Effect of hydrogen on lipopolysaccharide and nigericin-induced pyroptosis in macrophages and the role of lncRNA NEAT1 / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the effect of hydrogen on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and nigericin-induced pyroptosis in macrophages and the role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) nuclear-enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1).Methods:Human monocyte-derived macrophages THP-1 cells were cultured in vitro and divided into 4 groups ( n=25 each) using a random number table method: control group (group C), LPS and nigericin group (group LN), hydrogen-rich medium+ LPS and nigericin group (group H+ LN), and lentiviral transfection+ hydrogen-rich medium+ LPS-nigericin group (group LV+ H+ LN). THP-1 cells were cultured in the common culture medium for 24 h in group C. LPS at a final concentration of 100 ng/ml and nigericin 10 μmol/L were added to the culture medium, and the cells were incubated for 24 h in group LN. In group H+ LN, the culture medium was replaced with 0.6 mmol/L hydrogen-rich medium, then LPS at a final concentration of 100 ng/ml and nigericin 10 μmol/L were immediately added, and the cells were incubated for 24 h. In group LV+ H+ LN, THP-1 cells over-expressing NEAT1 stably after being transfected with lentivirus were used, then LPS at a final concentration of 100 ng/ml and nigericin 10 μmol/L were immediately added, and the cells were incubated for 24 h. Cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay. Lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) release was assessed by colorimetric method. The amount of LDH released was measured by colorimetry. The concentrations of interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) and IL-18 in culture medium were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The pyroptotic rate was detected by flow cytometry. The expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor-containing pyrin domain 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC), caspase-1 and gasdermin D (GSDMD) was detected by Western blot. The expression of NEAT1 gene was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results:Compared with group C, the cell viability was significantly decreased, the amount of LDH released, concentrations of IL-1β and IL-18, and pyroptotic rate were increased, and the expression of NEAT1 gene, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 and GSDMD was up-regulated in group LN ( P<0.05). Compared with group LN, the cell viability was significantly increased, the amount of LDH released, concentrations of IL-1β and IL-18, and pyroptotic rate were decreased, and the expression of NEAT1 gene, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 and GSDMD was down-regulated in group H+ LN ( P<0.05). Compared with group H+ LN, the cell viability was significantly decreased, the amount of LDH released, concentrations of IL-1β and IL-18, and pyroptotic rate were increased, and the expression of NEAT1 gene, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 and GSDMD was up-regulated in group LV+ H+ LN ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Hydrogen can ameliorate LPS and nigericin-induced pyroptosis in macrophages, and the mechanism may be associated with down-regulating the expression of lncRNA NEAT1.

Mechanism by which Notch1 interference regulates the apoptosis of pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells / 中国基层医药

Objective:To investigate the mechanism of how Notch1 interference regulates the apoptosis of pulmonary vascular endothelial cells.Methods:During January to December 2022, human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells were transfected with Notch1 siRNA, and the cell viability in each group was evaluated using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. The level of reactive oxygen species was determined using flow cytometry, while cell apoptosis was assessed using the same technique. After treatment with Notch1 siRNA, the protein expression levels of Notch1, Bcl-2, and Caspase-3 in the human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells were detected using western blot assay.Results:The expression level of Notch1 mRNA in human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells was significantly lower in the blank control and si-Notch1 groups than that in the siNC group ( t = 11.25, 9.47, both P < 0.05). Additionally, the optical density value and Bcl-2 protein expression level in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) + Notch1 siRNA group were significantly higher than those in the LPS and LPS + siRNA groups ( t = 11.26, 11.68, both P < 0.05). The level of reactive oxygen species and the apoptosis rate of cells were significantly lower in the LPS + Notch1 siRNA group compared with the LPS and LPS + siRNA groups ( t = 11.68, 11.87, both P < 0.05). Furthermore, the protein expression levels of Notch1 and Caspase-3 were also significantly lower in the LPS + Notch1 siRNA group compared with the LPS and LPS + siRNA groups ( t = 5.08, 6.60, 3.84, 5.83, all P < 0.05). Conclusion:Notch1 interference may interference in the apoptosis of human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells through regulating the level of reactive oxygen species, downregulating the protein expression of Notch1 and Caspase-3, and upregulating the protein expression of Bcl-2. These actions may contribute to the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Management of anticoagulant therapy in a patient with complex venous thromboembolism complicated with acute renal insufficiency / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To provide a reference for the safe use of drugs in patients with complex venous thromboembolism （VTE） and acute renal insufficiency. METHODS Clinical pharmacists participated in the management of anticoagulant therapy for a patient with complex VTE complicated with acute renal insufficiency， and evaluated the patient as high-risk thrombosis and bleeding based on their medical history， laboratory test results， etc.； combined with the complexity of thrombosis and renal insufficiency， clinical pharmacists suggested that enoxaparin sodium should be used in the acute stage of thrombosis （5 to 21 days after onset）， and then warfarin should be adopted for oral anticoagulation treatment. Because the patient’s anticoagulation was not up to the standard （the target range of the international normalized ratio was 2-3）， clinical pharmacists suggested increasing the warfarin dose， detecting the warfarin metabolism genotype， and adjusting the warfarin dose according to the genotype； at the same time， clinical pharmacists developed an anticoagulation monitoring plan to ensure the safety of anticoagulation treatment. RESULTS Doctors had adopted all the recommendations of clinical pharmacists. The patient did not experience adverse events such as bleeding or worsening of thromboembolism during anticoagulation in the hospital. When the anticoagulation met the standards， the patient was allowed to be discharged with medication. CONCLUSIONS By participating in the anticoagulation treatment management of patients with complex VTE and acute renal insufficiency， clinical pharmacists have assisted doctors in formulating personalized anticoagulation plans to promote the compliance with the anticoagulation treatment standard and ensure the safety and effectiveness of medication for patients.

Enlightening from optimizing post-authorization safety monitoring system of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in major economies worldwide / 中华预防医学杂志

Ongoing global pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has promoted the unprecedented rapid development and large-scale rolling out of different platform-based COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. How to effectively respond to the expected scale increasing adverse events after vaccination campaign of COVID-19 vaccines is a common problem faced by the world. A lot of countries and regions around the world have arranged in advance at different levels, optimizing the original vaccine safety monitoring system from the perspectives of strengthening the foundation and capabilities, promoting internal and external cooperation, upgrading methods, as well as improving transparency and public communication, which has ensured the good and efficient operation of the system and can provide reference for the construction of relevant fields in China.

A study on using comprehensive geriatric assessment to improve the teaching level of doctor-patient communication from the perspective of Johari Window / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Based on the theory of "Johari Window", this study introduced how to stimulate information content obtained in doctor-patient communication and how to apply the comprehensive geriatric assessment creatively from the four modules of open area, blind area, hidden area and unknown area in the model. It helped students to gain the trust and cooperation of patients, rapidly narrow down the blind area, hidden area and unknown area, guide patients to actively extend the open area, improve the teaching quality of doctor-patient communication in a scientific way.

Erratum: Author correction to 'Mevalonate improves anti-PD-1/PD-L1 efficacy by stabilizing CD274 mRNA' Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 13 (2023) 2585-2600

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.04.002.].

Recent progress of epigallocatechin 3-gallate for treatment of Parkinson's disease / 中国药理学通报

Epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG) is an abundant polyphenolie component originating from green tea extract that has exhibited versatile bioactivities in combating several diseases. During the last decade, EGCG are effective in experimental models of Parkinson's disease (PD). Several experimental studies suggest the pleiotropic neuroprotective effects, aiding to EGCG as an appealing therapeutic strategy in PD. Therefore, in this review we focus on the effects of EGCG on anti-apoptosis, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammation, modulation of dopamine production, and the aggregation of a-synuclein. We aim to compile the recent updates and cellular and molecular mechanisms of neuroprotection of EGCG in PD. This review highlights the pharmacological features of EGCG and its therapeutic implications in PD.

Inhibitory effect of adenosine on adaptive antitumor immunity and intervention strategies / 浙江大学学报·医学版

Tumors in which the microenvironment is characterized by lack of immune cell infiltration are referred as "cold tumors" and typically exhibit low responsiveness to immune therapy. Targeting the factors contributing to "cold tumors" formation and converting them into "hot tumors" is a novel strategy for improving the efficacy of immunotherapy. Adenosine, a hydrolysis product of ATP, accumulates with a significantly higher concentration in the tumor microenvironments compared with normal tissue and exerts inhibitory effects on tumor-specific adaptive immunity. Tumor cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, and T cells express abundant adenosine receptors on their surfaces. The binding of adenosine to these receptors initiates downstream signaling pathways that suppress tumor antigen presentation and immune cell activation, consequently dampening adaptive immune responses against tumors. Adenosine down-regulates the expression of major histocompatibility complex Ⅱ and co-stimulatory factors on dendritic cells and macrophages, thereby inhibiting antigen presentation to T cells. Adenosine also inhibits ligand-receptor binding and transmembrane signaling on T cells, concomitantly suppressing the secretion of anti-tumor cytokines and impairing T cell activation. Furthermore, adenosine hinders effector T cell trafficking to tumor sites and infiltration by inhibiting chemokine secretion and KCa3.1 channels. Additionally, adenosine promotes the secretion of immunosuppressive cytokines, increases immune checkpoint protein expression, and enhances the activity of immunosuppressive cells, collectively curbing cytotoxic T cell-mediated tumor cell killing. Given the immunosuppressive role of adenosine in adaptive antitumor immunity, several inhibitors targeting adenosine generation or adenosine receptor blockade are currently in preclinical or clinical development with the aim of enhancing the effectiveness of immunotherapies. This review provides an overview of the inhibitory effects of adenosine on adaptive antitumor immunity, elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved, and summarizes the latest advances in application of adenosine inhibition strategies for antitumor immunotherapy.

The characteristics and correlations of vaginal flora in women with cervical lesions / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To explore the characteristics and correlations of vaginal flora in women with cervical lesions. Methods: A total of 132 women, including 41 women diagnosed with normal cervical (NC), 39 patients with low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN 1), 37 patients with high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN 2/3) and 15 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), who came from the gynecological clinic of Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University during January 2018 to June 2018, were enrolled in this study according to the inclusive and exclusive criteria strictly. The vaginal flora was detected by 16S rDNA sequencing technology. Co-occurrence network analysis was used to investigate the Spearman correlations between different genera of bacteria. Results: The dominant bacteria in NC, CIN 1 and CIN 2/3 groups were Lactobacillus [constituent ratios 79.4% (1 869 598/2 354 098), 63.6% (1 536 466/2 415 100) and 58.3% (1 342 896/2 301 536), respectively], while Peptophilus [20.4% (246 072/1 205 154) ] was the dominant bacteria in SCC group. With the aggravation of cervical lesions, the diversity of vaginal flora gradually increased (Shannon index: F=6.39, P=0.001; Simpson index: F=3.95, P=0.012). During the cervical lesion progress, the ratio of Lactobacillus gradually decreased, the ratio of other anaerobes such as Peptophilus, Sneathia, Prevotella and etc. gradually increased, and the differential bacteria (LDA score >3.5) gradually evolved from Lactobacillus to other anaerobes. The top 10 relative abundance bacteria, spearman correlation coefficient>0.4 and P<0.05 were selected. Co-occurrence network analysis showed that Prevotella, Peptophilus, Porphyrinomonas, Anaerococcus, Sneathia, Atopobium, Gardnerella and Streptococcus were positively correlated in different stages of cervical lesions, while Lactobacillus was negatively correlated with the above anaerobes. It was found that the relationship between vaginal floras in CIN 1 group was the most complex and only Peptophilus was significantly negatively correlated with Lactobacillus in SCC group. Conclusions: The increased diversity and changed correlations between vaginal floras are closely related to cervical lesions. Peptophilus is of great significance in the diagnosis, prediction and early warning of cervical carcinogenesis.

Management strategy of antithrombotic therapy in thrombocytopenia patients with atrial fibrillation and atherosclerosis and a literature review / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To provide reference for the management of antithrombotic therapy in thrombocytopenia patients with atrial fibrillation and atherosclerosis. METHODS The clinical pharmacist participated in the treatment of a thrombocytopenia patient with atrial fibrillation and atherosclerosis， and analyzed the causes of thrombocytopenia according to the patient’s medical history and laboratory examination results. At the same time， the risk of thrombosis-bleeding was evaluated according to the relevant guidelines， and the clinicians were assisted in formulating individual antithrombotic therapy plan and pharmaceutical care plan for the patient. The literature on antithrombotic therapy related to thrombocytopenia was collected and analyzed by retrieving CNKI. RESULTS Thrombocytopenia was considered as primary thrombocytopenia in this patient， and the main risk of bleeding was age ≥65 years old， bleeding tendency， and combined use of antithrombotic drugs. After the clinical pharmacist assessed the risk of thrombosis and bleeding， the clinician was recommended to give full dose of Bemiheparin sodium injection + Dronedarone hydrochloride tablets + Metoprolol succinate sustained-release tablets. In view of thrombocytopenia， the clinician gave Compound zaofan pill， Caffeic acid tablet and Sheng xuexiaoban capsule， but the patient developed diarrhea after the medication. The clinical pharmacist suggested stopping Sheng xuexiaoban capsule， and the clinician adopted the clinical pharmacist’s suggestion. When the patient was discharged from hospital， the clinical pharmacist suggested that the antithrombotic therapy plan for discharge was anticoagulation alone or selective anticoagulation. The clinician chose selective anticoagulation treatment considering that the patient’s current thrombocytopenia， urinary occult blood （+） and fecal occult blood were weakly positive， and ordered the patient to take Metoprolol succinate sustained-release tablets + Atorvastatin calcium tablets at discharge. Literature analysis showed that the causes of thrombocytopenia of patients with thromboembolism mainly included heparin induced-thrombocytopenia， immune thrombocytopenia， etc. All patients were improved after symptomatic treatment. CONCLUSIONS By participating in the management of antithrombotic therapy for the thrombocytopenia patient with atrial fibrillation and atherosclerosis， clinical pharmacists can help effectively control the patient’s condition and ensure the safety and effectiveness of drug use.

Construction of Prediction Model for Preterm Birth in Early Pregnancy via Cervical Elastography / 中国医学影像学杂志

Purpose To preliminarily establish a predictive model for assessing preterm birth in the first trimester via clinical history and multiple ultrasound parameters.Materials and Methods This study included 200 women in the first trimester of pregnancy from 6 to 8 weeks in the Affiliated Renhe Hospital of Three Gorges University from September 2020 to September 2021,and their clinical history,two-dimensional imaging data and cervical elastography data were collected.Logistic regression analysis,screening and assignment were performed to initially establish a clinical prediction model for evaluating preterm birth during the first trimester.Results Finally,41 pregnant women developed preterm birth(preterm birth group),and 159 pregnant women did not develop preterm birth(term group).History of miscarriage,history of preterm birth,uterocervical angle(UCA),A,and A1 were the independent risk factors for preterm birth via univariate analysis,and multivariate analysis was carried out to obtain the formula:Logit(P)=1.495×abortion history+1.060×A1+0.795×UCA+1.354×A-14.951,which had a good fit via Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test,and the diagnostic efficiency was 96.9%.Conclusion The early pregnancy prediction model can effectively predict the occurrence of preterm birth in pregnant women with singleton pregnancy.

The impact of lipids on the cancer-immunity cycle and strategies for modulating lipid metabolism to improve cancer immunotherapy

Lipids have been found to modulate tumor biology, including proliferation, survival, and metastasis. With the new understanding of tumor immune escape that has developed in recent years, the influence of lipids on the cancer-immunity cycle has also been gradually discovered. First, regarding antigen presentation, cholesterol prevents tumor antigens from being identified by antigen presenting cells. Fatty acids reduce the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I and costimulatory factors in dendritic cells, impairing antigen presentation to T cells. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) reduce the accumulation of tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells. Regarding T-cell priming and activation, cholesterol destroys the structure of the T-cell receptor and reduces immunodetection. In contrast, cholesterol also promotes T-cell receptor clustering and relative signal transduction. PGE2 represses T-cell proliferation. Finally, regarding T-cell killing of cancer cells, PGE2 and cholesterol weaken granule-dependent cytotoxicity. Moreover, fatty acids, cholesterol, and PGE2 can improve the activity of immunosuppressive cells, increase the expression of immune checkpoints and promote the secretion of immunosuppressive cytokines. Given the regulatory role of lipids in the cancer-immunity cycle, drugs that modulate fatty acids, cholesterol and PGE2 have been envisioned as effective way in restoring antitumor immunity and synergizing with immunotherapy. These strategies have been studied in both preclinical and clinical studies.

Mevalonate improves anti-PD-1/PD-L1 efficacy by stabilizing CD274 mRNA

Mevalonate metabolism plays an important role in regulating tumor growth and progression; however, its role in immune evasion and immune checkpoint modulation remains unclear. Here, we found that non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with higher plasma mevalonate response better to anti-PD-(L)1 therapy, as indicated by prolonged progression-free survival and overall survival. Plasma mevalonate levels were positively correlated with programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression in tumor tissues. In NSCLC cell lines and patient-derived cells, supplementation of mevalonate significantly up-regulated the expression of PD-L1, whereas deprivation of mevalonate reduced PD-L1 expression. Mevalonate increased CD274 mRNA level but did not affect CD274 transcription. Further, we confirmed that mevalonate improved CD274 mRNA stability. Mevalonate promoted the affinity of the AU-rich element-binding protein HuR to the 3'-UTR regions of CD274 mRNA and thereby stabilized CD274 mRNA. By in vivo study, we further confirmed that mevalonate addition enhanced the anti-tumor effect of anti-PD-L1, increased the infiltration of CD8+ T cells, and improved cytotoxic function of T cells. Collectively, our findings discovered plasma mevalonate levels positively correlated with the therapeutic efficacy of anti-PD-(L)1 antibody, and provided the evidence that mevalonate supplementation could be an immunosensitizer in NSCLC.

Three new triterpenoid saponins from Aralia echinocaulis / 中草药·英文版

Objective: To study the active ingredients in the root bark of Aralia echinocaulis. Methods: Three triterpenoid saponins were separated from the 70% ethanol extracts and purified by column chromatography and their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis. Compound 1 and 3 were evaluated for antioxidant activity by the in vitro DPPH free radical scavenging ability and the protective effect of OH

Evidence summary of intermittent pneumatic compression devices in preventing venous thromboembolism for trauma patients / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To summarize the best evidence for intermittent pneumatic compression devices in preventing venous thromboembolism for trauma patients.Methods:According to "6S" evidence model, computer evidence retrieval was carried out. Guidelines, clinical decisions, evidence summaries, expert consensuses, and systematic reviews regarding intermittent pneumatic compression in preventing of venous thromboembolism for trauma patients were considered. The retrieval time limit was from the establishment of the database to October 31, 2021. Two researchers independently appraised articles, and extracted data for eligible studies.Results:A total of 21 articles were enrolled, including 13 guidelines, 1 clinical decision, 1 evidence summary, 2 expert consensuses, 4 systematic reviews. Totally 27 items of best evidence were summarized from four aspects: pretherapeutic evaluation, contraindications and applicable conditions, therapeutic strategies, training and education.Conclusions:This study summarized the best evidence of using intermittent pneumatic compression devices to prevent venous thromboembolism for trauma patients, which can provide evidence-based practice bases for nurses to implement scientific and effective standardized management of mechanical thromboprophylaxis. It is necessary to select evidence according to clinical practice and patients ′ wishes, so as to improve the effectiveness of using IPC in preventing thrombosis.

Comparison of the predictive performance of Logistic regression, BP neural network and support vector machine model for the risk of acute exacerbation of readmission in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease within 30 days / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To compare the effectiveness of Logistic regression, BP neural network and support vector machine models in the prediction of 30-day risk of readmission in elderly patients with an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to provide a scientific basis for the screening and prevention of high-risk patients with readmission.Methods:The COPD patient survey questionnaire was made, including the general data questionnaire, modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale (mMRC), activities of daily living (ADL), the geriatric depression scale, the mini nutritional assessment-short form (MNA-SF) and COPD assessment test (CAT). Elderly COPD patients were selected from the department of respiratory medicine of 13 general hospitals in Ningxia from April 2019 to August 2020 by convenience sampling method, and they were followed up 30 days after discharge. To explore the risk factors of patient readmission, Logistic regression model, BP neural network model and support vector machine models were constructed based on the risk factors. According to the ratio of the training set to the testing set of 7∶3, the model was divided into the training set sample and the testing set sample. The prediction efficiency of the model was compared by the precision rate, recall rate and accuracy rate, F1 index and the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC).Results:A total of 1 120 patients were investigated, including 879 non-readmission patients and 241 readmission patients. Univariate regression analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in age, education level, smoking status, proportion of diabetes and coronary heart disease, hospitalization times of acute exacerbation of COPD in the past 1 year, seasonal factors and long-term home oxygen therapy, regular medication, proportion of rehabilitation exercise, course of disease, ADL, depression status, mMRC, nutritional status between non-readmission patients and readmission patients. Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that education level, smoking status, coronary heart disease, hospitalization times of acute exacerbation of COPD in the past 1 year, seasonal factors, whether long-term home oxygen therapy, whether regular medication, nutritional status were the risk factors for 30-day acute exacerbation of readmission in elderly patients with COPD. The training set showed that the accuracy rate of Logistic regression model, BP neural network model and support vector machine models were 70.95%, 76.51% and 84.78%, respectively. The recall rates were 79.55%, 86.36% and 88.64%, respectively. The accuracy rates were 87.81%, 90.81% and 93.82%, respectively. F1 indexes were 0.75, 0.81 and 0.87, respectively. The AUC were 0.850, 0.893 and 0.921, respectively. The testing set showed that the precision rate of Logistic regression model, BP neural network model and support vector machine model were 78.38%, 80.65% and 88.57%, respectively. The recall rates were 70.73%, 60.98% and 75.61%, respectively. The accuracy rates were 85.82%, 84.40% and 90.07%, respectively. F1 indexes were 0.74, 0.69 and 0.82, respectively. The AUC were 0.814, 0.775 and 0.858, respectively.Conclusion:Comparing with Logistic regression and BP neural network, support vector machine model has better prediction effect, and can effectively predict the risk of acute exacerbation of readmission in elderly patients with COPD within 30 days.

Echinacoside Alleviates Cognitive Impairment in Cerebral Ischemia Rats through α 7nAChR-Induced Autophagy / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To evaluate the effect of echinacoside (ECH) on cognitive dysfunction in post cerebral stroke model rats.@*METHODS@#The post stroke cognitive impairment rat model was created by occlusion of the transient middle cerebral artery (MCAO). The rats were randomly divided into 3 groups by a random number table: the sham group (sham operation), the MCAO group (received operation for focal cerebral ischemia), and the ECH group (received operation for focal cerebral ischemia and ECH 50 mg/kg per day), with 6 rats in each group. The infarct volume and spatial learning were evaluated by triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining and Morris water maze. The expression of α7nAChR in the hippocampus was detected by immunohistochemistry. The contents of acetylcholine (ACh), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), activities of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and catalase (CAT) were evaluated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The neural apoptosis and autophagy were determined by TUNEL staining and LC3 staining, respectively.@*RESULTS@#ECH significantly lessened the brain infarct volume and ameliorated neurological deficit in infarct volume and water content (both P<0.01). Compared with MCAO rats, administration of ECH revealed shorter escape latency and long retention time at 7, 14 and 28 days (all P<0.01), increased the α7nAChR protein expression, ACh content, and ChAT activity, and decreased AChE activity in MCAO rats (all P<0.01). ECH significantly decreased MDA content and increased the GSH content, SOD, and CAT activities compared with MCAO rats (all P<0.05). ECH suppressed neuronal apoptosis by reducing TUNEL-positive cells and also enhanced autophagy in MCAO rats (all P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#ECH treatment helped improve cognitive impairment by attenuating neurological damage and enhancing autophagy in MCAO rats.

Relationship between hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype and abnormal blood pressure in children and adolescents in Yinchuan City / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To investigate the relationship between hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTW) phenotype and abnormal blood pressure in children and adolescents in Yinchuan City, Ningxia, and to provide scientific basis for early identification and prevention of hypertension.@*Methods@#A cluster sampling method was adopted to select 1 566 children and adolescents in Yinchuan. All participants completed questionnaire survey, physical measurement and biochemical examination.@*Results@#In general, after adjusting for age, smoking, drinking, and family history of hypertension, compared with the normal triglyceride normal waist (NWNT) phenotype, the enlarged waist (EW) and HTW phenotypes both increased the risk of abnormal blood pressure ( OR EW =2.62, 95% CI =1.87-3.67; OR HTW =3.97, 95% CI =2.30-6.86); the risk of abnormal blood pressure in boys with EW and HTW phenotypes was that of boys with NTNW phenotype, respectively 3.80 times (95% CI =2.35-6.15) and 3.32 times (95% CI =1.59-6.92) of girls EW and HTW phenotypes. The risk of abnormal blood pressure in girls with EW and HTW phenotypes was that of girls with NTNW phenotype, respectively 1.72 times (95% CI =1.06-2.82) and 4.62 times(95% CI =1.97-10.85).@*Conclusion@#The hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotypes among children and adolescents in Yinchuan is significantly correlated with increased risk of abnormal blood pressure. More attention should be paid to triglyceride level and waist circumference among children and adolescents.

Early assessment of the safety and immunogenicity of a third dose (booster) of COVID-19 immunization in Chinese adults / 医学前沿

Inducing durable and effective immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) via vaccination is essential to combat the current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It has been noticed that the strength of anti-COVID-19 vaccination-induced immunity fades over time, which calls for an additional vaccination regime, as known as booster immunization, to restore immunity among previously vaccinated populations. Here we report a pilot open-label trial of a third dose of BBIBP-CorV, an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (Vero cell), on 136 participants aged between 18 to 63 years. Safety and immunogenicity in terms of neutralizing antibody titers and cytokine/chemokine responses were analyzed as the main endpoint until day 28. While systemic reactogenicity was either absent or mild, SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibody titers rapidly arose in all participants within 4 weeks, surpassing the peak antibody titers elicited by the initial two-dose immunization regime. Broad increases of cellular immunity-associated cytokines and chemokines were also detected in the majority of participants after the third vaccination. Furthermore, in an exploratory study, a newly developed recombinant protein vaccine, NVSI-06-08 (CHO Cells), was found to be safe and even more effective than BBIBP-CorV in eliciting humoral immune responses in BBIBP-CorV-primed individuals. Together, these results indicate that a third immunization schedule with either homologous or heterologous vaccine showed favorable safety profiles and restored potent SARS-CoV-2-specific immunity, providing support for further trials of booster vaccination in larger populations.

A nested case-control study on the relationship between red blood cell folate and the prognosis of low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between red blood cell folate (RBC folate) and the prognosis of low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN 1). Methods: In the married women cohort established in 2014, 564 women with CIN 1 diagnosed by pathology were recruited. The demographic characteristics and factors of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia were collected. Meanwhile, the infection status of human papillomavirus (HPV) was detected by molecular diversion hybridization, and the level of RBC folate was measured by chemical photoimmunoassay. After 24 months of follow-up, pathological examination was performed again to observe the prognosis of participants. The women with reversal were taken as the control group,and those with continuous and progressive CIN 1 were taken as the case group respectively. The relationship between RBC folate and CIN 1 outcome was evaluated by logistic regression model. Results: 453 women completed the follow-up, aged (49.72±6.84) years old. CIN 1 was reversed in 342 women, continued in 58 cases and progressed in 53 cases. The RBC folate level M (Q1,Q3) were 399.01 (307.10, 538.97) ng/ml, 316.98 (184.74, 428.49) ng/ml and 247.14 (170.54, 348.97) ng/ml, respectively. With the decrease of RBC folate, the risk of continuous and progressive CIN 1 increased (all P<0.001), while the risk of reversal CIN 1 decreased gradually (P<0.001). Combined with high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection status, low level of RBC folate could increase the risk of CIN 1 progression regardless of HR-HPV infection (HR-HPV infection: OR=21.34, 95%CI: 3.98-114.54; HR-HPV uninfection: OR=11.15, 95%CI: 2.34-53.13). Conclusion: Low level of RBC folate could increase the risk of CIN 1 persistence and progression regardless of HR-HPV infection.