Clinical significance of benign liver function abnormality / 临床肝胆病杂志

Biochemical liver function tests are important methods to determine liver function in clinical practice， but abnormal liver biochemical parameters are not completely equivalent to liver damage. Some genetic and immune factors can also cause abnormal liver biochemical parameters， but with good prognosis in most cases. This article summarizes the causes of some benign abnormal liver biochemical parameters， so as to help clinicians to broaden their thinking of diagnosis and treatment， take into account genetic and immune factors， and avoid misdiagnosis and mistreatment.

Analysis of phenotype formation mechanism of a new variety of Lonicera japonica Flos "Huajin 6" at long bud stage / 药学学报

Based on the long bud stage phenotype of a new Lonicera japonica Flos variety "Huajin 6", using "Huajin 6" and "Da Mao Hua" as materials, probing the mechanism of its phenotype formation. Detection of endogenous Jasmonic acid hormones (JAs) content; the genes related to jasmonic acid (JA) synthesis were identified by transcriptome analysis of Lonicera japonica; flower buds and flowers of "Huajin 6" and "Da Mao Hua" were collected at different periods, and the qRT-PCR (quantitative real-time PCR) technique was used to analyze the trend of the expression of synthesis-related enzyme genes in Lonicera japonica Flos during the bud stage. The study found that the content of JAs in "Huajin 6" Lonicera japonica Flos was significantly lower than that in "Da Mao Hua"; applying exogenous methyl-jasmonate (MeJA) to "Huajin 6" can restore its flowering phenotype, making it close to wild type Lonicera japonica Flos; there are significant differences in the expression of two allene oxide synthase genes (AOS), three lipoxygenase genes (LOX), and two allene oxide cyclase genes (AOC) in the flowers and buds of "Huajin 6" and "Da Mao Hua" at different periods. It is hypothesized that the low expression of JA synthesis-related enzyme genes in " Huajin 6" leads to the blockage of JA synthesis, which causes the formation of the long bud phenotype. This study laid a certain foundation for the genetic breeding of Lonicera japonica, provided a new idea for the improvement of Lonicera japonica varieties, and provided a reference for the study of JAs in plant flower organs.

Artificial intelligence recognition of bone marrow cells can be applied to diagnosis of minimal residual disease in acute leukemia / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective:To explore the diagnostic value and problems of artificial intelligence (AI) bone marrow cell recognition technology in the detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) of leukemia.Methods:A total of 65 cases with minimal residual disease of leukemia confirmed by flow cytometry from the Hematology Medical Center of Xinqiao Hospital affiliated to the Army Medical University (AMMU) from November 1 to December 31, 2020 were collected. The bone marrow Wright′s staining smears were obtained, and all bone marrow smears were scanned and classified automatically without artificial intervention by the analysis system based on Artificial Intelligence platform (morphogo). AI-MRD was defined to positive when the proportion of primary cells was more than 3%. According to the number of AI automatic recognition cells, the cases were divided into 18 cases of less than 500 (L500), 35 cases of 500 to 1900 (between 500 and 1900, B1900), and 12 cases of more than 1900 (M1900), no overlap or omission between groups. Kappa consistency test was performed on the results of artificial intelligence test and the results of flow cytometry for minimal residual disease of leukemia (MFC-MRD) in each group. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) of the artificial intelligence test results of each group of patients was drawn based on the MFC-MRD results, and the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the area under the curve (AUC) value and AI results were calculated.Results:After grouping according to the number of cells automatically recognized by AI, the detection results of L500 group were MFC-MRD+/AI-MRD+7 cases, MFC-MRD+/AI-MFC-2 cases, MFC-MRD-/AI-MRD+6 cases, MFC-MRD-/AI-MRD-3 cases; In B1900 group, MFC-MRD+/AI-MRD+13 cases, MFC-MRD+/AI-MFC-6 cases, MFC-MRD-/AI-MRD+6 cases, MFC-MRD-/AI-MRD-10 cases; The results of M1900 group were MFC-MRD+/AI-MRD+5 cases, MFC-MRD+/AI-MFC-0 cases, MFC-MRD-/AI-MRD+1 case, MFC-MRD-/AI-MRD-6 cases. Taking MFC-MRD as the determination standard, the sensitivity of AI-MRD detection in L500 group, B1900 group and M1900 group was 53.8%, 68.4% and 83.3%, the specificity was 60%, 62.5% and 100%, the accuracy was 55.6%, 65.7% and 91.7%, and the AUC value were 0.568 P=0.654, 0.678 P=0.069,1.000 P=0.000. Conclusions:This study preliminarily explored the diagnostic value and problems of AI bone marrow cell recognition in the detection of minimal residual disease of leukemia. It was confirmed that when 3% of the proportion of blasts in AI cell classification is set>3% as the positive threshold of AI-MRD, the consistency between AI and MFC-MRD detection increases with the increase of the number of cells recognized by AI.

Clinical efficacy of free deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap in repair of large wounds in upper limb / 中华显微外科杂志

Objective:To summarise the clinical efficacy of free deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap (DIEPF) in repairing large wounds in upper limb.Methods:From June 2016 to March 2022, free DIEPF repair surgery were performed for 9 cases with large defects in elbow, forearm and wrist in the Department of Hand Surgery, Xuzhou Renci Hospital. The patients were 3 males and 6 females at 36-65(average 50) years old. The sizes of defect ranged from 6.0 cm×7.0 cm to 25.0 cm×33.0 cm. Seven defects combined with radius-ulnar fracture, 4 with wrist fracture, 4 with metacarpal fracture and 1 with humerus fracture. All defects had various degrees of injuries of tendon, blood vessel and nerve. A total of 10 flaps were harvested, and the size of flaps were 7.0 cm×8.0 cm-12.0 cm×35.0 cm. Vessels in 7 flaps of 6 patients were anastomosed with unilateral vascular pedicles and 3 with bilateral vascular pedicles. End-to-end arterial anastomosis was performed on 1 flap, and the other 9 flaps of 8 patients had end-to-side arterial anastomoses. End-to-end vein anastomoses were performed on all flaps. Umbilical reconstruction was performed at the abdominal donor site for 3 patients, and all donor site wounds were closed in stage I surgery. Scheduled outpatient and WeChat follow-up were made after surgery.Results:Nine flaps in 8 patients survived successfully. Partial skin necrosis occurred in 1 flap and repaired by skin grafting. Follow-up lasted for 6 to 60 months(12 months in average). At the last follow-up, the colour of the flaps was found being similar to the surrounding skin with mildly bloated and soft in texture. Sensation of the flaps recovered to S 2 in 5 patients, and not detected in 4 cases. Conclusion:The free DIEPF has a relatively constant perforator and the flap can be used for repairing a large area of defect. The donor site wound can be closed in Ⅰ stage surgery. Free DIEPF is suitable for repair of large upper limb wounds.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of an artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis and treatment system for gastrointestinal endoscopy / 中华消化内镜杂志

Objective:To analyze the cost-effectiveness of a relatively mature artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted diagnosis and treatment system (ENDOANGEL) for gastrointestinal endoscopy in China, and to provide objective and effective data support for hospital acquisition decision.Methods:The number of gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures at the Endoscopy Center of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from January 2017 to December 2019 were collected to predict the procedures of gastrointestinal endoscopy during the service life (10 years) of ENDOANGEL. The net present value, payback period and average rate of return were used to analyze the cost-effectiveness of ENDOANGEL.Results:The net present value of an ENDOANGEL in the expected service life (10 years) was 6 724 100 yuan, the payback period was 1.10 years, and the average rate of return reached 147.84%.Conclusion:ENDOANGEL shows significant economic benefits, and it is reasonable for hospitals to acquire mature AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment system for gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Prenatal phenotypic analysis and genetic counseling for 22q11.21 microdeletion and microduplication syndrome / 中华围产医学杂志

Objective:To analyze the prenatal clinical phenotypes and pregnancy outcomes of fetuses with 22q11.21 microdeletion and microduplication syndrome to provide a basis for clinical genetic counseling.Methods:This retrospective study involved the cases diagnosed with 22q11.21 microdeletion or microduplication by chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) due to abnormal ultrasound findings, advanced maternal age, or high-risk pregnancies indicated by serum screening in the Prenatal Diagnosis Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from January 2015 to January 2022. Clinical phenotypes and pregnancy outcomes of the fetuses were analyzed and described.Results:Among 9 141 cases referred for CMA during the study period, 77 cases (0.8%) were diagnosed as 22q11.21 microdeletion or microduplication, including 62 (80.5%) with 22q11.21 microdeletion and 15 (19.5%) with microduplication. In the 22q11.21 microdeletion cases, 58 had typical deletion, and four had atypical deletions, but all fetuses carried TBX1 gene that was clearly associated with congenital heart disease. The 15 fetuses with 22q11.21 microduplication including 14 in the typical region and one in the atypical region. Forty-eight (77.4%) out of the 62 fetuses with 22q11.21 microdeletion were complicated by congenital heart defects, including 28 with conotruncal defects. Five of the 15 fetuses with 22q11.21 microduplication were complicated by congenital heart defects. The cases were followed up on telephone at three to six months after the expected date of delivery. Among the 62 cases with 22q11.21 microdeletion, 52 terminated pregnancies, five were lost to follow-up, and five were delivered (one died after one month of premature delivery, one was born with anal advancement and growth retardation, and three were followed up without obvious abnormality). Among the 15 cases with 22q11.21 microduplication, four terminated pregnancies, two were lost to follow-up, and nine gave birth (eight were followed up without obvious abnormality, one grew slowly). Conclusions:The application of CMA in the prenatal diagnosis of 22q11.21 microdeletion and microduplication fetuses, and the comprehensive analysis of clinical manifestations and pregnancy outcome combined with ultrasonic diagnosis are of great significance in guiding the treatment and rehabilitation after birth of an affected child. Genetic counseling for cases with 22q11.21 microdeletion and microduplication syndrome should be cautious and consider ultrasound findings.

Reference ranges and influencing factors of thyroid function in preterm infants at 14 d after birth / 中华围产医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the reference ranges for thyroid function and its influencing factors in preterm infants at 14 d after birth.Methods:This retrospective study involved 514 preterm infants who met the inclusion criteria in Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021. They were divided into three group according to their gestational age [early premature group (26-31 +6 weeks, n=153), middle premature group (32-33 +6 weeks, n=129) and late premature group (34-36 +6 weeks, n=232)] or birth weight (BW) [<1 500 g group ( n=129), 1 500-2 000 g group ( n=120) and ≥2 000 g group ( n=265)]. Venous blood samples were collected from the infants at 14 d after birth and their thyroid function was determined by chemiluminescence immunoassay. The reference values of free triiodothyronine (FT 3), free thyroxine (FT 4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were calculated based on the values of 95% confidence intervals ( CI) and expressed as percentiles in the range from P2.5 to P97.5. Mann-Whitney U test or Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to compare those thyroid hormone levels between groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used to study the correlation of gestational age or birth weight with FT 3, FT 4 and TSH levels. The factors influencing the levels of thyroid hormones were analyzed by multiple linear regression. Results:The reference ranges for FT 3, FT 4 and TSH were 1.53-3.72 pg/ml, 0.81-1.91 ng/dl and 1.32-7.80 μIU/ml in the early premature infants, 1.74-4.16 pg/ml, 0.90-2.82 ng/dl and 0.63-7.64 μIU/ml in middle prematures and 2.07-4.88 pg/ml, 1.09-2.27 ng/dl and 1.14-7.06 μIU/ml in late prematures. The reference ranges for the above three indexes were 1.53-4.06 pg/ml, 0.81-1.83 ng/dl and 1.14-7.84 μIU/ml in premature infants with BW<1 500 g, 1.67-3.98 pg/ml, 0.88-2.97 ng/dl and 0.94-7.64 μIU/ml in those whose BW between 1 500 g and 2 000 g and 1.91-4.75 pg/ml, 1.09-2.31 ng/dl and 1.14-6.32 μIU/ml in those whose BW≥2 000 g. Multiple linear regression showed that the level of FT 3 was positively correlated with gestational age ( β=0.119, P<0.05) and birth weight ( β=1.950×10 －4, P<0.05); that of FT 4 was positively correlated with gestational age only ( β=0.031, P<0.05); and TSH level was negatively correlated with birth weight ( β=－4.250×10 －4, P<0.05). Conclusions:Gestational age and birth weight are the factors influencing thyroid function in preterm infants at 14 d after birth. Evaluation of thyroid function with FT 4 and TSH should based on the references ranges of different gestational age and birth weight .

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and glycemic management in non-critical hospitalized patients / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

In recent years, with the continuous development of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists(GLP-1RA), its role in the management of blood glucose in hospitalized patients has been explored. GLP-1RA can not only control blood glucose in non-critically ill hospitalized patients, but also inhibit appetite, delay gastric emptying, protect nerves, anti-inflammation, reduce systolic blood pressure and blood lipids. At the same time, many studies have found that it can also improve cardiovascular and renal outcomes and reduce the risk of hospitalization complications. Therefore, this paper analyzes the role of GLP-1RA in glycemic management by reviewing domestic and international studies, consensus and guidelines related to inpatient blood glucose management, and helps to better manage blood glucose of patients in non-critical care setting.

Establishment of a hyperuricemia rat model by stimulation of high temperature-humidity environment / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective:To establish a hyperuricemia rat model through the high temperature-humidity treatment, and monitor its vital signs and biochemical indicator characteristics, as well as observe the changes of renal histomorphology and ultrastructure.Methods:Male SD rats were randomly divided into control(CON) group, potassium oxonate(PO) group and high temperature-humidity(HTH) group, 6 rats each. The experiment lasted for 6 consecutive weeks. Rats from PO group was given 250 mg/kg PO by gavage every day. The rats from HTH group were treated with a special thermostatic incubator for one hour each day after gavaging 250 mg/kg PO. Serum uric acid, creatinine and other indicators were detected every 2 weeks. After 6 weeks, the kidney tissues were collected. The morphological changes and urate crystal deposition of kidney tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, Masson′s trichrome staining and gomori staining, while the ultramicrostructural changes of kidney were observed by transmission electron microscope.Results:Two weeks after the experiment, the average serum uric acid values of PO group and HTH group increased significantly, HTH group was higher than PO and CON groups[(133.9±17.8), (107.6±12.4), and (85.7±4.1) μmol/L, P=0.001]. And after 6 weeks, the HTH group was still higher than the other two groups[(115.1±27.8), (82.7±13.9), and (72.9±17.8) μmol/L, P=0.008). The average serum creatinine in HTH group was slightly higher than that in PO group and CON group at 6 weeks[(46.2±4.7), (38.1±6.0), and (28.3±6.3) μmol/L, P=0.001]. Light microscope showed partial renal tubular dilatation in PO group, but renal tubular epithelial cells swelling and inflammatory cells infiltration were more significant in HTH group. The ultrastructural changes such as glomerular podocyte swelling were found in HTH group by transmission electron microscope. Conclusion:In this study, we had successfully established a hyperuricemia rat model by simulating the high temperature-humidity environment combined with potassium oxyzinate after 2 weeks of experiment. After 6 weeks of modeling, it was found that the high temperature-humidity induced rat models possessed a relatively higher and stabler serum uric acid level than that of the traditional chemical medicine induced rats. The method can be applied to the research of pathogenesis and pharmacotherapy of hyperuricemia caused by high temperature-humidity environment.

Autosomal dominant osteopetrosis type Ⅱ: 2 cases report and literature review / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Osteosclerosis is a rare hereditary bone metabolic disease, characterized by increased bone mass and density caused by bone resorption disorders, and any abnormal mutation involving osteoclast maturation or function will lead to the occurrence of osteopetrosis. Clinically, the prevalence of autosomal dominant osteopetrosis type Ⅱ(ADO-Ⅱ) is higher than that of other types of osteopetrosis, which involves multiple systems such as endocrine, bone, blood, nerve, ear-nose-throat, and oral cavity. Disease progression is insidious and easily overlooked, and there is no standard treatment. This article summarizes the clinical characteristics, examination data, diagnosis and treatment process of the two patients, analyzes multi-system symptoms, pathogenesis and treatment principles of the disease to improve the management of patients with ADO-Ⅱ.

Clinical and genetic analysis of five pedigree with maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 2 / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective:To explore the clinical and molecular genetic characteristics of patients with maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 2(MODY2).Methods:Clinical data and laboratory results were collected from five MODY2 patients and their family members diagnosed in the Department of Endocrinology, Genetics, and Metabolism of Xi ′an Children′s Hospital in the recent two years. Whole exome sequencing was carried out on every proband to identify potential variants, then the suspected variants were verified with Sanger sequencing in family numbers.Results:Among the 5 probands, except for proband 4 who presented with polydipsia and polyuria, hyperglycemia in the rest of the children was accidentally identified. Urine routine, urinary protein, and blood lipid of the five probands were all normal, and HbA 1C was between 5.96% and 8.15%. Moreover, an important discovery in this study was that proband 5 had insulin resistance(IRS), which was different from previous studies. It was confirmed by genetic analysis that a glucokinase(GCK) gene variant existed in every MODY2 pedigree. There were four GCK variants in this study, including c. 146C>T(p.T49I), c. 1237T>G(p.Y413D), c. 683C>T(p.T228M) and c. 952G>T(p.G318W), among which the C. 1237T>G(P.y413d) and C. 952G>T(P.G318W) had not been reported till now. All probands received lifestyle intervention, and the blood glucose control was relatively stable. Conclusion:There is MODY2 patient complicated with IRS. MODY2 patients can be controlled well by lifestyle interventions. In addition, we discovered two novel variants of GCK, which extend the mutation spectrum of this gene.

Development of professional grief scale for medical postgraduate students and its reliability and validity / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To develop a professional grief scale for medical postgraduate students(PGS-MPS) and test its reliability and validity.Methods:Based on the integrated model of professional grief, the initial item pool was formed after literature analysis, semi-structured interviews, group discussion, and 5 experts were invited to assess the relevance of the items and provided revision suggestion.A total of 506 valid questionnaires were collected.SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 26.0 were used to test its reliability and validity.Results:The PGS-MPS included 41 items, including the professional grief reaction subscale and disenfranchised grief subscale.The professional grief reaction subscale included emotional reaction (14 items), physiological and cognitive reaction (20 items), and the cumulative variance contribution rate of the two factors model was 52.908%.Disenfranchised grief subscale included 7 items, with a single dimension and a variance contribution rate of 51.730%.Confirmatory factor analysis indicated the model fitting well.The Cronbach’s α coefficients for the professional grief reaction subscale and disenfranchised grief subscale were 0.947 and 0.850, respectively.Conclusion:The PGS-MPS has good reliability and validity and can be used to evaluate professional grief of medical postgraduate students.

Triaging patients in the outbreak of COVID-2019 / 中国感染控制杂志

In the outbreak of COVID-19,triage procedures based on epidemiology were implemented in a local hospital in Changsha to control the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and avoid healthcare-associated infection.This re-trospective study analyzed the data collected during the triage period and found that COVID-19 patients were en-riched 7 folds into the Section A designated for patients with obvious epidemiological history.On the other side,nearly triple amounts of visits were received at the Section B for patients without obvious epidemiological history.8 COVID-19 cases were spotted out of 247 suspected patients.More than 50％of the suspected patients were submi-tted to multiple rounds of nucleic acid analysis for SARS-CoV-2 infection.Of the 239 patients who were diagnosed as negative of the virus infection,188 were successfully revisited and none was reported as COVID-19 case.Of the 8 COVID-19 patients,3 were confirmed only after multiple rounds of nucleic acid analysis.Besides comorbidities,delayed sharing of epidemiological history added complexity to the diagnosis in practice.The triaging experience and strategy will be helpful for the control of infectious diseases in the future.

Gut microbiota profiles in the perioperative period and long-term postoperative period in children with ventricular septal defect treated with cardiopulmonary bypass / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To explore the characteristics of gut microbiota in the preoperative, short-term postoperative and long-term postoperative period at (15.61±4.51) months in children with ventricular septal defect (VSD) of congenital heart disease (CHD) treated with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).Methods:A prospective study was conducted.In Guangzhou Women and Children′s Medical Center, 13 patients with VSD who were scheduled for CPB and additional 10 age- and gender-matched healthy infants as pre-CPB control group from January 2021 to January 2022 were enrolled.Fecal samples were collected at pre- and early post-CPB.Meanwhile, 18 gender- and CHD diagnosis and operation-matched patients at (15.61±4.51) months after CPB and 8 healthy age- and gender-matched children as long-term control group after CPB were also enrolled, and fecal samples were collected.16S rRNA sequencing of fecal samples from all subjects were performed and comparing the differences in gut microbiota between two groups via comparing alpha and beta diversity, parameter test or nonparametric test, and LEfSe analysis.Results:Compared with those of pre-CPB control group, there was a significant difference in the composition of gut microbiota in the preoperative period of VSD children, with significantly increased abundances of Enterobacteriaceae and Shigella, and decreased abundance of Bifidobacterium (all P<0.05). The diversity of gut microbiota was comparable in VSD children before CPB and in the short period time after CPB (all P>0.05), except for the abundances of Clostridium and Streptococcus (all P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in the relative abundances of other highly abundant gut bacteria between the two periods (all P>0.05). Compared with that in VSD children in the short period time after CPB, the abundances of short-chain fatty acids-producing microbes were significantly higher at (15.61±4.51) months postoperatively (all P<0.05), and the gut bacteria profile was similar to that of the long-term control group after CPB (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Gut microbiota imbalance exists in VSD children before CPB.The gut microbiota profile is not influenced by CPB, which returns normal at (15.61±4.51) months postoperatively.

Electroacupuncture improves motor function of rats with osteoarthritis by alleviating joint inflammation through the Wnt-7B/β-catenin signaling pathway / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture on osteoarthritis in rats and explore the possible mechanism.@*METHODS@#Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into osteoarthritis model group, electro-acupuncture group and control group (n=10), and in the former two groups, early osteoarthritis was induced using a modified DMM surgical modeling method. After successful modeling, the rats in the electro-acupuncture group were treated with electro-acupuncture at bilateral "Housanli" and "Anterior knee point". Behavioral tests of the rats were performed and scored using the LequesneMG scale. Subchondral bone degeneration was observed in each group, and serum levels of IL-1β, ADAMTS-7, MMP-3 and COMP were measured using ELISA. The mRNA and protein expressions of IL-1β, Wnt-7B, β-catenin, ADAMTS-7, and MMP-3 in the cartilage tissue of the knee joints were detected using RT-PCR and Western blotting.@*RESULTS@#In behavioral tests, the rats in the model and electroacupuncture groups had significantly higher LequesneMG scores after modeling than those in the control group (P < 0.05). After 20 days of treatment, LequesneMG scores were significantly lowered in rats in the electroacupuncture as compared with the model rats (P < 0.05). Imaging examination revealed obvious subchondral bone damage in both the electroacupuncture group and the model group, but the damages were significantly milder with former group. Compared with the model rats, the rats receiving electroacupuncture had significantly lower serum levels of IL-1β, ADAMTS-7, MMP-3 and COMP (P < 0.05) with also lower expressions of IL-1β, Wnt-7B, β-catenin, ADAMTS-7 and MMP-3 in the cartilage tissues at both the mRNA and protein levels (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Electroacupuncture can alleviate joint pain and improve subchondral bone damage in rats with osteoarthritis by reducing IL-1β levels in the joint cartilage tissue and serum to alleviate joint inflammation and by reducing such cytokines as ADAMTS-7 and MMP-3 via regulating the Wnt-7B/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation to Explore Mechanism of Tetrahydropalmatine on Acute Myocardial Ischemia / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the potential molecular mechanism of tetrahydropalmatine (THP) on acute myocardial ischemia (AMI).@*METHODS@#First, the target genes of THP and AMI were collected from SymMap Database, Traditional Chinese Medicine Database and Analysis Platform, and Swiss Target Prediction, respectively. Then, the overlapping target genes between THP and AMI were evaluated for Grene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction network analysis. The binding affinity between the protein and THP was assessed by molecular docking. Finally, the protective effects of THP on AMI model and oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) model of H9C2 cardiomyocyte were explored and the expression levels of target genes were detected by RT-qPCR in vivo and in vitro.@*RESULTS@#MMP9, PPARG, PTGS2, SLC6A4, ESR1, JAK2, GSK3B, NOS2 and AR were recognized as hub genes. The KEGG enrichment analysis results revealed that the potential target genes of THP were involved in the regulation of PPAR and hormone pathways. THP improved the cardiac function, as well as alleviated myocardial cell damage. Furthermore, THP significantly decreased the RNA expression levels of MMP9, PTGS2, SLC6A4, GSK3B and ESR1 (P<0.05, P<0.01) after AMI. In vitro, THP significantly increased H9C2 cardiomyocyte viability (P<0.05, P<0.01) and inhibited the RNA expression levels of PPARG, ESR1 and AR (P<0.05, P<0.01) in OGD model.@*CONCLUSIONS@#THP could improve cardiac function and alleviate myocardial injury in AMI. The underlying mechanism may be inhibition of inflammation, the improvement of energy metabolism and the regulation of hormones.

Epidemiology and hospitalization costs analysis of female inpatients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Beijing from 2013 to 2020 / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To study epidemiological characteristics and hospitalization costs of female inpatients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) in Beijing.@*METHODS@#A retrospective study was conducted to analyze electronic hospitalization summary reports of female inpatients with AECOPD in Beijing from 2013 to 2020. Clinical characteristics (age distribution and comorbidities), epidemiological characteristics (temporal and spatial distribution characteristics), hospi-talization times and costs of patients were described.@*RESULTS@#A total of 57 911 subjects in 166 hospitals were included in this study, with a mean age of (78.84±8.59) years and the highest number of patients aged 80-89 years (49.06%), followed by patients aged 70-79 years (31.08%), and the lowest number of patients under 50 years (0.41%). The proportions of patients with coronary heart disease, hypertension and heart failure were 30.60%, 30.52% and 26.54% respectively. The median number of daily hospitalizations during the study period was 18 (IQR: 16). The number of daily hospitalizations for AECOPD showed an overall growth trend over the eight years from 2013 to 2020, starting to increase significantly in 2015 and continuing to increase until 2019, then followed by a decline in 2020. The proportion of inpatient admissions was higher in winter and spring (54.09%) than that in summer and autumn (45.91%). The top three districts in terms of the proportion of total inpatient admissions were Xicheng district (14.18%), Chaoyang district (14.12%) and Fengtai district (13.47%). The density of inpatients was relatively high in the western regions, central urban areas and northeastern regions of the city, while the density of inpatients was relatively low in the near suburbs. The median number of hospital days for female patients with AECOPD was 12 days, and the median hospital costs was CNY 20 648.37. Patients from urban areas had longer hospitalization times and higher hospitalization costs than those from suburban areas (P < 0.001). Western medicine expenses accounted for the largest proportion of total hospital expenses (33.32%). During the study period, hospitalization costs exhibited an overall pattern of initial growth, followed by subsequent decline, eventually stabilizing. The differences in hospitalization costs among the patients with different comorbidities were significant.@*CONCLUSION@#Female hospitalized patients with AECOPD in Beijing were older than 70 years, often complicated by cardiovascular disease. AECOPD occurred mainly in winter and spring, with regional differences. The hospitalization costs were closely associated with the patients' age, comorbidities, and the geographicical region.

Exosomes secreted from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells promote pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma growth by transferring miRNAs / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To observe the effects of exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells on the proliferation and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells, and to analyze the contents of exosomes and explore the mechanisms affecting pancreatic cancer cells. Methods: Exosomes extracted from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were added to pancreatic cancer cells BxPC3, Panc-1 and mouse models of pancreatic cancer, respectively. The proliferative activity and invasion abilities of BxPC3 and Panc-1 cells were measured by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell assays. The expressions of miRNAs in exosomes were detected by high-throughput sequencing. GO and KEGG were used to analyze the related functions and the main metabolic pathways of target genes with high expressions of miRNAs. Results: The results of CCK-8 cell proliferation assay showed that the absorbance of BxPC3 and Panc-1 cells in the hucMSCs-exo group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(4.68±0.09) vs. (3.68±0.01), P<0.05; (5.20±0.20) vs. (3.45±0.17), P<0.05]. Transwell test results showed that the number of invasion cells of BxPC3 and Panc-1 in hucMSCs-exo group was significantly higher than that in the control group (129.40±6.02) vs. (89.40±4.39), P<0.05; (134.40±7.02) vs. (97.00±6.08), P<0.05. In vivo experimental results showed that the tumor volume and weight in the exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs-exo) group were significantly greater than that in the control group [(884.57±59.70) mm(3) vs. (695.09±57.81) mm(3), P<0.05; (0.94±0.21) g vs. (0.60±0.13) g, P<0.05]. High-throughput sequencing results showed that miR-148a-3p, miR-100-5p, miR-143-3p, miR-21-5p and miR-92a-3p were highly expressed. GO and KEGG analysis showed that the target genes of these miRNAs were mainly involved in the regulation of glucosaldehylation, and the main metabolic pathways were ascorbic acid and aldehyde acid metabolism, which were closely related to the development of pancreatic cancer. Conclusion: Exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells can promote the growth of pancreatic cancer cells and the mechanism is related to miRNAs that are highly expressed in exosomes.

The Psychosomatic Traits of "People with the Five Elements in Traditional Chinese Medicine": A Qualitative Study / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#To identify the representative attributes of the five elements of a person with a qualitative methodology and provide the basis for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of "people with the five elements in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)."@*METHODS@#Data collected from the literature review, two sessions of brainstorming of experts with related experience in "people with the five elements in TCM" from October 2020 to December 2020, and six rounds of in-depth interviews with 30 participants who had various attributes of the five elements from March 2021 to October 2021 were analyzed. Triangulation was used in this study, and theming and synthesizing were used to analyze the data.@*RESULTS@#A total of 31 experts and 30 interviewees participated in this study. The median age of the experts and interviewees were 48.0 and 38.5 years, respectively; 51.66% and 54.8% of experts and interviewees, respectively, were men. The descriptors of facial diagrams of "people with the five elements in TCM" were complexion, shape, distribution state of facial bones, convergence trend of facial muscles, and facial expression. A theoretical model of "people with the five elements in TCM" was shaped based on these findings.@*CONCLUSION@#The study suggests a possibility for bridging the gap between personality and bodily state, identifying an avenue for personality research from the perspective of TCM.