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Background: Shenfu injection (SFI) promotes tissue microcirculation and oxygen metabolism. We aimed to assess its effects on intestinal epithelial damage in septic rats.Methods: Fifty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham operation (Sham), sepsis (cecal ligation and puncture [CLP]), and SFI (low-dose, middle-dose, high-dose) groups (n = 10). For Sham animals, the abdominal cavity was opened and closed. For other groups, severe sepsis was induced by CLP. After surgery, saline (Sham and CLP rats) and SFI (treatment groups) were administered intraperitoneally. Samples were collected 12 hours after injection. Serum tumor necrosis factor α, diamineoxidase, and d-lactate levels and ileal mucosal damage and ultrastructural change, as well as protein and messenger RNA expression of tight junction markers, including Claudin-3 and zonula occludens protein-1 in ileal mucosa's epithelial cells, were assessed. All animal experiments were carried out under aseptic conditions.Results: Compared with Sham animals, serum tumor necrosis factor α, DAO, and d-lactic acid levels in CLP animals were significantly higher; the ileal mucosal damage was more severe; and the expression levels of tight junction markers were significantly decreased. These indexes were significantly improved in SFI groups, in a concentration-dependent manner, compared with CLP rats. Sham animals displayed orderly arranged ileal mucosal villi, continuous tight junctions between epithelial cells, intact organelles, and microvilli. Compared with CLP animals (with obvious damage in these structures), an overt improvement was observed in SFI groups, especially in the high-dose SFI group, with tight junctions clearly visible between epithelial cells.Conclusions: Shenfu injection significantly alleviates intestinal epithelial damage in septic rats, in a dose-dependent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture on acute gastrointestinal injury (AGI) in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI)., Methods: A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted. 126 consecutively hospitalized patients with AGI after sTBI admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2018 to December 2019 were enrolled. The patients were divided into observation group and control group by random number table. All the patients of two groups were given conventional treatment of western medicine for consecutive 7 days, including the treatments of primary diseases, indwelling nasogastric tube to extract gastric contents every 6 hours to determine gastric residual volume (GRV). When vital signs were basically stable, enteral nutrition (EN) was implemented and EN feeding amount and speed were adjusted according to GRV. On the basis of conventional western medicine treatment, the observation group was treated with electroacupuncture at Zusanli, Tianshu, Shangjuxu, Xiajuxu and Zhongwan, once in the morning and once in the evening, 30 minutes each time. The gastrointestinal function parameters including intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), serum diamine oxidase (DAO) and gastrointestinal failure (GIF) scores were observed before treatment and at day 3 and day 7 of treatment. The incidence of ICU hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP-ICU), duration of mechanical ventilation (MV), length of ICU stay, 28-day mortality and adverse reactions of electroacupuncture were also observed in the two groups. Kaplan-Meier method was used for 28-day survival analysis., Results: During the 7-day treatment and observation, 26 cases of 126 patients withdrew from the study, and 100 cases were actually enrolled, 50 cases in the observation group and 50 cases in the control group. IAP and DAO at day 3 of treatment in both groups were significantly lower than those before treatment [control group: IAP (cmH 2 O, 1 cmH 2 O = 0.098 kPa) was 13.75±2.76 vs. 18.11±3.97, DAO (U/L) was 129.88±24.81 vs. 158.01±22.64; observation group: IAP (cmH 2 O) was 13.56±2.19 vs. 18.50±3.54, DAO (U/L) was 129.11±29.32 vs. 159.36±28.65; all P < 0.01]. The gastrointestinal function parameters of the two groups improved gradually with the extension of treatment time, and the IAP, DAO and GIF scores at day 7 of treatment in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group [IAP (cmH 2 O): 11.28±3.61 vs. 12.68±3.23, DAO (U/L): 49.69±17.56 vs. 57.27±20.15, GIF score: 2.02±0.74 vs. 2.40±0.70, all P < 0.05). The duration of MV and the length of ICU stay in the observation group were significantly shorter than those in the control group [duration of MV (days): 15.72±4.60 vs. 18.08±4.54, length of ICU stay (days): 16.76±4.68 vs. 19.26±5.42, both P < 0.05], and the incidence of ICU-HAP and 28-day mortality were significantly lowered (12.0% vs. 30.0%, 22.0% vs. 32.0%, both P < 0.05). Survival analysis showed that the 28-day cumulative survival rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (86.4% vs. 76.1%; Log-Rank test: χ 2 = 37.954, P < 0.001). The patients in the observation group had no significant adverse reaction of electroacupuncture treatment., Conclusions: Electroacupuncture at corresponding acupoints can effectively improve gastrointestinal function in patients with AGI after sTBI, which is beneficial to shortening the length of ICU stay, promoting the recovery of the patients, and reducing the 28-day mortality.

Objective To investigate the vasodilative and endothelial-protective effects and the underlying mechanisms of total flavonoids from Astragalus (TFA). Methods The vasodilative activities of TFA were measured with a myograph ex vivo using rat superior mesenteric arterial rings. The primary human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) viabilities were assayed using the cell counting kit-8 after hypoxia or normoxia treatment with or without TFA. Akt, P-Akt, eNOS, P-eNOS, Erk, P-Erk, Bcl-2 and Bax expression were analyzed using western blotting. Results TFA showed concentration-dependent vasodilative effects on rat superior mesenteric arterial rings, but had no effects on normal or potassium chloride precontracted arterial rings. TFA did not affect HUVEC viabilities in normoxia, but dramatically promoted cell proliferation in the concentration range of 1 to 30 µg/mL under hypoxia. Moreover, TFA significantly increased the ratios of P-Akt/Akt and P-eNOS/eNOS in vascular endothelial cells under hypoxic conditions, but did not change the P-Erk/Erk or Bcl-2/Bax ratios. Conclusions TFA might exhibit vasorelaxant and endothelial-protective effects via the Akt/eNOS signaling pathway.