Relationship between dry eye disease and physical and mental health in primary and secondary school teachers / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM:To evaluate the relationship between dry eye disease(DED)and physical and mental health in teachers, and to explore its mechanism and propose intervention measures.METHODS:Cross-sectional study. A total of 183 teachers from three primary and secondary schools in the urban area of Linyi City, Shandong Province were enrolled in the study. DED symptoms were quantified using the ocular surface disease index(OSDI)questionnaire. A compact version of the depression, anxiety, and stress scale(DASS-21)was used to evaluate psychological state. The relationship between potential influencing factors and DED was evaluated by independent sample t-test of quantitative variables and χ2test of classified variables. Logistic regression analysis was used for multivariate analysis to determine the influencing factors of DED. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between OSDI score and depression, anxiety and stress.RESULTS: There were 183 teachers, including 44 males(24.0%)and 139 females(76.0%), aged from 22 to 57 years, with an average age of(34.2±8.6)years. The prevalence of DED was 60.0%(109/183; 95%CI 52.4%-66.7%). The prevalence of depression was 26.2%(48/183; 95%CI 19.8%-32.7%); anxiety prevalence was 39.3%(72/183; 95%CI 32.2%-46.5%); and stress prevalence was 23.0%(42/183; 95%CI 16.8%-29.1%). The univariate analysis showed that increased age, increased working years, increased visual display terminal(VDT)application time, longer written working hours, reduced sleep hours, less alcohol consumption, and high scores of depression, anxiety and stress were all factors affecting DED(all P<0.05). Using depression scores as the psychological index, multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that years of work, VDT application time, written working hours, sleep time, alcohol consumption and depression score were the influencing factors of DED(all P<0.05); Using anxiety scores as the psychological index, multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that years of work, VDT application time, written working hours and stress scores were the influencing factors of DED(all P<0.05); Using stress scores as the psychological index, multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that years of work, VDT application time, written working hours and stress scores were the influencing factors of DED(all P<0.05). OSDI scores were positively correlated with depression, anxiety, and stress scores in the DED group(P<0.05)and across all participants(P<0.05). In the severe DED group, OSDI scores were positively related to depression, anxiety, and stress scores(P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The prevalence of DED is high among the teachers. Alcohol consumption, reduced sleep, longer working years, longer VDT usage and longer written working hours are the influencing factors of DED. In severe DED group, DED is highly correlated with depression, anxiety, and stress. We should pay attention to teachers' DED and related physical and mental health problems, and actively prevent and make early diagnosis and treatment.

Herbal Textual Research on Farfarae Flos in Famous Classical Formulas / 中国实验方剂学杂志

By consulting ancient and modern literature， the herbal textual research of Farfarae Flos has been conducted to verify the name， origin， producing area， quality evaluation， harvesting and processing methods， so as to provide reference for the development and utilization of the famous classical formulas containing Farfarae Flos. According to the research， the results showed that Farfarae Flos was first described as a medicinal material by the name of Kuandonghua in Shennong Bencaojing（《神农本草经》）， and the name was used and justified by later generations. The main origin was the folwer buds of Tussilago farfara， in addition， the flower buds of Petasites japonicus were used as medicine in ancient times. The ancient harvesting time of Farfarae Flos was mostly in the twelfth month of the lunar calendar， and the modern harvesting time is in December or before the ground freeze when the flower buds have not been excavated. Hebei， Gansu， Shaanxi are the authentic producing areas with the good quality products. Since modern times， its quality is summarized as big， fat， purple-red color， no pedicel is better. Processing method from soaking with licorice water in the Northern and Southern dynasties to stir-frying with honey water followed by micro-fire in the Ming dynasty， and gradually evolved to the modern mainstream processing method of honey processing. Based on the research results， it is suggested that the dried flower buds of T. farfara， a Compositae plant， should be selected for the development of famous classical formulas containing Farfarae Flos， and the corresponding processed products should be selected according to the specific processing requirements of the formulas， and raw products are recommended for medicinal use without indicating processing requirements.

Study on static parameters of internal nasal valve in 3-dimensional model of nasal cavity space / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To identify the internal nasal valve (INV) and to evaluate its key parameters in the established 3D models of nasal cavity space via Mimics from CT images, in order to provide evidence for quantitative diagnosis of nasal valve compromise. Methods: A total of 32 Han adults without nasal diseases who underwent maxillofacial CT test in Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital from January 2015 to December 2018 were retrospectively recruited, including 16 males and 16 females, with the age ranged from 20 to 80 years (50% age<50 years old). Maxillofacial CT images were used to create 3D model of nasal cavity space. The INV was identified and the following parameters were measured: the angle between the INV and the nasal bone (θINV-B), unilateral cross-sectional area of the INV (AINV-R, AINV-L), total cross-sectional area of the INV (AINV), unilateral height of the INV (HINV-R, HINV-L), unilateral nasal valve angle (αINV-R, αINV-L), and the sum of nasal valve angle (αINV). The AINV in our study was compared with the results of the previously adopted planes (PlaneC, perpendicular to the hard palate and PlaneB, plane perpendicular to the nasal bone). The parameters above were compared among genders, age and race groups. SPSS 26 and GraphPad Prism 9 software were used for statistical analysis and mapping of data. Results: The AINV in our study was (214.87±52.94) mm², which was significantly less than that of PlaneC (254.97±47.80) mm² and PlaneB (226.07±57.36) mm². The measured parameters were as follows: θINV-B was (82.07±7.06)°; AINV-R was (112.66±31.39) mm²; AINV-L was (102.21±27.14) mm²; AINV was (214.87±52.94) mm²; HINV-R was (24.87±4.62) mm; HINV-L was (24.35±4.86) mm; αINV-R was (20.48±2.99)°; αINV-L was (19.65±3.82)°; αINV was (40.13±6.24)°. The AINV-R was larger than AINV-L (t=2.33, P<0.05); The HINV, AINV-R, AINV-L and AINV of males were more than those of females (t value was 5.77, 3.21, 2.91 and 3.52, respectively, all P<0.01). The AINV of the young group (<50 years) was larger than that of the old group (t=2.83, P<0.01); The θINV-B was different between the Han people and the Caucasian (t=2.92,P<0.01). The αINV of the Han people was larger than that of Caucasians (Z=-6.92, P<0.01), but the HINV was smaller (Z=-3.89, P<0.01). Conclusion: The AINV carried out in 3D models of nasal cavity space is significantly smaller than that obtained by the previous methods of CT evaluation. INV static parameters differ among genders, age and race groups.

Associations Between Insulin Resistance Indexes and Hyperuricemia in Hypertensive Population / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To explore the relationship between insulin resistance (IR) indexes and hyperuricemia (HUA) among the people with hypertension. Methods From July to August in 2018,hypertension screening was carried out in Wuyuan county,Jiangxi province,and the data were collected through questionnaire survey,physical measurement,and biochemical test.Logistic regression was performed to analyze the relationship between HUA and IR indexes including metabolic score for IR (METS-IR),triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index,TyG-body mass index (BMI),TyG-waist circumference (WC),visceral adiposity index (VAI),triglyceride (TG)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C),and lipid accumulation product (LAP).The penalty spline method was used for the curve fitting between IR indexes and HUA.The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was employed to reveal the correlation between each index and HUA. Results The 14 220 hypertension patients included 6 713 males and 7 507 females,with the average age of (63.8±9.4) years old,the average uric acid level of (418.9±120.6) mmol/L,and the HUA detection rate of 44.4%.The HUA group had higher proportions of males,current drinking,current smoking,diabetes,and using antihypertensive drugs,older age,higher diastolic blood pressure,WC,BMI,homocysteine,total cholesterol,TG,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,blood urea nitrogen,creatinine,aspartate aminotransferase,alanine aminotransferase,total protein,albumin,total bilirubin,direct bilirubin, METS-IR, TyG, TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, VAI, TG/HDL-C, and LAP, and lower systolic blood pressure and HDL-C than the normal uric acid group (all P<0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression showed that METS-IR (OR=1.049,95%CI=1.038-1.060, P<0.001), TyG (OR=1.639,95%CI=1.496-1.797, P<0.001), TyG-BMI (OR=1.008,95%CI=1.006-1.010, P<0.001), TyG-WC (OR=1.003,95%CI=1.002-1.004, P<0.001), lnVAI (OR=1.850, 95%CI=1.735-1.973, P<0.001), ln(TG/HDL-C) (OR=1.862,95%CI=1.692-2.048, P<0.001),and lnLAP (OR=1.503,95%CI=1.401-1.613,P<0.001) were associated with the risk of HUA.Curve fitting indicated that METS-IR,TyG,TYG-BMI,TYG-WC,lnVAI,ln(TG/HDL-C),and lnLAP were positively correlated with HUA (all P<0.001),and the AUC of TyG index was higher than that of other IR indexes (all P<0.05). Conclusion Increased IR indexes,especially TyG,were associated with the risk of HUA among people with hypertension.

Predictive Effects of Different Insulin Resistance Indexes on Diabetes Risk in Hypertensive Population / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To explore the roles of different insulin resistance indexes[triglyceride-glucose (TyG),triglyceride (TG)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C),and metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS-IR)]and combinations of two indexes in predicting diabetes risk in hypertensive population. Methods The survey of hypertension was conducted for the residents in Wuyuan county,Jiangxi province from March to August in 2018.The basic information of hypertensive residents was collected by interview.Blood was drawn on an empty stomach in the morning and physical measurements were carried out.Logistic regression model was employed to analyze the relationship between different insulin resistance indexes and diabetes,and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was used for evaluating the predictive effects of each index on diabetes risk. Results A total of 14 222 hypertensive patients with an average age of (63.8±9.4) years old were included in this study,including 2616 diabetic patients.The diabetic hypertensive population had higher TyG (t=50.323,P<0.001),TG/HDL-C (Z=17.325,P<0.001),and METS-IR (t=28.839,P<0.001) than the non-diabetic hypertensive population.Multivariate analysis showed that each insulin resistance index was positively correlated with diabetes risk.The area under curve of each insulin index was in a descending order of TyG (0.770)> METS-IR (0.673)> TG/HDL-C (0.620).The difference in the area under curve between two indexes was statistically significant[TyG vs.TG/HDL-C (Z=42.325,P<0.001);TyG vs.METS-IR(Z=17.517,P<0.001);METS-IR vs.TG/HDL-C (Z=10.502,P<0.001)]. Conclusions Elevated insulin resistance indexes can increase the risk of diabetes.TyG and the combination of indexes outperform TG/HDL-C and METS-IR in the prediction of diabetes.

Incremental value of epicardial fat volume on predicting obstructive coronary artery disease with myocardial ischemia / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between epicardial fat volume (EFV) and obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) with myocardial ischemia, and evaluate the incremental value of EFV on top of traditional risk factors and coronary artery calcium (CAC) in predicting obstructive CAD with myocardial ischemia. Methods: This study was a retrospective cross-sectional study. Patients with suspected CAD who underwent coronary angiography (CAG) and single photon emission computerized tomography-myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT-MPI) at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from March 2018 to November 2019 were consecutively enrolled. EFV and CAC were measured by non-contrast chest computed tomography (CT) scan. Obstructive CAD was defined as coronary artery stenosis≥50% in at least one of the major epicardial coronary arteries, and myocardial ischemia was defined as reversible perfusion defects in stress and rest MPI. Obstructive CAD with myocardial ischemia was defined in patients with coronary stenosis severity≥50% and reversible perfusion defects in the corresponding areas of SPECT-MPI. Patients with myocardial ischemia bot without obstructive CAD were defined as none-obstructive CAD with myocardial ischemia group. We collected and compared the general clinical data, CAC and EFV between the two groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the relationship between EFV and obstructive CAD with myocardial ischemia. ROC curves were performed to determine whether addition of EFV improved predictive value beyond traditional risk factors and CAC for obstructive CAD with myocardial ischemia. Results: Among the 164 patients with suspected CAD, 111 patients were males, and average age was (61.4±9.9) years old. 62 (37.8%) patients were included into the obstructive CAD with myocardial ischemia group. 102 (62.2%) patients were included into the none-obstructive CAD with myocardial ischemia group. EFV was significantly higher in obstructive CAD with myocardial ischemia group than in none-obstructive CAD with myocardial ischemia group ((135.63±33.29)cm3 and (105.18±31.16)cm3, P<0.01). Univariate regression analysis showed the risk of obstructive CAD with myocardial ischemia increased by 1.96 times for each SD increase in EFV(OR 2.96; 95%CI, 1.89-4.62; P<0.01). After adjustment for traditional risk factors and CAC, EFV remained as an independent predictor for obstructive CAD with myocardial ischemia (OR, 4.48, 95%CI, 2.17-9.23; P<0.01). Addition of EFV to CAC and traditional risk factors was related to larger AUC for predicting obstructive CAD with myocardial ischemia (0.90 vs. 0.85, P=0.04, 95%CI: 0.85-0.95) and the global chi-square increased by 21.81 (P<0.05). Conclusions: EFV is an independent predictor for obstructive CAD with myocardial ischemia. Addition of EFV to traditional risk factors and CAC has incremental value for predicting obstructive CAD with myocardial ischemia in this patient cohort.

Herbal Textual Research on Anemarrhenae Rhizoma in Famous Classical Formulas / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Through reviewing ancient and modern literature， the textual research of Anemarrhenae Rhizoma（AR） has been conducted to verify the name， origin， changes in production areas， quality evaluation， harvesting and processing methods， so as to provide reference for the development and utilization of the famous classical formulas containing AR. Through the herbal textual research， AR was first published in Shennong Bencaojing， and has been used as the proper name for this herb for generations， and the mainstream source of AR used for generations is the rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides. The high-quality production areas that have been revered throughout the ages are Hebei， Shanxi， Shaanxi， Inner Mongolia and Fangshan district of Beijing， etc. In recent times， AR produced in Yixian county of Hebei province（Xiling Zhimu）， is better known and is regarded as a very good source. At present， cultivated AR is mainly produced in Yixian county and Anguo of Hebei province， Bozhou of Anhui province and other places. The medicinal parts of AR in ancient and modern times are all rhizomes， and the quality is better if it has thick flesh， hard wood， yellow outer color and white section color. The harvesting time recorded in ancient medical books is usually in lunar February and August， with exposure to dryness， while modern harvesting is spring and autumn. The processing methods of the past dynasties were mainly to remove the hair when using， avoid iron when cutting， process with wine or salt water， while the two main specifications in modern times are raw and salted products. Based on the systematic research， it is recommended that the dried rhizome of A. asphodeloides in the famous classical formulas be used for AR. If the original formula specifies processing requirements， it should be operated according to the requirements， if the processing requirements are not indicated， the raw products can be used as medicine.

Be alert to insidious fracture-related infections secondary to severe open fractures / 中华创伤骨科杂志

Objective:To report our experience in using the Ilizarov technique to treat bone defects secondary to Gustilo Ⅲb open tibial fractures with negative clinical signs and serological inflammatory markers.Methods:A retrospective study was performed to analyze the 19 patients with bone defects secondary to Gustilo Ⅲb open tibial fracture who had been treated at Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital between January of 2010 and June of 2021. They were 15 males and 4 females with an age of (41±11) years. Their inclusion criteria: undergoing treatment with Ilizarov technique (consecutive compression-distraction or bone transport), soft tissue coverage procedures resulting in wound closure and negative clinical infection signs for at least 3 months and normal serological inflammatory markers, and follow-up for more than 3 months after frame removal. Three-phase bone scan was performed for the patients before the present surgery. Debridement, sampling of deep tissues for bacterial culture, and external stabilization with a fixator were performed in the present surgery. Osteotomy for compression-distraction or bone transport technique was carried out at 1 stage or 2 stages. Systemic antibiotic therapy for 6 weeks was continued for those with positive microbiological analysis guided by antibiogram. Recorded were results of intra-operative pus detection around defects, microbiological findings, length of bone defect reconstructed, rate and time of infection recurrence during treatment, fracture union rate, bone healing index, bony and functional results.Results:The interval between primary injury to the present surgery was (10±8) months. The preoperative three-phase bone scan showed infection free in 8 cases, chronic osteomyelitis in 7 cases, and suspicious infection in 4 cases. No pus was found during intra-operative debridement in all. The intra-operative microbiological detection was positive in 1 sample in 1 patient (infection free indicated by bone scan), and in ≥2 samples in 3 patients (bone scan indicating non-infection, infection not excluded and osteomyelitis in 1 case each). The length of bone defect reconstructed was (8±3) cm. The follow-up after the present surgery was (37±15) months. Fracture union was achieved in all cases, with a bone healing index of (1.7±0.5) months/cm. Clinical infection signs were observed 1 (1, 1) month after the present surgery in 6 patients whose microbiological results were all negative. All the 6 patients ended up with no clinical recurrence after empirical use of systemic antibiotics in 5 and radical debridement in one. The bony results showed 16 excellent and 3 good cases while the functional results showed 10 excellent and 9 good cases.Conclusions:In treatment of bone defects secondary to Gustilo Ⅲb open tibial fractures with negative clinical signs and serological inflammatory markers, constant vigilance is needed against low-grade infection. Intra-operative multiple sampling of deep tissues with a standardized protocol and microbiological testing are extremely valuable for diagnosis of fracture-related infections.

Open reduction and internal fixation assisted by computer virtual surgery in the treatment of complex proximal humeral fracture / 中华创伤杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of open reduction and internal fixation assisted by computer virtual surgery in the treatment of complex proximal humeral fracture.Methods:A retrospective case series study was performed on clinical data of 36 patients with complex proximal humeral fracture admitted to Dongfang Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University from January 2018 to June 2020. There were 13 males and 23 females, aged 22-86 years [(56.4±4.8)years]. They were all closed fractures. According to Neer classification, there were 20 patients with three-part fractures and 16 with four-part fractures. Precise pre-surgical designs made by using the digital orthopedic surgery planning system of the E-3D were applied to assist the implementation of precise fracture reduction and internal fixation with the locking plate. The fracture healing was observed. The effect of the real surgery assisted by the virtual surgical designs was assessed by comparing the humeral neck shaft angle and humeral head height measured at the virtual surgery and at day 1 after the real surgery. The humeral neck shaft angle, humeral head height, shoulder range of motion (abduction, external rotation and forward flexion), Constant shoulder function score and visual analogue score (VAS) were recorded at 1 day, 3 months and 12 months after the real surgery. The stability of the medial column was assessed at 1 day after the real surgery. The complications were recorded.Results:All patients were followed up for 12-38 months [(18.5±1.8)months]. The fracture showed bony union in all patients with the union time of 6.6-17.2 weeks [(10.2±1.0)weeks]. The humeral neck shaft angle and humeral head height showed no significant differences measured at the virtual surgery and at 1 day after the real surgery, and were also not significant different at 1 day, 3 months and 12 months after the real surgery (all P>0.05). At 3 months and 12 months after the real surgery, the shoulder abduction [(119.4±11.8)°, (155.3±13.7)°], external rotation [(37.6±6.3)°, (46.8±7.4)°], forward flexion [ (94.8±10.2)°, (126.9±1.6)°] and Constant function score [(66.8±8.4)points, (82.4±9.6)points] were all higher than those at 1 day after the real surgery [(53.8±4.5)°, (21.6±3.3)°, (44.6±7.8)°, (34.3±6.1)points], while the VAS [(4.1±0.5)points, (1.2±0.2)points] was lower than that at 1 day after the real surgery [(8.3±1.4)points] (all P<0.05). The medial column was stable in 34 patients and unstable in 2 at 1 day after the real surgery. Complications included screw cutting out in the articular surface in 1 patient and humeral head necrosis in 1. Conclusion:Treatment of complex proximal humeral fractures with open reduction and internal fixation assisted by computer virtual surgery is conducive to maintaining reduction effect, promoting shoulder joint function, relieving pain and reducing complications.

Effect of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 on platelet activation associated with sepsis / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To investigate the effect of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) on platelet activation in sepsis.Methods:① Clinical trial: a prospective study was conducted. Patients with sepsis and septic shock aged ≥ 18 years old who met the diagnostic criteria of Sepsis-3 admitted to the department of intensive care medicine of the Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical College from January to October in 2021 were selected as subjects. Healthy subjects in the same period were taken as healthy control group. Platelet count (PLT) in the first routine blood test after admission was recorded. Venous blood was taken 1 day after diagnosis, and serum PCSK9 level was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The differences of PCSK9 level and PLT between the two groups were compared, and subgroup analysis was conducted based on PLT for patients with sepsis. The correlation between PCSK9 level and PLT in septic patients was analyzed by Pearson correlation method. ② Animal experiment: 80 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group, sepsis model group [lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group], PCSK9 inhibitor pretreatment group (PCSK9 inhibitor+LPS group) and PCSK9 inhibitor control group (PCSK9 inhibitor group), with 20 mice in each group. The mouse model of sepsis was reproduced by intraperitoneal injection of LPS 12 mg/kg, and the control group and PCSK9 inhibitor group were intraperitoneally injected with the same amount of sterile normal saline. PCSK9 inhibitor+LPS group and PCSK9 inhibitor group were pretreated with PCSK9 inhibitor 5 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection for 7 days before injection of LPS or normal saline, respectively, and the control group and LPS group were injected with an equal amount of sterile normal saline. The lung tissues were taken for pathological and immunohistochemical observation 24 hours after modeling. Blood was taken from the heart for determining PLT. Platelet activation was detected by flow cytometry. The expression level of platelet-activation marker CD40L was detected by Western blotting.Results:① Clinical trial: there were 57 cases in the sepsis group and 27 cases in the healthy control group. Serum PCSK9 level in the sepsis group was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group (μg/L: 232.25±72.21 vs. 191.72±54.92, P < 0.05), and PLT was significantly lower than that in the healthy control group [×10 9/L: 146.00 (75.50, 204.50) vs. 224.00 (194.00, 247.00), P < 0.01]. Subgroup analysis showed that the serum PCSK9 level in the thrombocytopenia patients ( n = 20) was significantly higher than that in the non-thrombocytopenia patients ( n = 37; μg/L: 264.04±60.40 vs. 215.06±72.95, P < 0.01). Correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between serum PCSK9 levels and PLT in septic patients ( r = -0.340, P = 0.010). ② Animal experiment: there were no significant pathological changes in lung tissue in the control group and PCSK9 inhibitor group under light microscope, and no significant differences in PLT, platelet activation and plasma CD40L protein expression was found between the two groups. In the LPS group, a large number of inflammatory cells were infiltrated in the pulmonary interstitium, the alveolar structure was damaged obviously, the alveolar septum was widened, the alveolar cavity was extensively bleeding, the capillary dilatation with bleeding and platelet aggregation were found, the PLT was significantly decreased, the platelet activation and the expression level of CD40L protein in plasma were significantly increased. The infiltration of inflammatory cells in lung tissue of mice in the PCSK9 inhibitor+LPS group was reduced to a certain extent, the thickening of alveolar septa was reduced, the platelet aggregation in lung tissue was decreased as compared with the LPS group, the PLT was significantly increased (×10 9/L: 515.83±46.60 vs. 324.83±46.31, P < 0.05), the platelet activation and the expression level of CD40L protein in plasma were significantly decreased [positive expression rate of platelet activation dependent granule surface facial mask protein CD62P: (12.15±1.39)% vs. (18.33±2.74)%, CD40L protein (CD40L/β-actin): 0.77±0.08 vs. 1.18±0.10, both P < 0.05]. Conclusion:PCSK9 level has a certain effect on promoting platelet activation in sepsis, and inhibition of PCSK9 level may have potential research value in improving adverse outcomes caused by sepsis thrombocytopenia.

Effect of continuous blood purification on immunity and endothelial cell function in patients with sepsis / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To explore the effect of continuous blood purification (CBP) on the immunity and endothelial cell function of patients with sepsis.Methods:A prospective study was conducted. The patients aged ≥18 years old and meeting the diagnostic criteria of sepsis admitted to the department of critical care medicine of Binzhou Medical University Hospital from March 2019 to October 2020 were selected as the research subjects, and the patients were divided into standard treatment group and CBP treatment group according to random number table method. Both groups were given standard treatment including initial fluid resuscitation, infection source control and antibiotics according to the 2016 international guidelines for the management of sepsis and septic shock. CBP treatment group was additionally given continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH) at a dose of 25-30 mL·kg -1·h -1 and blood flow rate of 150-200 mL/min for more than 20 hours a day for 3 days. The clinical data of patients including blood lactic acid (Lac), procalcitonin (PCT), lymphocyte count (LYM), acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ) score, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score were recorded before treatment and 1 day and 3 days after treatment. At the same time, the venous blood was collected, and the immune function related indexes [interleukins (IL-4, IL-7), programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1), programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1), interferon-γ (IFN-γ)] and endothelial cell injury related markers [soluble thrombomodulin (sTM), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), von Willebrand factor (vWF), heparan sulfate (HS), syndecan-1 (SDC-1)] levels in serum were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay of patients in the two groups was recorded, and the outcomes of patients in the two groups were followed up for 28 days. Results:Finally, 20 patients were enrolled in the standard treatment group, and 19 patients were enrolled in the CBP treatment group. There were no significant differences in gender, age and infection site between the two groups. The length of ICU stay in the standard treatment group was (10±5) days, and 5 patients died and 15 patients survived after 28 days. The length of ICU stay in the CBP treatment group was (9±4) days, and 8 patients died and 11 patients survived after 28 days. There were no significant differences in the length of ICU stay and number of patients who died within 28 days between the two groups (both P > 0.05). There were no significant differences in the Lac, PCT, LYM, APACHEⅡ score, SOFA score and immune function and endothelial cell injury related indexes before treatment and 1 day after treatment between the two groups. After 3 days of treatment, the Lac, PCT, APACHEⅡ score and SOFA score of the CBP treatment group were significantly lower than those before treatment, and pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ and IL-4, apoptosis-related indicators such as PD-1 and IL-7, and endothelial injury related factors such as sTM, SDC-1 and HS were significantly improved compared with the pre-treatment, the improvement degree of the above indicators was more obvious than that of the standard treatment group, and LYM was significantly higher than that of the standard treatment group (×10 9/L: 1.3±0.3 vs. 0.9±0.4, P < 0.05), IL-4, IFN-γ, IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio, IL-7, PD-1, sTM, SDC-1, HS, and Ang-2 were significantly lower than those of the standard treatment group [IL-4 (ng/L): 2.8 (1.5, 3.2) vs. 3.3 (2.7, 5.2), IFN-γ (ng/L): 6.3 (5.4, 106.5) vs. 217.9 (71.4, 517.1), IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio: 3.7 (1.8, 70.3) vs. 59.1 (18.3, 124.9), IL-7 (ng/L): 4.6 (3.2, 5.1) vs. 6.3 (5.2, 8.0), PD-1 (μg/L): 0.04 (0.03, 0.06) vs. 0.08 (0.05, 0.12), sTM (μg/L): 4.9 (4.3, 7.4) vs. 8.7 (6.0, 10.8), SDC-1 (μg/L): 0.6 (0.3, 1.1) vs. 0.9 (0.8, 2.5), HS (ng/L): 434.8 (256.2, 805.0) vs. 887.9 (620.1, 957.3), Ang-2 (ng/L): 934.0 (673.3, 1 502.1) vs. 2 233.9 (1 472.5, 3 808.4)], the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Conclusion:CBP treatment can eliminate the patient's immunosuppressive state, reduce a variety of endothelial injury markers and the degradation of glycocalyx, but cannot decrease the 28-day death risk or shorten the length of ICU stay.

Necrolytic Migratory Erythema—A Case Report of Pancreatic Occupying Lesion / 罕见病研究

Glucagonoma is a rare neuroendocrine tumor of α cells of the pancreas. The tumor excessively secretes glucagon and causes glucagonoma syndrome.70%-90% of patients with glucagonoma will develop necrolytic migratory erythema (NME). We reported a patient of glucagonoma syndrome who was presented to the dermatology outpatient clinic with a 2-year-history of recurrent erythema and scaling on the skin migrating throughout the body. A skin biopsy was performed and resulting features matched with NME, whilst imaging examinations suggested a soft tissue density tumor present in the tail of the pancreas with somatostatin receptor expression and laboratory tests found an elevated levels of serum glucagon. After the diagnosis was confirmed, the patient was treated with surgical resection of the glucagonoma and the skin eruptions resolved rapidly in 4 days. Meanwhile, we reviewed relevant literature published in recent years and summarized its clinical characteristics in order to improve its understanding by clinicians, including clinical manifestations, laboratory and imaging examinations, diagnosis and treatments.

A Case Report of Blau Syndrome / 罕见病研究

Blau syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by the a mix of granulomatous arthritis, uveitis, and dermatitis. Patients typically manifest multisystem involvement, including ocular, skin, and skeletal abnormalities. Blau syndrome is extremely rare, with a global incidence of less than one in a million among children. In this multidisciplinary consultation, we present a case of a 21-year-old young female patient having multisystemic involvement since early childhood. She was presented with multiple joint swelling, skin lesions, increased eye discharge, and accompanied by hypertension and arterial abnormalities, and received a diagnosis of uveitis. The patient had been receiving steroid treatment since the age of 6 and has tried various medications, with some improvement in joint swelling and ocular symptoms. Through this rare disease multidisciplinary consultation, we aim to provide guidance in the molecular diagnosis of the patient, multisystem assessment, and the selection and formulation of treatment plans. Additionally, we hope that by reporting this case, clinical physicians can gain a better understanding of the diagnosis and comprehensive treatment strategies for Blau syndrome, thereby improving the management and treatment of rare diseases.

Determination of iodine in workplace air by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry / 中国职业医学

Objective To establish a solvent desorption inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method for determination of iodine in workplace air. Methods Iodine in workplace air was collected with alkaline activated carbon tube and desorbed with 10.0 mL pure water or 20 mmol/L sodium bicarbonate solution. Rhenium-185 was used as an internal standard for quantification. The sample was determined in standard mode and kinetic energy discrimination collision (KED) mode by ICP-MS. Results In standard mode, iodine showed a good linear range in the concentration of 9.0 to 1 100.0 μg/L, with a correlation coefficient of 0.999 3 and a detection limit of 2.7 μg/L. In KED mode, iodine showed a good linear range in the concentration of 24.3 to 800.0 μg/L, with a correlation coefficient of 0.999 1 and a detection limit of 7.3 μg/L. The average desorption efficiency using pure water ranged from 99.1% to 106.7%, with within-run relative standard deviation (RSD) of 3.1% to 8.0% and between-run RSD of 4.9% to 9.3%. The average desorption efficiency using sodium bicarbonate solution ranged from 96.5% to 105.3%, with within-run RSD of 4.9% to 8.6% and between-run RSD of 2.5% to 9.9%. There were no statistical significant differences in the main effects of desorption solution, ICP-MS detection mode, their interaction on average desorption efficiency and within-run RSD (all P>0.05). Samples could be stored at room temperature for at least 7 days. Conclusion This method is highly sensitive, accurate, and suitable for the determination of iodine in workplace air. The sample pretreatment is simple and rapid.

Metabolic regulation of exogenous lactate on obese mice induced by high fat diet / 中国药科大学学报

@#This study investigates the metabolic regulatory effects of exogenous lactate on obesity mice induced by high-fat diet.We established obesity and metabolic disorder C57 mice model using a synthetic high-fat forage containing 60% fat.Some mice were fed with high-fat diet for 4 weeks to establish the model, being given 500 mg/(kg?d) lactate with ip for 4 weeks at the same time; the others were fed with high-fat diet for 8 weeks to establish the model, being given 500 mg/(kg?d) lactate 4 weeks after 4 weeks of modeling.During the trial period, the change of body weight and food intake, as well as serum glucose, lactate, triglycerides, insulin, and liver glycogen levels of both groups of mice were measured.Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT) were used to assess glucose metabolism and insulin resistance in the body.At the end of the experiment, adipose tissue was dissected for weighing and histopathological examination.The expression of lipid synthesis and lipolysis genes in adipose tissue was detected by real-time PCR.The results showed that: (1) in the 4-week preventive medication trial, lactate had no significant effect on the body weight of normal and high-fat diet (HFD) mice, yet it increased the subcutaneous fat/visceral fat weight ratio; lactate could significantly reduce fasting blood glucose and liver glycogen levels in HFD mice while increasing blood lactate levels, significantly improving impaired glucose tolerance in HFD mice; lactate could improve the size and arrangement of adipocytes in the HFD group while significantly down-regulating the expression of fatty acid synthesis and lipolysis genes in adipose tissue; (2) in the 8-week treatment, both routes of lactate administration could partially reduce body weight in HFD group mice and reduce food intake, with the improvement trend for fat weight; both routes of lactate administration could significantly reduce fasting blood glucose levels in HFD mice, while significantly improving glucose and insulin tolerance, with some improvement of fasting insulin levels and insulin resistance index; both routes of lactate administration showed different degrees of improvement effect on adipocyte morphology in obese mice while significantly down-regulating lipolysis gene expression in adipose tissue.Therefore, for high-fat diet-induced obese mice with metabolic imbalance, exogenous lactate can stimulate glucose metabolism, inhibit adipose tissue lipolysis, and prevent adipocyte hypertrophy, thereby improving glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity and reducing sugar-lipid metabolic disorder.

Fatty Acid Binding Protein 5 (FABP5) Promotes Aggressiveness of Gastric Cancer Through Modulation of Tumor Immunity

Purpose@#Gastric cancer (GC) is the second most lethal cancer globally and is associated with poor prognosis. Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) can regulate biological properties of carcinoma cells. FABP5 is overexpressed in many types of cancers; however, the role and mechanisms of action of FABP5 in GC remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical and biological functions of FABP5 in GC. @*Materials and Methods@#We assessed FABP5 expression using immunohistochemical analysis in 79 patients with GC and evaluated its biological functions following in vitro and in vivo ectopic expression. FABP5 targets relevant to GC progression were determined using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). @*Results@#Elevated FABP5 expression was closely associated with poor outcomes, and ectopic expression of FABP5 promoted proliferation, invasion, migration, and carcinogenicity of GC cells, thus suggesting its potential tumor-promoting role in GC. Additionally, RNA-seq analysis indicated that FABP5 activates immune-related pathways, including cytokinecytokine receptor interaction pathways, interleukin-17 signaling, and tumor necrosis factor signaling, suggesting an important rationale for the possible development of therapies that combine FABP5-targeted drugs with immunotherapeutics. @*Conclusions@#These findings highlight the biological mechanisms and clinical implications of FABP5 in GC and suggest its potential as an adverse prognostic factor and/or therapeutic target.

Fexaramine improves non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice by stimulating intestinal FXR / 药学学报

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered to be a manifestation of metabolic syndrome and has become one of the chronic diseases that endanger health around the world. There is still a lack of effective therapeutic drugs in clinical practice. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) has been a popular target for NAFLD research in recent years. Fexaramine (Fex) is a potent and selective agonist of FXR, and its mechanism of action to improve NAFLD is unclear. Therefore, in this study, a mouse model of NAFLD was constructed using a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet and treated with Fex orally for 6 weeks. We evaluated the ameliorative effect of Fex on disorders of glucolipid metabolism in NAFLD mice, and preliminarily explored its potential mechanism of action. The animal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (approval number: PZSHUTCM210913011). In this study, it was found that 100 mg·kg-1 Fex significantly inhibited body weight gain, alleviated insulin resistance, improved liver injury and lipid accumulation in NAFLD mice. The effect of Fex on the expression of hepatic intestinal FXR and its target genes in NAFLD mice was further examined. Analysis of serum and hepatic bile acid profiles and expression related to hepatic lipid metabolism. It was found that Fex could stimulate intestinal FXR, promote fibroblast growth factor 15 (FGF15) secretion, inhibit the expression of cytochrome P450 family 7 subfamily A member 1 (CYP7A1), the rate-limiting enzyme of bile acid synthesis in liver, regulate bile acid synthesis by negative feedback, and improve the disorder of bile acid metabolism. At the same time, Fex reduces liver lipid synthesis and absorption, increases fatty acid oxidation, thus improving liver lipid metabolism. This study shows that Fex can improve NAFLD by activating intestinal FXR-FGF15 signal pathway and regulating liver lipid metabolism.

Advances on toxicity and metabolism of alkaloids from the "toxic" traditional Chinese medicines / 药学学报

The "toxicity" and safety of traditional Chinese medicines have been seriously concerned. Alkaloids are the main pharmacodynamic components of many kinds of traditional Chinese medicines, which show strong biological activity at low concentration. It will also cause toxic side effects but if used improperly. Some alkaloids are both active and toxic, and the safety of related traditional Chinese medicines is particularly noteworthy. The efficacy or toxicity of alkaloids may be the result of the combined action of parent compounds and metabolites, which is not only related to the structural types of compounds, but also has obvious species differences between humans and animals. This review focused on the alkaloids contained in the "toxic" traditional Chinese medicines that are officially recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia and the metabolism patterns of alkaloids with different structures as well as the enzymes involved were summarized and discussed by referencing the publications in recent two decades. The present study will be beneficial to the rational use of these traditional Chinese medicines in clinic.

Characteristic identification of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and Sophorae Tonkinensis Radix et Rhizoma based on HPTLC-ESI-MS / 药学学报

Sophorae Flavescentis Radix is the dried root of Sophora flavescens Ait. and Sophorae Tonkinensis Radix et Rhizoma is the dried root and rhizome of Sophora tonkinensis Gagnep. The two drugs are both from the same genus Sophora, having similar and different compositions and efficacies, however, their differences are not fully demonstrated in current standard. In this study, the high-performance thin-layer chromatography with multi-dimensional and multi-level features combined with electric spray mass spectrometry (HPTLC-ESI-MS) was used to discover and identify the characteristic zones in extracts of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and Sophorae Tonkinensis Radix et Rhizoma, after optimizing the preparation method of the test solution and chromatographic parameters. As a result, 17 main characteristic zones were found on HPTLC chromatograms of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and Sophorae Tonkinensis Radix et Rhizoma, among them, besides 3 known chemicals, another 12 unknown components were identified by HPTLC-ESI-MS, they are 1 alkaloid and 11 flavonoids. The identification results were verified by the reference standards partially and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra after guided-isolation. Finally, a unified HPTLC specific identification method with different markers was established to identify Sophorae Flavescentis Radix and Sophorae Tonkinensis Radix et Rhizoma simultaneously. Thanks to abundant chemical information provided when using diverse polarity mobile phases and derivatization reagents, the HPTLC technology offers a convenient strategy for discovery, quality evaluation, and identification of target chemicals when connecting with mass spectrometry.

Comparison of Effect of Different Microbial Agents on Quality of Lycii Fructus Based on Multiple Index Components / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo reveal the effects of different microbial agents on quality of Lycii Fructus by comparing the differences in the contents of multiple types of chemical components in Lycii Fructus after the application of different microbial agents. MethodTaking Ningqi No. 7 as experimental material， four microbial agents， namely Peiyuan combined with Xinterui（TP group）， Trichoderma harzianum combined with Bacillus subtilis（BW group）， Genwuyou（MT group） and Junyiduo（JYD group）， were applied， and no microbial agents was used as the blank group（CK group）. Then the contents of total phenolics， total flavonoids， saccharides， amino acids， nucleosides and bases， betaine and other components in Lycii Fructus were determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry（UV）， high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry（UHPLC-MS/MS）， and the methods such as multiple comparisons， principal component analysis（PCA） and partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA） were used to analyze the effect of different microbial agents on the quality of Lycii Fructus. ResultMicrobial agents had different effects on chemical components of Lycii Fructus. The content of total phenolics was the highest in the TP group， and it varied significantly from the CK group（P<0.05）. The total flavonoid content was the highest in the BW group， followed by the TP group. Both polysaccharide and alduronic acid contents were the highest in the JYD group. Betaine content in the TP and BW groups were significantly higher than that in the CK group（P<0.05）. For the determined 23 kinds of amino acids， most of them were the lowest in the JYD group， and the highest in the MT group， while the nucleoside bases were higher in the MT and BW groups. It indicated that Lycii Fructus from different treatment groups could be distinguished clearly based on the determined 45 chemical components. The result of PLS-DA showed that the major differential components in each group were polysaccharides， glucose， fructose， betaine， alduronic acid， asparagine， sucrose， threonine， total flavonoids， alanine and total phenolics. The results of PCA composite scores based on the main differential components showed that composite scores of chemical components in each group were BW group>TP group>MT group>CK group>JYD group. ConclusionThe application of microbial agents of BW， TP and MT can promote the quality improvement of Lycii Fructus， and the application of JYD can promote the accumulation of polysaccharides and alduronic acid to a certain extent， but the overall effect on the quality of Lycii Fructus is not clear. This study lays the foundation for the green and healthy development of Lycii Fructus industry.