Astragaloside IV (AsIV) is the major effective component extracted from the Chinese herb Astragalus membranaceus, which has been widely used to treat cardiovascular disease. Recent studies have shown that AsIV can potentially protect the arteries from atherosclerosis; however the mechanisms underneath are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of AsIV on blood lipids, CD40-CD40L signal system, and SDF-1/CXCR4 biological axis in high-fat diet apoE−/− mice and reveal the molecular mechanisms of AsIV against atherosclerosis. Here, we showed that AsIV alleviated the extent of atherosclerosis in aorta of apoE−/− mice. And AsIV can significantly downregulate PAC-1, CD40L, and CXCR4 expression on platelet surface in blood of high-fat diet apoE−/− mice. AsIV also can significantly downregulate mRNA and protein level of SDF-1 and CXCR4 in thoracic aorta. Consistent with aorta CXCR4 expression, CXCR4 in bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) was also reduced. Meanwhile biochemical analysis showed that AsIV could downregulate TG, TC, and LDL-C levels and upregulate HDL-C level in blood of high-fat diet apoE−/− mice. We concluded that the protective effects of AsIV in atherosclerosis injury may be related to regulating blood lipids, CD40-CD40L system, and SDF-1/CXCR4 biological axis. SDF-1/CXCR4 biological axis is probably one of the main targets of intervening atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Swallowing disorders are a common complication after stroke. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture of the cricopharyngeal muscle in the treatment of cricopharyngeal disorders and to explore a new method that is safe, intuitive, precise, and effective. METHODS: This was a multicenter randomized controlled trial. One hundred and forty-eight patients with post-stroke cricopharyngeal muscle relaxation dysphagia who met the criteria at three hospitals were randomly divided into a control group (n=74) and a test group (n=74). The control group received conventional swallowing training with basic medication (including basic training and feeding training), and the test group received ultrasound-guided targeted acupuncture treatment of the cricopharyngeal muscle in addition to the treatment of the control group for 4 weeks. Patients in both groups used VFSS, WST, SSA, SWAL-QOL and EAT-10, PAS and NRS 2002 before and after treatment. DISCUSSION: This trial used ultrasound-guided acupuncture to treat cricopharyngeal muscle loss relaxation, not only to explore a new method that is safe, intuitive, precise and effective, but also to provide more high-quality experimental evidence for the clinical application of the combination of Chinese and Western medicine. Trial registration: China Clinical Trials Registry ChiCTR2200063337. registered on September 5, 2022.