital stay, and economic indicators.ResultsThe VAS and PSQI scores of the two groups at 1 day and 1, 4, 12, 24, and 48 weeks after surgery were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those before surgery. At 48 weeks, the complete remission rate was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the MVD group than in PRT group. No significant difference in adverse reactions was observed between the two groups. The length of hospital stay, operative time, and cost were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the MVD group than in the PRT group.ConclusionsBoth PRT and MVD can significantly reduce patients’ degree of pain and improve their sleep quality. In the medium term, MVD is better than PRT in terms of the complete curative effect. In young patients with GPN, MVD is more often recommended than PRT; however, MVD is costlier than PRT.