A recombination-resistant genome for live attenuated and stable PEDV vaccines by engineering the transcriptional regulatory sequences.

IMPORTANCE: Coronaviruses are important pathogens of humans and animals, and vaccine developments against them are imperative. Due to the ability to induce broad and prolonged protective immunity and the convenient administration routes, live attenuated vaccines (LAVs) are promising arms for controlling the deadly coronavirus infections. However, potential recombination events between vaccine and field strains raise a safety concern for LAVs. The porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) remodeled TRS (RMT) mutant generated in this study replicated efficiently in both cell culture and in pigs and retained protective immunogenicity against PEDV challenge in pigs. Furthermore, the RMT PEDV was resistant to recombination and genetically stable. Therefore, RMT PEDV can be further optimized as a backbone for the development of safe LAVs.

Prospective findings from the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort: Exposure to various metals, the expression of microRNA-4286, and the incidence of acute coronary syndrome.

Mounting evidence suggests that metal/metalloid exposure is related to the adverse health effects. Our prior investigation revealed a positive relation between the plasma level of microRNA-4286 (miR-4286) and an increased risk of developing acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, it is a lack of studies evaluating the connection between metal/metalloid exposure and miRNA expression on ACS. In the prospective Dongfeng-Tongji cohort, we performed a nested case-control study. A total of 480 ACS and 480 controls were carefully selected based on similar age, sex, and blood collection time. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, we assessed the plasma concentrations of 24 different metals. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze the plasma miR-4286. We examined the relations of plasma metals with miR-4286 levels, the incidence of ACS, and the potential interactions. Using the multivariate conditional logistic regression models, we observed that the adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals [CI]) for incident ACS were 1.79 (1.03, 3.12; P-trend = 0.03), 0.60 (0.41, 0.87; P-trend = 0.008), and 0.66 (0.46, 0.93; P-trend = 0.02), when comparing the extreme tertiles of aluminum, rubidium, and selenium, respectively. There was a relation between the concentration of rubidium in plasma and a decrease in the level of plasma miR-4286 (percent difference [95% CI]: -13.36% [-22.74%, -2.83%]; P-trend = 0.01). Both multiplicative (P interaction = 0.009) and additive interactions (relative excess risk due to interaction [95% CI]: 0.82 [0.59, 1.06]) were noted in our observation regarding the relationship between plasma aluminum and miR-4286 in incident ACS. The findings indicated that plasma aluminum was positively while plasma rubidium and selenium were negatively linked to an increased risk of developing ACS. Plasma aluminum exposure and plasma miR-4286 expression might synergistically affect the incident ACS risk. Controlling aluminum exposure was important for ACS prevention, especially for individuals with high expression of plasma miR-4286.

Association between serum vitamin D level and Graves' disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis aims to analyze the relationship between serum vitamin D (VD) levels and Graves' disease (GD). METHODS: We conducted a search for publications on VD and GD in the English language. Our search encompassed databases such as PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, covering publications available through August 2023. A meta-analysis was performed using Cochrane RevMan 5.4 software. The standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used for outcome calculation. We used R software to test for publication bias. RESULTS: Twelve studies were selected, comprising 937 (22.4%) cases with GD and 3254 (77.6%) controls. The overall meta-analysis revealed that patients with GD are significantly more likely to have low VD levels (SMD = - 0.66; 95% CI: -1.05, - 0.27; p = 0.001) than those in the control group. Egger's test results indicated no publication bias (p = 0.0791). These studies exhibited a high degree of heterogeneity (chi-square = 205.86, p < 0.00001; I2 = 95%). Subgroup analysis was conducted based on assay method, geographic location, and mean age of the case group to explore the heterogeneity sources. Assay methods and geographic locations were identified as potential heterogeneity sources. Based on the mean age, there were no statistically significant differences found in the subgroup analysis of the included studies. CONCLUSION: There is promising evidence that low serum VD levels may increase the risk of GD. Further rigorous and long-term trials are needed to explore the role of VD in the onset and treatment of GD.

Luteolin: A promising multifunctional natural flavonoid for human diseases.

Natural products are closely associated with human health. Luteolin (LUT), a flavonoid polyphenolic compound, is widely found in fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs. It is noteworthy that LUT exhibits a variety of beneficial pharmacological properties and holds significant potential for clinical applications, particularly in antitumor, anti-convulsion, diabetes control, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotection, anti-oxidation, anti-cardiovascular, and other aspects. The potential mechanism of action has been partially elucidated, including the mediation of NF-κB, toll-like receptor, MAPK, Wnt/ß-catenin, PI3K/Akt, AMPK/mTOR, and Nrf-2, among others. The review that aimed to comprehensively consolidate essential information on natural sources, pharmacological effects, therapeutic and preventive potential, as well as potential mechanisms of LUT. The objective is to establish a theoretical basis for the continued development and application of LUT.

11B NMR of the Morphological Evolution of Traditional Chinese Medicine Borax.

This article applies nuclear magnetic resonance technology to the study of boron-containing traditional Chinese medicine, in order to explore the morphological evolution of boron elements in traditional Chinese medicine. Borax is a traditional Chinese medicine with anti-corrosion, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anticonvulsant effects. It is made by boiling, removing stones, and drying borax minerals like borate salts. This article introduces an 11B nuclear magnetic resonance method for identifying and characterizing boron-containing compounds in TCM. We applied this technology to borax aqueous solutions in different chemical environments and found that with boron mixed in the form of SP2 hybridization in equilateral triangles and SP3 hybridization in equilateral tetrahedra, the pH changes in alkaline environments significantly affected the ratio of the two. At the same time, it was found that in addition to the raw material peak, boron signals of other boron-containing compounds were also detected in 20 commercially available boron-containing TCM preparations. These new boron-containing compounds may be true pharmaceutical active ingredients, and adding them directly to the formula can improve quality and safety. This article describes the detection of 11B NMR in boron-containing traditional Chinese medicine preparations. It is simple, non-destructive, and can provide chemical fingerprint studies for boron-containing traditional Chinese medicine.

Mutations in Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus nsp1 Cause Increased Viral Sensitivity to Host Interferon Responses and Attenuation In Vivo.

Coronavirus (CoV) nonstructural protein 1 (nsp1) inhibits cellular gene expression and antagonizes interferon (IFN) response. Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infects pigs and causes high mortality in neonatal piglets. We hypothesized that a recombinant PEDV carrying mutations at the conserved residues N93 and N95 of nsp1 induces higher IFN responses and is more sensitive to IFN responses, leading to virus attenuation. We mutated PEDV nsp1 N93 and N95 to A93 and A95 to generate the recombinant N93/95A virus using the infectious clone of a highly virulent PEDV strain, PC22A (icPC22A), and evaluated N93/95A virus in vitro and in vivo. Compared with icPC22A, the N93/95A mutant replicated to significantly lower infectious titers, triggered stronger type I and III IFN responses, and was more sensitive to IFN treatment in vitro. To evaluate the pathogenicity and immunogenicity, 5-day-old gnotobiotic piglets were orally inoculated with the N93/95A or icPC22A strain or mock inoculated and then challenged at 22 days postinoculation (dpi) with icPC22A. icPC22A in all pigs (100% [5/5]) caused severe diarrhea and death within 6 dpi. Only one pig (25% [1/4]) died in the N93/95A group. Compared with the icPC22A group, significantly delayed and diminished fecal PEDV shedding was detected in the N93/95A group. Postchallenge, all piglets in N93/95A group were protected from severe diarrhea and death, whereas all pigs in the mock-challenged group developed severe diarrhea, and 25% (1/4) of them died. In summary, nsp1 N93A and N95A mutations attenuated PEDV but retained viral immunogenicity and can be targets for the development of live attenuated vaccines for PEDV. IMPORTANCE PEDV causes porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) and remains a great threat to the swine industry worldwide because no effective vaccines are available yet. Safe and effective live attenuated vaccines can be designed using reverse genetics to induce lactogenic immunity in pregnant sows to protect piglets from the deadly PED. We found that an engineered PEDV mutant carrying N93A and N95A mutations of nsp1 was partially attenuated and remained immunogenic in neonatal pigs. Our study suggested that nsp1 N93 and N95 can be good targets for the rational design of live attenuated vaccines for PEDV using reverse genetics. Because CoV nsp1 is conserved among alphacoronaviruses (α-CoVs) and betacoronaviruses (ß-CoVs), it may be a good target for vaccine development for other α-CoVs or ß-CoVs.

Secretome of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell maintains skin homeostasis by regulating multiple skin physiological function.

Skin is the largest organ in the body and the first defense to resist various diseases and external stimuli that easily cause infection and inflammation. Aseptic inflammation, barrier damage, and foreign aid pressure induce the destruction and damage to the skin microenvironment. Subsequently, it destroys the skin's physiological function, leading to the maintenance and circulation of steady-state imbalance and aggravating the process of skin disorders. Our study evaluated the therapeutic potential of the secretome of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-CM) for dermatological diseases in adult human skin cells, ex vivo skin tissue, and a 3D skin model. Our data suggested several advantages of UC-CM due to (1) their low cytotoxicity and sensitization properties; (2) their anti-inflammatory capacity for treating inflammatory chronic cutaneous diseases; (3) their enhanced capacity of the skin barrier for treating abnormal barrier metabolism; and (4) their positive impact on restoring skin homeostasis due to effective regulation ability of skin physiological function including cell apoptosis, detoxification, and anti-aging. We thus envisage that the possibility of harnessing the therapeutic potential of UC-CM might benefit patients suffering from inflammatory skin disorders such as atopic dermatitis, acne, and psoriasis.

The Application of Probe-Based Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy as a Diagnostic Tool in Choledochoscopic Gallbladder-Preserving Surgery.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Choledochoscopic gallbladder-preserving surgery (CGPS) has the advantage of treating benign gallbladder diseases on the premise of gallbladder preservation. However, it has no reliable preoperative diagnosis if the gallbladder is benign. Probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) can obtain real-time and clear endoscopic images at the cell level in vivo. It is widely used in the diagnosis of digestive system diseases, but not in gallbladder diseases yet. We applied these two technologies in a complementary way into the diagnosis of gallbladder diseases and thereby lifted the reliability of CGPS. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the total 28 patients with the indication of CGPS with intraoperative pCLE scan referred to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College between October 2019 and July 2020. The intraoperative pCLE results were compared with the postoperative pathology in various gallbladder diseases. RESULTS: We compared the intraoperative pCLE diagnosis with the postoperative pathological diagnosis and found a complete match without exception in both sensitivity and specificity. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our investigation, pCLE can provide the same accuracy as the traditional pathology in the diagnosis of gallbladder diseases with the additional advantages like noninvasive, real time, and instancy. This study serves to validate the correlation between CLE and histology. It holds a broad prospect in the application of pCLE as an intraoperative diagnosis in CGPS.

New Ionone Glycosides from the Aerial Parts of Allium sativum and Their Anti-Platelet Aggregation Activity.

The bulbs of Allium sativum known as garlic are widely used as food or seasoning. In China they have been used as a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) since ancient times for the treatment of scabies, tuberculosis, pertussis, diarrhea and dysentery. A. sativum has reportedly shown platelet aggregation inhibition and has been used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, there are only few studies focussing on the aerial parts, which are normally discarded during harvest. In this study, two new ionone glycosides, dasuanxinosides D and E (1, 2: ), are isolated from the aerial parts together with 13 known compounds including alkanes derivatives and alkyl glycosides (3 - 15: ), which are reported for the first time from this plant. Their structures are identified by extensive NMR and HRMS analyses. The isolated compounds are evaluated for their inhibitory effect on adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet aggregation in vitro.

Human sapovirus propagation in human cell lines supplemented with bile acids.

Human sapoviruses (HuSaVs) cause acute gastroenteritis similar to human noroviruses. Although HuSaVs were discovered four decades ago, no HuSaV has been grown in vitro, which has significantly impeded the understanding of viral biology and the development of antiviral strategies. In this study, we identified two susceptible human cell lines, that originated from testis and duodenum, that support HuSaV replication and found that replication requires bile acids. HuSaVs replicated more efficiently in the duodenum cell line, and viral RNA levels increased up to ∼6 log10-fold. We also detected double-stranded RNA, viral nonstructural and structural proteins in the cell cultures, and intact HuSaV particles. We confirmed the infectivity of progeny viruses released into the cell culture supernatants by passaging. These results indicate the successful growth of HuSaVs in vitro. Additionally, we determined the minimum infectious dose and tested the sensitivities of HuSaV GI.1 and GII.3 to heat and ultraviolet treatments. This system is inexpensive, scalable, and reproducible in different laboratories, and can be used to investigate mechanisms of HuSaV replication and to evaluate antivirals and/or disinfection methods for HuSaVs.

Neuroprotective Iridoids and Lignans from Valeriana amurensis.

Valeriana amurensis (V. amurensis) is widely distributed in Northeast China. In addition to medicines, it has also been used to prepare food, wine, tobacco, cosmetics, perfume, and functional foods. Other studies have investigated the neuroprotective effects of V. amurensis extract. As the therapeutic basis, the active constituents should be further evaluated. In this paper, six new compounds (1-6) were isolated, including five iridoids (Xiecaoiridoidside A-E) and one bisepoxylignan (Xiecaolignanside A), as well as six known compounds (7-12). The neuroprotective effects of 1-12 were also investigated with amyloid ß protein 1-42 (Aß1-42)-induced injury to rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. As a result, iridoids 1 and 2 and lignans 6, 8, and 9 could markedly maintain the cells' viability by 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay.

Metabolomics and Lipidomics Study Unveils the Impact of Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid on Hyperlipidemic Mice.

Bear bile powder is an essential, traditional and valuable Chinese herbal medicine that clears heat, calms the liver, and improves eyesight. Early studies have shown that bear bile powder has lipid-lowering activity, but due to the scarcity of natural bear bile powder resources, it has yet to be used on a large scale. Researchers have found that tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) is the primary characteristic bioactive substance of bear bile powder. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of TUDCA on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hyperlipidemia. A hyperlipidemia model was established by feeding mice high-fat chow, following the intervention of different concentrations of TUDCA (25/50/100 mg/kg) orally, the hallmark biochemical indexes (total cholesterol (TC), total triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)), histopathological examination (hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and oil red O (ORO) staining), and metabolomic analysis of serum and liver. The results showed that TUDCA could downregulate total TC, TG, LDL-C, upregulate HDL-C, reduce fat deposition in hepatocytes, reverse hepatocyte steatosis, and exhibit prominent lipid-lowering activity. In addition, it may play a therapeutic role by regulating glycerophospholipid metabolism.

Saikosaponin A and Its Epimers Alleviate LPS-Induced Acute Lung Injury in Mice.

The purpose of this work was to illustrate the effect of processing with vinegar on saikosaponins of Bupleurum chinense DC. (BC) and the protective effects of saikosaponin A (SSA), saikosaponin b1 (SSb1), saikosaponin b2 (SSb2), and saikosaponin D (SSD) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) mice. We comprehensively evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects and potential mechanisms of SSA, SSb1, SSb2, and SSD through an LPS-induced ALI model using intratracheal injection. The results showed that SSA, SSb1, SSb2, and SSD significantly decreased pulmonary edema; reduced the levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1ß in serum and lung tissues; alleviated pulmonary pathological damage; and decreased the levels of the IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1ß genes and the expression of NF-κB/TLR4-related proteins. Interestingly, they were similar in structure, but SSb2 had a better anti-inflammatory effect at the same dose, according to a principal component analysis. These findings indicated that it may not have been comprehensive to only use SSA and SSD as indicators to evaluate the quality of BC, especially as the contents of SSb1 and SSb2 in vinegar-processed BC were significantly increased.

The traditional herb Polygonum hydropiper from China: a comprehensive review on phytochemistry, pharmacological activities and applications.

CONTEXT: Polygonum hydropiper L. (Polygonaceae) (PH) is a traditional Chinese traditional medicine with a pungent flavor and mild drug properties. PH is mainly distributed in the channel tropism in the stomach and large intestine. PH has multiple uses and can be used to treat a variety of diseases for a long time. OBJECTIVE: This review summarizes the phytochemical and pharmacological activities, and applications of PH from 1980 to 2022. We also provide suggestions for promoting further research and developing additional applications of PH. METHODS: The data and information on PH from 1980 to 2022 reviewed in this article were obtained from scientific databases, including Science Direct, PubMed, Science Citation Index, SciFinder Scholar (SciFinder), Springer, American Chemical Society (ACS) Publications, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), etc. Some information was obtained from classic literature on traditional Chinese medicines. The search terms were Polygonum hydropiper, phytochemistry compositions of Polygonum hydropiper, pharmacological activities of Polygonum hydropiper, and applications of Polygonum hydropiper. RESULTS: The comprehensive analysis of the literature resulted in 324 compounds being isolated, identified, and reported from PH. Regarding traditional uses, the majority of phytochemical and pharmacological studies have indicated the diverse bioactivities of PH extracts, flavonoids, and volatile oil elements, including antibacterial, antifungal, insecticidal, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. CONCLUSIONS: PH has a long history of diversified medicinal uses, some of which have been verified in modern pharmacological studies. Further detailed studies are required to establish scientific and reasonable quality evaluation standards and action mechanisms of active constituents from PH.

Myd88 knockdown with RNA interference induces in vitro immune hyporesponsiveness in dendritic cells from rhesus monkeys.

Immature dendritic cells (imDCs) are activated and mature to initiate an adaptive immune response, resulting in allograft rejection and transplantation failure. Myeloid differentiation factor 88 (Myd88) is a key factor in the Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway. Here, we investigated the effect of Myd88 silencing on DC function and immune response. CD34 + cells were isolated from the bone marrow of rhesus monkeys by the immunomagnetic bead method and then infected with an adenovirus expressing Myd88-specific short hairpin RNA (sh-Myd88). sh-NC (nontargeting negative control)- or sh-Myd88-infected DCs were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for another 48 h to induce DCS maturation. The maturation of DCs was identified by immunofluorescence staining for MHCII, CD80, and CD86. DC apoptosis was examined using Annexin V/PI staining. DC-related cytokine levels (IFN-γ and IL-12) were assessed by ELISA. A mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) was performed to test the effect of Myd88-silenced DCs on T lymphocytes in vitro. The results showed that compared with control or sh-NC-infected DCs, Myd88-silenced DCs had lower MHCII, CD80, CD86, and DC-related cytokine (IFN-γ and IL-12) levels. Myd88 did not affect the apoptosis of DCs. MLR demonstrated that Myd88 silencing could effectively block LPS-activated T cell proliferation in vitro. These data were consistent with the characteristics of tolerogenic DCs. In conclusion, our data indicated that Myd88 silencing could inhibit the maturation of imDCs and alleviate immune rejection, which provides a reference for immune tolerance in clinical liver transplantation.

SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV encode circular RNAs of spliceosome-independent origin.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a newly recognized component of the transcriptome with critical roles in autoimmune diseases and viral pathogenesis. To address the importance of circRNA in RNA viral transcriptome, we systematically identified and characterized circRNAs encoded by the RNA genomes of betacoronaviruses using both bioinformatical and experimental approaches. We predicted 351, 224, and 2764 circRNAs derived from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), SARS-CoV, and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, respectively. We experimentally identified 75 potential SARS-CoV-2 circRNAs from RNA samples extracted from SARS-CoV-2-infected Vero E6 cells. A systematic comparison of viral and host circRNA features, including abundance, strand preference, length distribution, circular exon numbers, and breakpoint sequences, demonstrated that coronavirus-derived circRNAs had a spliceosome-independent origin. We further showed that back-splice junctions (BSJs) captured by inverse reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction have different level of resistance to RNase R. Through northern blotting with a BSJ-spanning probe targeting N gene, we identified three RNase R-resistant bands that represent SARS-CoV-2 circRNAs that are detected cytoplasmic by single-molecule and amplified fluorescence in situ hybridization assays. Lastly, analyses of 169 sequenced BSJs showed that both back-splice and forward-splice junctions were flanked by homologous and reverse complementary sequences, including but not limited to the canonical transcriptional regulatory sequences. Our findings highlight circRNAs as an important component of the coronavirus transcriptome, offer important evaluation of bioinformatic tools in the analysis of circRNAs from an RNA genome, and shed light on the mechanism of discontinuous RNA synthesis.

Risk of vigabatrin-associated brain abnormalities on MRI: A retrospective and controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: Vigabatrin (VGB) is the first-line treatment for infantile spasms (IS). Previous studies have shown that VGB exposure may cause vigabatrin-associated brain abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (VABAM). Based on previous studies, this study aimed to go further to explore the possible risk factors and the incidence of VABAM. In addition, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) were compared to explore whether DWI should be used as a routine examination sequence when MRI is performed in children receiving VGB. METHODS: Children with IS receiving VGB were selected as the study subjects. Whether VABAM occurred or not was categorized as the VABAM group and the non-VABAM group, respectively. Their general clinical data and medication exposure were collected. The possible risk factors of VABAM and different MRI sequences were compared and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 77 children with IS were enrolled in the study, of which 25 (32.5%) developed VABAM. Twenty-three of the 25 VABAM cases have a peak dosage of VGB between 50 and 150 mg/kg/day. The earliest observation time of VABAM was 30 days. Regression analysis of relevant risk factors showed that the peak dosage of VGB was the risk factor for VABAM. Comparison between different MRI sequences showed that DWI is more sensitive than T2WI to the evaluation of VABAM. SIGNIFICANCE: In our study, the occurrence of VABAM was 32.5%, indicating a higher incidence than in most previous reports. In addition, we once again verified that the peak dosage of VGB was the risk factor of VABAM. Caution should be exercised that our data also suggest that VABAM may occur even using the conventional dosage of VGB (ie, 50-150 mg/kg/day). Therefore, even when using the conventional dosage of VGB, regular MRI examination should be required. Furthermore, DWI sequence should be used as a routine examination sequence when MRI is performed in children with IS who are receiving VGB.

Isolation and characterization of a SARS-CoV-2 variant with a Q677H mutation in the spike protein.

We isolated 20 SARS-CoV-2 strains from positive clinical samples collected in Columbus, Ohio, and investigated the replication of one pair of isolates: a clade 20G strain and a variant of this strain carrying a Q677H mutation in the spike protein and six other amino acid mutations. The OSU.20G variant replicated to a higher peak infectious titer than the 20G base strain in Vero-E6 cells, but the titers were similar when both strains were grown in Calu-3 cells. These results suggest that the OSU.20G variant has increased replication fitness compared to the 20G base strain. This may have contributed to its emergence in December 2020-January 2021.

Long-term administration of sirolimus does not affect the physical development of children with tuberous sclerosis complex.

PURPOSE: There was no evidence whether the mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway hyperactivation and long-term use of mTOR inhibitors have any effects on the physical development of children. The aim was to evaluate these effects by comparing the physical development of children with TSC and normal children. METHODS: A total of 120 eligible children were enrolled. They were administered sirolimus and followed for at least 12 months. Height, weight, BMI and lipid metabolism index were collected during treatment. Pearson's chi-square and Fisher's exact test were used for comparison of proportions of patients exhibiting normal and abnormal physical growth before and after 1 year of treatment. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the influence of age, sex and abnormal lipid metabolism on the increased BMIs of TSC patients after treatment. RESULTS: Most of the enrolled TSC children were in the normal height, weight and BMI ranges at baseline (91.7%, 95.8% and 78.3%, respectively). Most remained in the normal height, weight and BMI ranges after 1 year of sirolimus treatment (94.2%, 95% and 76.7%, respectively). There was no significant difference in the proportion of physical development before and after treatment (p > 0.05). Thirty-eight (38/106, 35.8%) patients had increased BMIs after 1 year of treatment, but there was no significant correlation between age, sex and lipid metabolism and increased BMI. CONCLUSIONS: Overactivation of the mTOR pathway and long-term administration of sirolimus does not affect the physical development of children with TSC.

[Metabolomic profiling reveals blood-tonifying effect of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata based on theory of activating spleen and generating blood].

Based on the theory of activating spleen and generating blood, this study explored the effect of Rehmanniae Radix Prae-parata on the spleen metabolome of the rat model with blood deficiency syndrome.The rat model of blood deficiency syndrome was established by combining with cyclophosphamide(CTX) and N-acetyl-phenylhydrazine(APH), and the metabolomes of the spleen samples were analyzed with ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS).Principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) were carried out for the metabolite profiles of spleen samples.The MEV heatmap and metabolic network were established based on the potential biomarkers.Finally, the blood routine indexes were combined with the metabolomic profile to reveal the mechanism of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata in activating spleen and generating blood.The treatment with CTX and APH decreased the blood routine indexes such as white blood cell count(WBC), red blood cell count(RBC), platelet(PLT), and hematocrit(HCT), indicating that the rat model of blood deficiency syndrome was successfully established.The administration of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata significantly improved the blood routine indexes, which suggested that Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata played a role in replenishing blood.In addition, the metabolomics analysis identified 41 potential biomarkers.The PCA and MEV heatmap also showed significant improvement effect of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata on the spleen metabolic profile.These potential biomarkers were mainly involved in tricarboxylic acid cycle, niacin and nicotinamide metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, and sphingolipid metabolism.Therefore, we hypothesize that Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata may regulate energy metabolism, peripheral blood production, and oxidative injury of hemocytes to tonify blood.