Clinical efficacy and mechanism study of mid-frequency anti-snoring device in treating moderate obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome

BACKGROUND Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome(OSAHS)is primarily caused by airway obstruction due to narrowing and blockage in the nasal and nasopha-ryngeal,oropharyngeal,soft palate,and tongue base areas.The mid-frequency anti-snoring device is a new technology based on sublingual nerve stimulation.Its principle is to improve the degree of oropharyngeal airway stenosis in OSAHS patients under mid-frequency wave stimulation.Nevertheless,there is a lack of clinical application and imaging evidence.METHODS We selected 50 patients diagnosed with moderate OSAHS in our hospital between July 2022 and August 2023.They underwent a 4-wk treatment regimen involving the mid-frequency anti-snoring device during nighttime sleep.Following the treatment,we monitored and assessed the sleep apnea quality of life index and Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores.Additionally,we performed computed tomo-graphy scans of the oropharynx in the awake state,during snoring,and while using the mid-frequency anti-snoring device.Cross-sectional area measurements in different states were taken at the narrowest airway point in the soft palate posterior and retrolingual areas.RESULTS Compared to pretreatment measurements,patients exhibited a significant reduction in the apnea-hypopnea index,the percentage of time with oxygen saturation below 90%,snoring frequency,and the duration of the most prolonged apnea event.The lowest oxygen saturation showed a notable increase,and both sleep apnea quality of life index and Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores improved.Oropharyngeal computed tomography scans revealed that in OSAHS patients cross-sectional areas of the oropharyngeal airway in the soft palate posterior area and retrolingual area decreased during snoring compared to the awake state.Conversely,during mid-frequency anti-snoring device treatment,these areas increased compared to snoring.CONCLUSION The mid-frequency anti-snoring device demonstrates the potential to enhance various sleep parameters in patients with moderate OSAHS,thereby improving their quality of life and reducing daytime sleepiness.These therapeutic effects are attributed to the device’s ability to ameliorate the narrowing of the oropharynx in OSAHS patients.

Hydrogen sulfide:a luminous future in the postharvest preservation of fruits and vegetables

Hydrogen sulfide(H_(2)S)has emerged as a signaling molecule that plays a crucial role in the postharvest preservation of fruits and vegetables.This review summarizes the various functions of H_(2)S such as delaying ripening and senescence,enhancing the resistance to cold and disease,and emphasizes the underlying mechanisms.Appropriate concentrations of H_(2)S primarily operate through stimulating the antioxidant system,while showing positive effects on physiological metabolism relevant to storage quality and shelf life including energy,sugar,proline,phenolic,membrane lipid and cell wall metabolism.Moreover,H_(2)S may reduce storage loss by modulating the expression patterns of senescence-related genes,like those linked to ethylene.The coordination of H_(2)S and nitric oxide(NO)combats ethylene-derived negative effects during ripening and senescence.High concentrations of H_(2)S not only act as a regulator to induce disease resistance,but also as a fungicide to inhibit the growth and pathogenicity of fungi.The intricate crosstalk between H_(2)S and other molecules exists via synergistic and antagonistic roles based on protein persulfidation,which is the major signaling process of H_(2)S and appears to compete with other post-translational modifications(PTMs)for the same cysteine residues.This review summarizes H_(2)S synthesis pathways and also discusses the correlation between the signals of H_(2)S,Ca^(2+)and ABA,while highlighting the intrinsic mechanisms of H_(2)S performing its functions in postharvest preservation.