[Pollution Characteristics and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in PM2.5 of Different Air Masses During Heating Season in Tianjin].

In order to explore the pollution characteristics and health risks of heavy metals in PM2.5 in Tianjin, heavy metal samples (Pb, Cd, Cr, As, Zn, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, and V) in PM2.5 were analyzed from November 2020 to March 2021 using the Xact-625 heavy metal online analyzer. The spatial and temporal distribution characteristics were analyzed using the HYSPLIT model, and the health risks of heavy metals were analyzed using the US EPA risk assessment model. The results indicated that the average total concentration of the 10 heavy metal elements was (261.56±241.74) ng·m-3, among which the concentrations of Cr ï¼»converted Cr(Ⅵ)ï¼½ and As were higher than the annual average limit of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (GB 3095-2012). According to the back trajectory results, the medium-distance transmissions from northwest areas (NO.1), the long-distance transmissions from northwest areas (NO.2), the transmissions from southwest areas (NO.3), and the transmissions from northeast areas (NO.4) were the major sources in Tianjin City. The heavy metals of different air masses presented different pollution characteristics and health risks; the concentration of PM2.5, the total concentration of the 10 heavy metal elements, and the total carcinogenic risk of the five heavy metal elements of the NO.3 air mass were the highest, whereas the total non-carcinogenic risk of the 10 heavy metal elements of the NO.2 air mass was higher than that of the other two air mass. The health risk assessment showed that Mn posed non-carcinogenic risks to children, and Cr and As presented carcinogenic risk. Meanwhile, Cd of the NO.3 air masses also presented carcinogenic risk.

Cavernous hemangioma of the ileum in a young man: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Small intestinal cavernous hemangioma is a rare disease, especially in the ileum. It is difficult to accurately diagnose due to its hidden location and nonspecific clinical symptoms. Here, we reported a case of ileal cavernous hemangioma with chronic hemorrhage in a 20-year-old man and review the literature to gain a better understanding of this disease. CASE SUMMARY: The patient complained of intermittent melena and hematochezia for > 3 mo. The lowest hemoglobin level revealed by laboratory testing was 3.4 g/dL (normal range: 12-16 g/dL). However, the gastroscopy, colonoscopy and peroral double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) showed no signs of bleeding. The transanal DBE detected a lesion at about 340 cm proximal to the ileocecal valve. Thus, we performed an exploratory laparoscopy and the lesion was resected. After the operation, the patient had no melena. Finally, the pathological examination identified the neoplasm as an ileal cavernous hemangioma, thereby resulting in gastrointestinal hemorrhage. CONCLUSION: This report might improve the diagnosis and treatment of ileal cavernous hemangioma.

Laparoscopic versus Conventional Open Surgery Approach of Tunica Vaginalis for Palpable Cryptorchidism.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the advantages of the laparoscopic approach of tunica vaginalis in the treatment of palpable cryptorchidism. STUDY DESIGN: Randomised clinical comparative study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Urology Surgery, Baoding Children's Hospital, Baoding, Hebei, China, from July 2019 to June 2020. METHODOLOGY: A total of 80 children admitted with palpable cryptorchidism were selected and randomly divided into two groups i.e. the experimental group and the control group, with 40 cases in each group. The experimental group were treated with a laparoscopic approach of tunica vaginalis, and the control group were treated with conventional open surgery. The perioperative indicators, proportion with testicular external fixation, surgical effect, testicular development (6 months postoperative), and incidence of complications were compared. RESULTS: The postoperative ambulation and discharge time of the experimental group were significantly shorter than the control group (p<0.001). The external fixation rate of the control group was higher than the experimental group (p=0.02). The effective rate of the experimental group was significantly higher than the control group (p=0.03). The re-examination performed, 6 months postoperatively, showed that the testicular volume in the experimental group was significantly higher than in the control group (p=0.03). The incidence of the surgical complications in the experimental group was significantly lower than in the control group (p=0.04). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic approach of tunica vaginalis is effective in the treatment of palpable cryptorchidism and more conducive to testicular development. It has the advantages of less injury, less complications, quick postoperative recovery, more adequate spermatic cord dissociation, and well-preserved testicular blood supply. KEY WORDS: Laparoscopic approach of tunica vaginalis, Palpable cryptorchidism, Treatment.

Microplastics contamination in groundwater of a drinking-water source area, northern China.

Although the contamination of microplastics (MPs) in groundwater has been anticipated, their occurrence, distribution, and composition require further understanding. In this study, the occurrence and distributions of MPs were investigated in shallow groundwater from an important water source district in Tianjin city of northern China. The abundance, the physical morphology, the chemical composition, and the potential correlations of the determined MPs with human activities were thoroughly characterized. MPs were determined from all ten sampling sites with the abundance ranged between 17.0 ± 2.16 to 44.0 ± 1.63 n/L, revealing the ubiquitous existed MPs contamination. Based on the physical categorization, fiber (44.74%) was the most abundant shape, while blue (31.02%) and transparent (26.09%) were the most prevalent colors. The dominant size of MPs was smaller than 200 µm which accounted for 73.10%. A total of seven types of MPs were determined with polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polystyrene as the main types, of which, polypropylene showed strong positive correlations with polystyrene, indicating the possible similar sources of them. Besides, the determined MPs in groundwater were greater in areas with the high population density and strong population activity, indicating their high correlation with human activity. The study highlighted the presence of MPs in groundwater of drinking water source in northern China and provided useful information for evaluating the potential ecological effects on water quality safety and human health brought by MPs.

cGAS Restricts PRRSV Replication by Sensing the mtDNA to Increase the cGAMP Activity.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is an RNA virus that causes great economic losses globally to the swine industry. Innate immune RNA receptors mainly sense it during infection. As a DNA sensor, cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) plays an important role in sensing cytosolic DNA and activating innate immunity to induce IFN-I and establish an antiviral cellular state. In contrast, the role of innate immune DNA sensors during PRRSV infection has not been elucidated. In this study, we found that cGAS facilitates the production of IFN-ß during PRRSV infection. Western blot and virus titer assays suggested that cGAS overexpression suppressed the replication of multiple PRRSV strains, while knockout of cGAS increased viral titer and nucleocapsid protein expression. Besides, our results indicated that the mitochondria were damaged during PRRSV infection and leaked mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) into the cytoplasm. The mtDNA in the cytoplasm co-localizes with the cGAS, and the cGAMP activity was increased when the cGAS was overexpressed during PRRSV infection. Furthermore, the cGAMP also possesses an anti-PRRSV effect. These results indicate for the first time that cGAS restricts PRRSV replication by sensing the mtDNA in the cytoplasm to increase cGAMP activity, which not only explains the molecular mechanism by which cGAS inhibits PRRSV replication but also provides research ideas for studying the role of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway in the process of RNA virus infection.

Peking University Third Hospital score: a comprehensive system to predict intra-operative blood loss in radical nephrectomy and thrombectomy.

BACKGROUND: Radical nephrectomy and thrombectomy is the standard surgical procedure for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with tumor thrombus (TT). But the estimation of intra-operative blood loss is only based on the surgeon's experience. Therefore, our study aimed to develop Peking University Third Hospital score (PKUTH score) for the prediction of intra-operative blood loss volume in radical nephrectomy and thrombectomy. METHODS: The clinical data of 153 cases of renal mass with renal vein (RV) or inferior vena cava tumor thrombus admitted to Department of Urology, Peking University Third Hospital from January 2015 to May 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The total amount of blood loss during operation is equal to the amount of blood sucked out by the aspirator plus the amount of blood in the blood-soaked gauze. Univariate linear analysis was used to analyze risk factors for intra-operative blood loss, then significant factors were included in subsequent multivariable linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The final multivariable model included the following three factors: open operative approach (P < 0.001), Neves classification IV (P < 0.001), inferior vena cava resection (P = 0.001). The PKUTH score (0-3) was calculated according to the number of aforementioned risk factors. A significant increase of blood loss was noticed along with higher risk score. The estimated median blood loss from PKUTH score 0 to 3 was 280 mL (interquartile range [IQR] 100-600 mL), 1250 mL (IQR 575-2700 mL), 2000 mL (IQR 1250-2900 mL), and 5000 mL (IQR 4250-8000 mL), respectively. Meanwhile, the higher PKUTH score was, the more chance of post-operative complications (P = 0.004) occurred. A tendency but not significant overall survival difference was found between PKUTH risk score 0 vs. 1 to 3 (P = 0.098). CONCLUSION: We present a structured and quantitative scoring system, PKUTH score, to predict intra-operative blood loss volume in radical nephrectomy and thrombectomy.

Recombinant pseudorabies virus expressing E2 of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) protects against both virulent pseudorabies virus and CSFV.

Both classical swine fever (CSF) and pseudorabies are highly contagious, economically significant diseases of swine in China. Although vaccination with the C-strain against classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is widely carried out and severe outbreaks of CSF seldom occur in China, CSF is sporadic in many pig herds and novel sub-subgenotypes of CSFV endlessly emerge. Thus, new measures are needed to eradicate CSFV from Chinese farms. The emergence of a pseudorabies virus (PRV) variant also posed a new challenge for the control of swine pseudorabies. Here, the recombinant PRV strain JS-2012-ΔgE/gI-E2 expressing E2 protein of CSFV was developed by inserting the E2 expression cassette into the intergenic region between the gG and gD genes of the gE/gI-deletion PRV variant strain JS-2012-ΔgE/gI. The recombinant virus was stable when passaged in vitro. A single vaccination of JS-2012-ΔgE/gI-E2 via intramuscular injection fully protected against lethal challenges of PRV and CSFV. Vaccination of piglets with the recombinant JS-2012-ΔgE/gI-E2 in the presence of high levels of maternally derived antibodies (Abs) to PRV can provide partial protection against lethal challenge of CSFV. Vaccination of the recombinant PRV JS-2012-ΔgE/gI-E2 strain did not induce the production of Abs to the gE protein of PRV or to the CSFV proteins other than E2. Thus, JS-2012-ΔgE/gI-E2 appears to be a promising recombinant marker vaccine candidate against PRV and CSFV for the control and eradication of the PRV variant and CSFV.

Surgical complexity and prognostic outcome of small volume renal cell carcinoma with high-level venous tumor thrombus and large volume renal cell carcinoma with low-level thrombus.

BACKGROUND: Radical nephrectomy with thrombectomy is one of the most difficult and complicated urological operations. But the roles of renal tumor volume and thrombus level in surgical complexity and prognostic outcome are not clear. This study aimed to evaluate the surgical complexity and prognostic outcome between the volume of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and the level of venous tumor thrombus. METHODS: The clinical data of 67 RCC cases with renal vein or inferior vena cava (IVC) tumor thrombus from January 2015 to May 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Among these 67 cases, 21 (31.3%) were small tumors with high-level thrombus (tumor ≤7 cm in diameter and thrombus Neves Level II-IV), while 46 (68.7%) were large tumors with low-level thrombus group (tumor >7 cm in diameter and thrombus Level 0-I). Clinical features, operation details, and pathology data were collected. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were applied to evaluate the risk factors for small tumor with high-level thrombus. RESULTS: Patients with small tumors and high-level thrombus were more likely to have longer operative time (421.9 ±â€Š135.1 min vs. 282.2 ±â€Š101.9 min, t = 4.685, P < 0.001), more surgical bleeding volume (1200 [325, 2900] mL vs. 500 [180, 1000] mL, U = 270.000, P = 0.004), more surgical blood transfusion volume (800 [0, 1400] mL vs. 0 [0, 800] mL, U = 287.500, P = 0.004), more plasma transfusion volume (0 [0, 800] mL vs. 0 [0, 0] mL, U = 319.000, P = 0.004), higher percentage of open operative approach (76.2% vs. 32.6%, χ = 11.015, P = 0.001), higher percentage of IVC resection (33.3% vs. 0%, χ = 17.122, P < 0.001), and higher percentage of post-operative complications (52.4% vs. 19.6%, χ = 7.415, P = 0.010) than patients with large tumors and low-level thrombus. In multivariate analysis, decreased hemoglobin (Hb) (odds ratio [OR]: 0.956, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.926-0.986, P = 0.005) and non-sarcomatoid differentiation (OR: 0.050, 95% CI: 0.004-0.664, P = 0.023) were more likely to form small tumors with high-level tumor thrombus rather than large tumor with small tumor thrombus. The estimated mean cancer-specific survival times of small tumor with high-level thrombus and large tumor with low-level thrombus were 31.6 ±â€Š3.8 months and 32.5 ±â€Š2.9 months, without statistical significance (P = 0.955). After univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard survival regression analyses, only distant metastasis (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.839, P = 0.002), sarcomatoid differentiation (HR: 7.923, P < 0.001), alkaline phosphatase (HR: 2.661, P = 0.025), and severe post-operative complications (HR: 10.326, P = 0.001) were independent predictors of prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: The level of the tumor thrombus was more important than the diameter of the primary kidney tumor in affecting the complexity of surgery. In the same T3 stage, neither the renal tumor diameter nor the tumor thrombus level was an independent risk factor for prognosis.

Nucleocapsid protein of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus antagonizes the antiviral activity of TRIM25 by interfering with TRIM25-mediated RIG-I ubiquitination.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is caused by PRRS virus (PRRSV), and is characterized by respiratory diseases in piglet and reproductive disorders in sow. Identification of sustainable and effective measures to mitigate PRRSV transmission is a pressing problem. The nucleocapsid (N) protein of PRRSV plays a crucial role in inhibiting host innate immunity during PRRSV infection. In the current study, a new host-restricted factor, tripartite motif protein 25 (TRIM25), was identified as an inhibitor of PRRSV replication. Co-immunoprecipitation assay indicated that the PRRSV N protein interferes with TRIM25-RIG-I interactions by competitively interacting with TRIM25. Furthermore, N protein inhibits the expression of TRIM25 and TRIM25-mediated RIG-I ubiquitination to suppress interferon ß production. Furthermore, with increasing TRIM25 expression, the inhibitory effect of N protein on the ubiquitination of RIG-I diminished. These results indicate for the first time that TRIM25 inhibits PRRSV replication and that the N protein antagonizes the antiviral activity by interfering with TRIM25-mediated RIG-I ubiquitination. This not only provides a theoretical basis for the development of drugs to control PRRSV replication, but also better explains the mechanism through which the PRRSV N protein inhibits innate immune responses of the host.

Long non-coding RNA HOTAIR mediates the switching of histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation to methylation to promote epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in gastric cancer.

HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR), a well­known long non­coding RNA, plays an important role in the regulation of epithelial­to­mesenchymal transition (EMT). In this study, we propose a novel mechanism through which HOTAIR promotes EMT by switching histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation to methylation at the E­cadherin promoter, which induces the transcriptional inhibition of E­cadherin. HOTAIR recruits polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) to catalyze H3K27me3; however, whether HOTAIR is associated with the acetylation of histone H3 lysine 27, a marker of transcriptional activation, and the mechanisms through which HOTAIR triggers the metastasis of gastric cancer (GC) by epigenetic regulation remain largely unknown. In this study, HOTAIR knockdown significantly reversed EMT by increasing the expression of E­cadherin in GC cells. Additionally, the loss of PRC2 activity induced by HOTAIR knockdown resulted in a global decrease in H3K27 methylation and an increase in H3K27 acetylation. Furthermore, HOTAIR recruits PRC2 (which consists of H3K27 methyltransferase EZH2, SUZ12 and EED), which may inhibit the reaction between the acetyltransferase CBP and H3K27 acetylation. On the whole, the findings of this study suggested that the HOTAIR­mediated acetylation to methylation switch was associated with the transcriptional inhibition of E­cadherin. HOTAIR can promote the development of GC through the epigenetic regulation of E­cadherin, switching the state of the E­cadherin promoter from the transcriptionally active to the transcriptionally repressive state.

MOV10 inhibits replication of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus by retaining viral nucleocapsid protein in the cytoplasm of Marc-145 cells.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has been a major threat to global industrial pig farming ever since its emergence in the late 1980s. Identification of sustainable and effective control measures against PRRSV transmission is a pressing problem. The nucleocapsid (N) protein of PRRSV is specifically localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus of virus-infected cells which is important for PRRSV replication. In the current study, a new host restricted factor, Moloney leukemia virus 10-like protein (MOV10), was identified as an inhibitor of PRRSV replication. N protein levels and viral replication were significantly reduced in Marc-145 cells stably overexpressing MOV10 compared with those in wild-type Marc-145 cells. Adsorption experiments revealed that MOV10 did not affect the attachment and internalization of PRRSV. Co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence co-localization analyses showed that MOV10 interacted and co-localized with the PRRSV N protein in the cytoplasm. Notably, MOV10 affected the distribution of N protein in the cytoplasm and nucleus, leading to the retention of N protein in the former. Taken together, these findings demonstrate for the first time that MOV10 inhibits PRRSV replication by restricting the nuclear import of N protein. These observations have great implications for the development of anti-PRRSV drugs and provide new insight into the role of N protein in PRRSV biology.

The relationship between preoperative psychological evaluation and compensatory sweating.

BACKGROUND: This study analyzes the relationship between preoperative psychological states of primary palmar hyperhidrosis patients and postoperative compensatory sweating. METHODS: We evaluated the psychological states of patients with primary palmar hyperhidrosis who received sympathectomy in our hospital from 2016 to 2017. The relationship between preoperative psychological states and postoperative compensatory sweating were assessed using Spearman's rank-order correlation. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients who received R4 + R3 bypass transection accepted the preoperative questionnaire survey; 35 were males and 20 were females. The average age was 24.0 ± 6.3 years (range, 14-44 years). Depression symptoms were present in 21.9% (12/55) of the patients; the incidence of anxiety was almost similar, at 23.7% (13/55). Compensatory sweating occurred in 67.3% (37/55) of the patients; of these, 56.4% (31/55) was mild and 10.9% (6/55) was moderate. None of the patients had severe compensatory sweating. There was no significant relationship between the scores of SDS, SAS, and the incidence of postoperative compensatory sweating (P>0.05). However, the psychoticism scale displayed a strong impact on the degree of compensatory sweating (P<0.05). The higher the degree of psychoticism scale, the more serious the degree of compensatory sweating. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that patients with primary palmar hyperhidrosis are more likely to have mild or moderate mental disorders, and that postoperative compensatory sweating may impact the satisfaction of surgery. In addition, the personality characteristics of patients are related to compensatory sweating.

The Wnt/ß-catenin and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways promote EMT in gastric cancer by epigenetic regulation via H3 lysine 27 acetylation.

In this study, we investigated the underlying mechanism of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt- and Wnt/ß-catenin-mediated promotion of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition by epigenetic regulation of histone acetylation in gastric cancer. First, we used immunohistochemistry to detect the expression of phosphorylated Akt, phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta, and ß-catenin in gastric cancer tissues and adjacent tissues. In addition, we confirmed that the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathways were correlated with tumorigenesis, progression, and maintenance of gastric cancer using the phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 and an inhibitor of the ß-catenin/TCF4 complex, FH535. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-related gene expression was measured by western blotting and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assays. Furthermore, we detected the acetylation of histone H3 lysine 4 and lysine 27 using the FH535 and LY294002 inhibitors at different concentrations for 24 and 48 h. Finally, chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect the specific binding of H3K27ac to the promoter of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-related factor, Twist. Taken together, abnormal activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway was correlated with the gastric cancer progression and contributed to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition regulation by controlling histone acetylation.

Using the entrapment sequence method as a standard to evaluate key steps of proteomics data analysis process.

BACKGROUND: The mass spectrometry based technical pipeline has provided a high-throughput, high-sensitivity and high-resolution platform for post-genomic biology. Varied models and algorithms are implemented by different tools to improve proteomics data analysis. The target-decoy searching strategy has become the most popular strategy to control false identification in peptide and protein identifications. While this strategy can estimate the false discovery rate (FDR) within a dataset, it cannot directly evaluate the false positive matches in target identifications. RESULTS: As a supplement to target-decoy strategy, the entrapment sequence method was introduced to assess the key steps of mass spectrometry data analysis process, database search engines and quality control methods. Using the entrapment sequences as the standard, we evaluated five database search engines for both the origanal scores and reprocessed scores, as well as four quality control methods in term of quantity and quality aspects. Our results showed that the latest developed search engine MS-GF+ and percolator-embeded quality control method PepDistiller performed best in all tools respectively. Combined with efficient quality control methods, the search engines can improve the low sensitivity of their original scores. Moreover, based on the entrapment sequence method, we proved that filtering the identifications separately could increase the number of identified peptides while improving the confidence level. CONCLUSION: In this study, we have proved that the entrapment sequence method could be an useful strategy to assess the key steps of the mass spectrometry data analysis process. Its applications can be extended to all steps of the common workflow, such as the protein assembling methods and data integration methods.

Site-directed topical lidocaine spray attenuates perioperative respiratory adverse events in children undergoing elective surgery.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative respiratory adverse events (PRAEs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality associated with pediatric anesthesia. Topical lidocaine administration reduces risk of PRAE in children undergoing elective endotracheal intubation. However, definitive evidence of its efficacy remains elusive, due, in part, to the wide variability in the methodology for spraying topical lidocaine. In this randomized controlled double-blind clinical trial, we sought to evaluate the effect of site-directed topical airway lidocaine, sprayed directly onto supraglottic, glottis, and subglottic areas, on the incidence of PRAE. METHODS: The study population consisted of 322 children (age range, 6 mo-12 y), who were scheduled for an elective surgical procedure under general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation. Patients were randomly assigned to receive topical spray of lidocaine (group L) or saline (group S) over the supraglottic, glottis and subglottic areas under direct vision before tracheal intubation. Incidence of PRAE and time to extubation was recorded. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant intergroup differences with regard to baseline demographics, patient characteristics, and surgical parameters. Group L was associated with a significantly lower incidence of PRAE as compared with group S (12.80% versus 38.13%, respectively; P < 0.001). Similarly, the incidence of laryngospasm (1.7% versus 8.1%; P = 0.01), excessive coughing (4.3% versus 13.2%; P = 0.005), and oxygen desaturation <95% (6.8% versus 16.9%; P = 0.005), respectively, was significantly lower in group L. However, time to extubation was longer in group L as compared with that in group S (18.6 ± 7.7 min versus 21.3 ± 8.9 min; P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Site-directed topical spray of lidocaine over supraglottic, glottis, and subglottic areas before tracheal intubation significantly reduced the incidence of PRAE and a prolongation of extubation time in children.

Investigation on the protein-binding properties of icotinib by spectroscopic and molecular modeling method.

Icotinib is a highly-selective epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor with preclinical and clinical activity in non-small cell lung cancer, which has been developed as a new targeted anti-tumor drug in China. In this work, the interaction of icotinib and human serum albumin (HSA) were studied by three-dimensional fluorescence spectra, ultraviolet spectra, circular dichroism (CD) spectra, molecular probe and molecular modeling methods. The results showed that icotinib binds to Sudlow's site I in subdomain IIA of HSA molecule, resulting in icotinib-HSA complexes formed at ground state. The number of binding sites, equilibrium constants, and thermodynamic parameters of the reaction were calculated at different temperatures. The negative enthalpy change (ΔH(θ)) and entropy change (ΔS(θ)) indicated that the structure of new complexes was stabilized by hydrogen bonds and van der Waals power. The distance between donor and acceptor was calculated according to Förster's non-radiation resonance energy transfer theory. The structural changes of HSA caused by icotinib binding were detected by synchronous spectra and circular dichroism (CD) spectra. Molecular modeling method was employed to unfold full details of the interaction at molecular level, most of which could be supported by experimental results. The study analyzed the probability that serum albumins act as carriers for this new anticarcinogen and provided fundamental information on the process of delivering icotinib to its target tissues, which might be helpful in understanding the mechanism of icotinib in cancer therapy.

Antidepressant-like and anti-oxidative efficacy of Campsis grandiflora flower.

OBJECTIVES: Our study aimed to investigate the antidepressant-like effect of ethyl acetate extract of the flowers of Campsis grandiflora (EFCG) in a mice model of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). METHODS: HPLC-Q-TOF-MS was used to identify the chemical constituents of EFCG. The DPPH assay and ABTS radical-scavenging assay were performed to measure the antioxidant properties. The protective properties of EFCG against H2 O2 -induced oxidative damage were analysed in PC12 cells. The changes of behaviour profiles were investigated by using open-field test, sucrose preference test, forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). Brain tissue samples of mice were collected, and antioxidative measure levels were measured. KEY FINDINGS: The result showed that EFCG had the most active anti-oxidative effect and the protective effect against H2 O2 oxidative injury in PC12 cells. Treatment with the EFCG significantly reduced the depressant-like severity and immobility period as compared with untreated CUMS mice in FST and TST. Moreover, EFCG significantly elevated the contents of superoxide dismutase, Glutathione Peroxidase and decreased the contents of Malonaldehyde (MDA) in mice brain. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found first the antidepressant activity of the EFCG. The results suggested the therapeutic potential of EFCG for depressive disorder.

Predictive value of vascular endothelial growth factor polymorphisms on the clinical outcome of renal cell carcinoma patients.

A cohort study was conducted to investigate the association between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) polymorphisms -2578C/A, -1154G/A and -634C/G and the clinical outcome of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), as well as the interaction of VEGF polymorphisms with tumor stage, metastasis and size. A total of 310 RCC patients were recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Zhengzhou, China) between January 2006 and December 2007, and were followed up until December 2012. The association between the three single nucleotide polymorphisms and the overall survival of RCC patients was estimated using Cox's proportional hazard regression model. The median follow-up duration was 34.7 months and 74 of the RCC patients succumbed due to cancer during the follow-up period. The frequency of the VEGF -2578 AA genotype was significantly higher in patients classed as tumor stages III-IV (odds ratio [OR], 0.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.24-0.95) and larger tumors (longest diameter, >4 cm; OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.22-0.89). Furthermore, the frequency of VEGF -634 GG was significantly higher in patients with larger tumors (longest diameter, >4 cm; OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.48-0.97). The VEGF -2578 AA genotype was correlated with a 2.96-fold increase in the risk of RCC-associated mortality and was associated with a five-year survival rate of ~25%. Therefore, the present study identified that the VEGF -2578C/A polymorphism may be associated with the prognosis of RCC patients, and may interact with the tumor stage and size.

Comparative analysis of vestibular receptor and baroreceptor inputs to the nucleus tractus solitarius following acute hypotension in conscious rats.

Blood pressure is maintained by the interaction between the arterial baroreflexes and the vestibulo-cardiovascular reflexes during postural changes. In this study, the influence of the vestibular receptors on the maintenance of blood pressure following acute hypotension was quantitatively compared with the role of baroreceptors in terms of c-Fos protein expression in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). Expression of c-Fos protein in the NTS was measured in conscious rats that had undergone bilateral labyrinthectomy (BL) and/or sinoaortic denervation (SAD). Expression of c-Fos protein increased significantly in the NTS in the sham group after sodium nitroprusside (SNP) administration. However, the BL, SAD, and SAD+BL groups showed significant decreases in c-Fos protein expression compared to that of the sham group. The SAD group showed relatively more reduction in c-Fos protein expression than the BL group, and the SAD+BL group showed the least expression among the three experimental groups. The c-Fos protein expression in the NTS following acute hypotension was localized to the caudal portions of the nuclei in the BL and SAD groups. These results suggest that the role of vestibular receptors in maintaining blood pressure following acute hypotension is less potent than that of the baroreceptors but more potent than other afferent inputs in conscious rats. In addition, afferent signals for maintaining blood pressure originating from the vestibular receptors and the baroreceptors may converge in the caudal portion of the NTS.

Influence of laparoscopic carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum on neonate circulation and respiration.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the influence of laparoscopic carbon dioxide (CO2) pneumoperitoneum on neonate circulation and respiration. METHODS: The study included neonates undergoing elective laparoscopic abdominal surgery. CO2 insufflation pressure was maintained within 8-14 mmHg for pneumoperitoneum creation. Heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2), partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide (P ETCO2) and maximum inspiratory pressure were monitored continuously. Arterial blood samples were collected: 5 min before pneumoperitoneum creation (baseline); 5, 10, and 20 min after CO2 insufflation; 10 min after CO2 exsufflation; 10 min after surgery. pH, partial pressure of CO2 (PaCO2) and arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) were also measured. RESULTS: Thirty-six neonates were included. HR and MAP significantly increased after pneumoperitoneum creation, then decreased to baseline after CO2 exsufflation. PaCO2 and P ETCO2 were significantly higher after pneumoperitoneum creation, whereas pH was significantly lower 20 min after pneumoperitoneum creation compared with baseline. No significant differences were observed in SpO2 and SaO2. CONCLUSION: CO2 pneumoperitoneum had a significant effect on neonatal circulation and respiration, suggesting that the pneumoperitoneal pressure should be limited within a certain range in neonates undergoing laparoscopic surgery.