Expression of antigens of foot-and-mouth disease virus in plants: a review / 生物工程学报

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is an acute, severe, and highly contagious infectious disease caused by foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), which seriously endangers the development of animal husbandry. The inactivated FMD vaccine is the main product for the prevention and control of FMD, which has been successfully applied to control the pandemic and outbreak of FMD. However, the inactivated FMD vaccine also has problems, such as the instability of antigen, the risk of spread of the virus due to incomplete inactivation during vaccine production, and the high cost of production. Compared with traditional microbial and animal bioreactors, production of antigens in plants through transgenic technology has some advantages including low cost, safety, convenience, and easy storage and transportation. Moreover, since antigens produced from plants can be directly used as edible vaccines, no complex processes of protein extraction and purification are required. But, there are some problems for the production of antigens in plants, which include low expression level and poor controllability. Thus, expressing the antigens of FMDV in plants may be an alternative mean for production of FMD vaccine, which has certain advantages but still need to be continuously optimized. Here we review the main strategies for expressing active proteins in plants, as well as the research progress on the expression of FMDV antigens in plants. We also discuss the current problems and challenges encountered, with the aim to facilitate related research.

Study on infusion misdirection syndrome during phacoemulsification cataract surgery / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Infusion misdirection syndrome(IMS)is a rare and troublesome intraoperative complication during phacoemulsification cataract surgery, which usually occurs in hydrodissection, phacoemulsification or irrigation/aspiration(I/A). Under the factors of lax zonular fibers, lens dislocation, posterior capsular rupture, the anterior segment crowding, high perfusion pressure, the infusion fluid accumulates in the vitreous cavity or behind the vitreous, leading to intraocular hypertension, shallowness or even disappearance of the anterior chamber and eventually causing the suspension of surgery. It needs to be differentiated from suprachoroidal hemorrhage(SCH), capsular block syndrome(CBS), etc. After intraoperative emergency treatments, such as rest combined with intravenous drip of mannitol, pars plana needle aspiration or vitrectomy, a favorable prognosis can be obtained. This review discusses the pathogenesis, diagnosis, emergency management, prevention and prognosis of IMS during phacoemulsification cataract surgery, with the aim of providing clinical guidance for ophthalmologists.

Establishment and validation of nomogram model for visual prognosis of macular edema secondary to retinal branch vein occlusion treated with ranibizumab / 中华眼底病杂志

Objective:To explore the influencing factors of visual prognosis of macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO-ME) after treatment with ranibizumab, and construct and verify the nomogram model.Methods:A retrospective study. A total of 130 patients with BRVO-ME diagnosed by ophthalmology examination in the Department of Ophthalmology, Liuzhou Red Cross Hospital from January 2019 to December 2021 were selected in this study. All patients received intravitreal injection of ranibizumab. According to the random number table method, the patients were divided into the training set and the test set with a ratio of 3:1, which were 98 patients (98 eyes) and 32 patients (32 eyes), respectively. According to the difference of logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 6 months after treatment and logMAR BCVA before treatment, 98 patients (98 eyes) in the training set were divided into good prognosis group (difference ≤-0.3) and poor prognosis group (difference >-0.3), which were 58 patients (58 eyes) and 40 patients (40 eyes), respectively. The clinical data of patients in the two groups were analyzed, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were carried out for the different indicators, and the visualization regression analysis results were obtained by using R software. The consistency index (C-index), convolutional neural network (CNN), calibration curve and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to verify the accuracy of the nomogram model.Results:Univariate analysis showed that age, disease course, outer membrane (ELM) integrity, elliptical zone (EZ) integrity, BCVA, center macular thickness (CMT), outer hyperreflective retinal foci (HRF), inner retina HRF, and the blood flow density of retinal deep capillary plexus (DCP) were risk factors affecting the visual prognosis after treatment with ranibizumab in BRVO-ME patients ( P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that course of disease, ELM integrity, BCVA and outer HRF were independent risk factors for visual prognosis after ranibizumab treatment for BRVO-ME patients ( P<0.05). The ROC area under the curve of the training set and the test set were 0.846[95% confidence interval ( CI) 0.789-0.887) and 0.852 (95% CI 0.794 -0.873)], respectively; C-index were 0.836 (95% CI 0.793-0.865) and 0.845 (95% CI 0.780-0.872), respectively. CNN showed that the error rate gradually stabilized after 300 cycles, with good model accuracy and strong prediction ability. Conclusions:Course of disease, ELM integrity, BCVA and outer HRF were independent risk factors of visual prognosis after ranibizumab treatment in BRVO-ME patients. The nomogram model based on risk factors has good differentiation and accuracy.

Drug resistance and molecular typing of diarrheagenic escherichia coli from the diarrhea clinics in Qingpu District, Shanghai / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective: To analyze the drug resistance and multilocus sequence typing of five types of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) isolated from diarrhea outpatients of diarrhea comprehensive monitoring designated hospital in Qingpu District, Shanghai from 2015 to 2019. Methods: From January 2015 to December 2019, five types of DEC, isolated and identified from diarrhea outpatient cases' anal swabs of the Qingpu branch of Zhongshan Hospital were collected to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration by using the micro broth dilution susceptibility test. The strains, resistant to the third-generation cephalosporins or carbapenems, or producing ESBLs, were selected based on the results of sensitivity tests and determined by WGS. The MLST typing of DEC was analyzed based on the WGS technology and the minimum spanning tree was constructed by BioNumerics 7.6 software to analyze the local dominant flora. Results: A total of 513 strains of DEC were detected and isolated from 4 494 anal swabs, with a detection rate of 11.42%. About 500 strains were tested for drug sensitivity to nine antibiotics in four classes, including 330 strains of enterotoxigenic E.coli (ETEC), 72 strains of enteroaggregative E.coli (EAEC), 95 strains of enteropathogenic E.coli (EPEC), 1 strain of enterohemorrhagic E.coli (EHEC), and 2 strains of enteroinvasive E.coli (EIEC). From 2015 to 2019, the resistance rate of cefotaxime-clavulanic acid was significantly different (P<0.05). The resistance rate of virulence types of DEC to nalixic acid was significantly different (P<0.05). About 71 strains of DEC were determined by WGS, and 77 drug-resistant genes were detected. Strains were classified into 32 ST subtypes, with the dominant genotypes being ST-1491 (29.6%, 21/71) and ST-10 Complex (23.9%, 17/71). All ST-1491 produced ESBLs, which were blaCTX-M gene mutant strains. The dominant type of ST-10 complex was ST-218 (35.3%, 6/17). In addition, 8 strains of EAEC, 14 strains of EPEC and 49 strains of ETEC were classified into 7, 14 and 18 ST subtypes, respectively. Conclusion: The drug resistance of DEC strains from the diarrhea outpatient case of Qingpu District is serious. The ST types of EAEC and EPEC are highly polymorphic. The dominant ST types of DEC are basically consistent with the common genotypes in southeast China.

Effect of electroacupuncture at different frequencies on brain insulin signaling transduction pathway in Alzheimer's disease mice / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at different frequencies on learning and memory functions, as well as the relevant proteins of brain insulin signal transduction pathway in Alzheimer's disease (AD) mice and explore the effect mechanism of EA in treatment of AD.@*METHODS@#Seventy-two SPF Kunming male mice were randomized into a blank group, a sham-operation group, a model group, a 2 Hz EA group, a 15 Hz EA group and a 30 Hz EA group, 12 mice in each one. In the model group and each EA group, AD model were established by the injection with streptozotocin (ST2) solution (8 mg/kg) into the left lateral ventricles. In the sham-operation group, 0.9% sodium chloride solution of the same volume was injected into the left lateral ventricles. After successful modeling, in each EA group, EA was applied at "Baihui" (GV 20), "Dazhui" (GV 14) and "Shenshu" (BL 23) with corresponding frequencies, once daily. One course of EA intervention consisted of 7 treatments and 2 courses were given totally at interval of 1 day. After modeling and intervention, Morris water maze test was conducted for the mice of each group. Using immunohistochemistry and Western blot method, the protein expression of insulin receptor (IR), insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) was detected in the hippocampal of the mice after intervention.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the blank group, in the model group, the 2 Hz, 15 Hz and 30 Hz EA groups, the escape latency and the first time of crossing the platform were all extended (P<0.01), and the number of crossing the platform was reduced (P<0.01) after modeling. When compared with the blank group, the escape latency and the first time of crossing the platform were all extended (P<0.01), and the number of crossing the platform was reduced (P<0.01) in the model group after intervention. In the 2 Hz, 15 Hz and 30 Hz EA groups, the escape latency and the first time of crossing the platform were all shortened (P<0.01), and the number of crossing the platform was increased (P<0.05, P<0.01) after intervention when compared with the model group. The escape latency and the first time of crossing the platform were all shortened (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the number of crossing the platform was increased (P<0.05) in the 15 Hz and 30 Hz EA groups in comparison with the 2 Hz EA group. The protein expression levels of IR, IRS-1 and PI3K were reduced in the model group when compared with those of the blank group (P<0.01, P<0.05); and these protein expression levels were increased in the 15 Hz and 30 Hz EA groups compared with the model group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the 2 Hz EA group, the protein expression levels of IR, IRS-1 and PI3K were all elevated in the 15 Hz and 30 Hz EA groups (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The learning and memory function of AD mice may be improved through regulating brain insulin signaling transconduction pathway with electroacupuncture, and electroacupuncture at 15 Hz and 30 Hz obtains the overall better effect compared with the intervention at 2 Hz.

A new method of microglia sorting and functional characteristics of spinal microglia in aged rats / 中国应用生理学杂志

Objective: To establish an improved method of separating microglia from aged rats and to observe the biological characteristics of spinal microglia of aged rats. Methods: Young SD rats (2 months) were used as control group. Single cell suspension of rat microglia were prepared by trypsin, trypsin substitutes or mechanical net rubbing method. Then, by assessing the purity and survival rate of cells, and observing the morphological characteristics and analyzing the inflammatory functional characteristics, we optimized the isolation and purification method of microglia from aged rats (20 months old) , and observed the functional characteristics of spinal microglia in aged rats. Results: The survival rate of cells digested by pancreatic enzyme was low(young rats 83%, aged rats 60%). Although the survival rate of mechanical net rubbing method was higher than that of pancreatic enzyme digest methods (95%), the cell acquisition rate was lower(young rats(0.207±0.020)×106, aged rats(0.243±0.023)×106). Trypsin substitute dissociation combining density gradient centrifugation method was the best way to get abundant, active and higher survival microglia, and the purity reached more than 85%. We used this method to separate microglia from spinal cord of rats. Compared with the young rats, the spinal cord tissue of old rats was larger, the digestive fluid volume was higher, but the digestion time was shorter. Compared with the young rats, the aged rat spinal microglia had larger and rounder cell body, fewer and shorter protrusions, it tended to be activated morphologically, the level of proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β of microglia in aged rats was lower, and the level of antiinflammatory factor IL-10 was higher. Conclusion: The method of trypsin substitute dissociation combined with density gradient centrifugation was successfully established to isolate and purify microglia from spinal cord of rats, the spinal microglia of old rats showed anti-inflammatory phenotype.

Hashimoto's encephalopathy presenting with isolated cerebellar ataxia in 13 children / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis of Hashimoto's encephalopathy presenting with isolated cerebellar ataxia in children. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical features, laboratory tests, neuroelectrophysiological examination, imaging, treatment and outcomes of 13 patients with Hashimoto's encephalopathy presenting with isolated cerebellar ataxia, who were admitted to the Department of Pediatric Neurology of Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center from January 2016 to May 2021. Results: Among the 13 cases, 6 were males and 7 were females. The onset age was 2.6 (2.0,3.3) years, 9 children had precursor infection or vaccination before the first course of disease. All the 13 children had gait abnormalities or unsteady sitting, 10 had intentional tremor, 6 had dysarthria, 3 had body tremor, 2 had nystagmus, 3 had fatigue, 3 had hypotonia, 2 had vomiting and 1 had irritability. Thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) was 500.0 (298.9,587.2) kU/L and thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) was 621.9 (449.6,869.4) kU/L in 13 cases. Autoantibodies were positive in 9 cases, and cerebrospinal fluid leukocytosis was seen in 4 cases. Regarding electroencephalography result, 4 cases had background slowing and 1 case had occasional sharp waves. Among the 3 patients who had relapses, 1 had cerebellar atrophy shown on cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during the recurrence. All the patients received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and intensive methylprednisolone therapy during the first onset, followed by the disappearance of the symptoms, 1 patient had repeated episodes which was decreased after immunosuppressive treatment with Rituximab.Followed up for 25.0 (22.5,33.3) months after the last episode, 12 achieved complete remission and 1 had a wide base gait. Conclusions: Trunk ataxia is the common symptom of Hashimoto's encephalopathy presenting with isolated cerebellar ataxia in children.Children with cerebellar ataxia should be tested for TgAb and TPOAb to detect Hashimoto's encephalopathy, avoiding missed diagnosis and treatment delays; IVIG and intensive steroid therapy is effective, and immunosuppressive therapy for patients with multiple relapses could reduce the recurrence.

Meta-analysis of the efficacy of conjunctival autograft and limbal conjunctival autograft for pterygium / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To compare the analysis of conjunctival autograft(CAG)or limbal conjunctival autograft(LCAG)for treating pterygium.METHODS: Systematic search of the National Library of America Medical Literature Search System(PubMed), the Excerpta Medica Database(EMBASE), the Cochrane Library and the US Clinical Trial Registry which all literatures established of the database from September 2021. The rate of recurrence, corneal epithelial healing time, the change in Schirmer Ⅰ test(SⅠt)and the change in tear break-up time(BUT)were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3, count data were expressed as relative ratio(RR),measurement data were expressed as standardized mean difference(SMD)with 95%CI.RESULTS: There were 15 studies included with a total number of 1 883 surgical eyes,among them, there were 897 eyes experienced LCAG while 986 eyes underwent CAG. For the rate of recurrence, LCAG group was lower than CAG group(RR=0.33, 95%CI: 0.15-0.71, P=0.004). For corneal epithelial healing time, LCAG group seemed to behave better than CAG group(SMD=-0.87, 95%CI: -1.64 to -0.11, P = 0.02). No statistical significance was found for SⅠt(SMD = 0.03, 95% CI, -0.33-0.40, P=0.86)and as for BUT, LACG group showed longer times against CAG group(SMD=0.40, 95%CI: 0.09-0.70, P=0.01).CONCLUSIONS: Pterygium resection combined with LCAG was with lower recurrence rate, faster corneal epithelial healing and more stable tear film rather than CAG.

Effect and Mechanism of Qixian Tongluo Prescription on Neural Function Recovery in Patients with Cerebral Infarction / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of Qixian Tongluo prescription on neural function recovery in patients with cerebral infarction and its mechanism. Method:A total of 100 inpatients （January to June，2020）with cerebral infarction in the Neurology Department of Wenzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were assigned to an experimental group （<italic>n</italic>=50） and a control group （<italic>n</italic>=50） according to the random number table. Both groups received conventional treatment of western medicine，while the experimental group took additional Qixian Tongluo prescription. Treatment lasted for 12 weeks. The clinical efficacy，National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale （NIHSS） score， the modified Barthel index （MBI），Fugl-Meyer assessment （FMA） score， and levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor（BDNF），vascular endothelial growth factor（VEGF）， and stromal cell-derived factor-1（SDF-1） in peripheral blood of the two groups before and after treatment were compared. Result:The total response rate in the experimental group was 84.00%（42/50），higher than 66.00%（33/50） in the control group （<italic>Z</italic>=-7.365，<italic>P</italic><0.05）. There was no significant difference in the scores of MBI，FMA， and NIHSS before treatment between the two groups. The MBI and FMA scores of the two groups increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the NIHSS scores decreased （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the control group after treatment， the experimental group showed increased MBI and FMA scores and decreased NIHSS score （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. There was no significant difference in BDNF level between the two groups before and after treatment. The VEGF and SDF-1 levels in the peripheral blood of the two groups were higher than those before treatment （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， and the experimental group was higher than the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. Conclusion:Qixian Tongluo prescription can effectively improve the clinical efficacy，the quality of life， and the prognosis of patients with cerebral infarction during convalescence. The underlying mechanism is associated with the promotion of the expression of endogenous VEGF and SDF-1 in the peripheral blood to activate the SDF-1/chemokine receptor 4（CXCR4） signaling pathway， induce the recruitment and mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells， and facilitate the angiogenesis and repair of ischemic brain tissues.

Value of Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound Parameters in Evaluating K-W Nodule Formation in Diabetic Nephropathy / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To discuss the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)parameters in evaluating the formation of Kimmelstiel-Wilson(K-W)nodules in diabetic nephropathy(DN).Methods Sixty-two patients pathologically diagnosed with DN and undergoing CEUS in the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from March 2017 to January 2020 were assigned into two groups according to whether K-W nodules were formed.The cortical CEUS parameters and the ratios of cortical to medullary CEUS parameters were compared between the two groups.Results The 62 patients included 19 patients without K-W nodules(group A)and 43 patients with K-W nodules(group B).The median rise time(

Generation and immunogenicity evaluation of Senecavirus A virus-like particles / 生物工程学报

To develop Senecavirus A (SVA) virus-like particles (VLPs), a recombinant prokaryotic expression plasmid pET28a-SVA-VP031 was constructed to co-express SVA structural proteins VP0, VP3 and VP1, according to the genomic sequence of the field isolate CH-FJ-2017 after the recombinant proteins were expressed in E .coli system, and purified by Ni+ ion chromatographic method. The SVA VLPs self-assemble with a high yield in vitro buffer. A typical VLPs with an average diameter of 25-30 nm which is similar to native virions by using TEM detection. Animals immunized by SVA VLPs shown that the VLPs induced high titers neutralizing antibodies in Guinea pigs. This study indicated that the VLPs produced with co-expressing SVA structural proteins VP0, VP3 and VP1 in prokaryotic system is a promising candidate and laid an important foundation for the development of a novel SVA VLPs vaccine.

Application Value of Transrectal Shear Wave Elastography Mode Combined with Elastic Modulus in the Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer / 中国医学科学院学报

To explore the value of trans-rectal shear wave elastic mode combined with elastic modulus in the diagnosis of prostate cancer and establish a new method for the evaluation of prostate with trans-rectal shear wave elastography(SWE). The typical findings of trans-rectal ultrasound(US)and SWE in 79 patients with prostate cancer(=41)and benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH)(=38)confirmed by surgery or US-guided biopsy were analyzed retrospectively.Their diagnostic value were evaluated with the pathological results as the golden standards. Three or more malignant features detected by conventional trans-rectal US(=42.5,<0.001)and asymmetrical SWE mode(=54.2,<0.001)showed statistically significant difference in prostate cancer and BPH groups.The elastic modulus of Emean and Emax in the prostate cancer group were(92.8±21.5)and(114.2±29.8)kPa,which were significantly higher than those in the BPH group [(56.7±14.0)(=-8.8,<0.001)and(68.4±17.2)kPa(=-8.3,<0.001)].The receiver-operating characteristic(ROC)curve with Logistic regression showed that the elastic model combined elastic modulus had the largest area under ROC curve and the highest diagnosis efficiency of prostate cancer,with the cutoff value of 0.45.The diagnosis sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,negative predictive value,and accuracy of the combination were 95.1%,89.5%,90.7%,94.4%,and 92.4%,respectively. Combination of SWE mode and elastic modulus is more valuable than elastic modulus alone in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Systemic review of Jintiange Capsules in treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis / 中国中药杂志

To systemically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Jintiange Capsules in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis(PMOP).Seven literature databases were retrieved systematically,and two reviewers independently searched and screened studies,extracted data,and included all the randomized controlled trials on Jintiange Capsules in the treatment of PMOP.Interventions included comparison of Jintiange Capsules with placebo and routine treatment,and the studies on Jintiange Capsules combined with routine treatment versus conventional treatment were also included.The evaluation indicators of the study included at least one of the followings:fracture,quality of life,daily living ability,clinical symptoms,death,adverse events/adverse reactions,bone density,and bone metabolism indexes.The original study quality evaluation was conducted by following the Cochrane Handbook standard and statistical analysis was performed by using Rev Man 5.2.A total of 7 randomized controlled trials were included and the study quality was low.Meta-analysis showed that as compared with conventional treatment alone,Jintiange Capsules combined with conventional treatment showed more obvious effects in pain relief(MD=-0.98,95% CI[-1.55,-0.41],P=0.000 8),increasing blood calcium levels(MD=0.05,95% CI[0.02,0.09],P=0.003) and lowering serum alkaline phosphatase levels(MD=-12.92,95% CI[-24.09,-1.75],P=0.02).In addition,the Chinese patent medicine alone or in combination with conventional treatment was relatively safe.In conclusion,Jintiange Capsules has a certain effect in treating PMOP,but the quality of evidence is low.It is necessary to conduct well designed randomized controlled trials and select recognized evaluation indicators,especially the end outcomes in order to further improve the clinical evidence.

Effect of HPMCAS/curcumin amorphous solid dispersion in enhancing dissolution and chemical stability of curcumin / 中国中药杂志

To enhance in vitro dissolution of Cur by preparing Cur solid dispersions. The ability of HPMCAS-HF,HPMCAS-MF,HPMCAS-LF and PVPK30 to maintain supersaturated solution was investigated by supersaturation test. Amorphous solid dispersions were prepared by the solvent-evaporation method. The prepared samples were characterized using infrared spectroscopy( IR) and differential scanning calorimetry( DSC),and in vitro dissolution was investigated. DSC and IR results showed that in 1 ∶3 and 1 ∶9 solid dispersions,Cur was amorphously dispersed in the carrier,and the interaction existed between drug and carrier. The supersaturation test showed that the order of the ability of polymer to inhibit crystallization of Cur was MF>HF>LF>K30. The dissolution results showed that Cur-K30 amorphous solid dispersion had the highest drug release rate; Cur-K30 and Cur-LF amorphous solid dispersions had a quicker but not stable dissolution rate,and the drug concentration decrease after 4 h; Cur-MF and Cur-HF solid dispersions had a low dissolution,which however increased steadily,attributing to the strong ability of the polymers to inhibit the crystallization of Cur. HPMCAS could inhibit the degradation of Cur better than K30,especially MF and HF. The amorphous solid dispersions of cur significantly enhanced the dissolution of Cur and improved the chemical stability of Cur. This study can provide a basis for the rational selection of the polymer used for Cur solid dispersion.

Action of ketamine and endocannabinoid system in rapid anti-depression therapy / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

Major depression disorder (MDD) is a common but serious affective disorder in modern society. Suicide idea and suicide behaviour induced by MDD during its later stage put a heavy burden on society and family. Anti-depression drugs lack efficiency in treating a portion of MDD patients. This is referred to as treatment resistant depression (TRD). A study reported the rapid onset and long lasting anti-depression effect of ketamine, which also come into effect in TRD patients. Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol is the active substance of marijuana, which also exerts rapid anti-depression effect via targeting at brain cannabinoid receptors. The two central nerve system stimulants belonging to the tightly controlled psychoactive substances have obvious adverse effects. This article summarizes the action of ketamine and endocannabinoid system in rapid anti-depression therapy in recent researches.

Flipping moxibustion of medicine at acupoints in governor vessel combined with acupuncture for vascular dementia / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the difference for vascular dementia among flipping moxibustion of medicine at acupoints in governor vessel combined with acupuncture, simple medicine and simple acupuncture.@*METHODS@#A total of 120 patients with vascular dementia were randomly assigned into a combination group, a flipping moxibustion group and an acupuncture group, 40 cases in each one, with 2 patients dropping respectively. Flipping moxibustion was used at the acupoints of group A on Monday and at the acupoints of group B on Friday in the flipping moxibustion group. The acupoints of group A were Baihui (GV 20), Dazhui (GV 14), Shenzhu (GV 12), Zhiyang (GV 9), Jizhong (GV 6), Mingmen (GV 4), Yaoyangguan (GV 3), and the acupoints of group B were Fengfu (GV 16), Taodao (GV 13), Shendao (GV 11), Jinsuo (GV 8), Xuanshu (GV 5), Changqiang (GV 1). Acupuncture was used in the acupuncture group at the main acupoints of Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Neiguan (PC 6), Zusanli (ST 36), Taixi (KI 3) and Xuanzhong (GB 39), matched with the acupoints based on syndrome differentiation, 30 min a time, once a day, continuous 5 times a week. The above two methods were applied in the combination group. All the treaments were for 4 weeks. The indexes were observed before and after treatment, including syndrome differentiationof TCM scale for vascular dementia (SDSVD), simple mental state scale (MMSE), self-care ability of daily life scale (ADL). The clinical effects and safety were evaluated.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the total effective rate in the combination group was 89.5% (34/38); the rate in the flipping moxibustion group was 65.8% (25/38); the rate in the acupuncture group was 63.2% (24/38). The difference among groups was statistically significant (0.05). The SDSVD scores after treatment were lower and the MMSE and ADL scores after treatment were higher than those before treatment in the three groups (all 0.05). The treatment in the three groups was safe, without stastical significance (>0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The effect of flipping moxibustion combined with acupuncture for vascular dementia is better than those of simple flipping moxibustion and simple acupuncture. The combination treatment achieves better effect on TCM syndrome, cognitive function and daily activity ability than the other two simple treatment.

Roles of neurosteroids in the treatment of depressive episodes / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

Neurosteroids are the key molecules in the central nervous system that modulate neural functions. They can influence human mood and behavior in various physiological and pathophysiological situations. Neurosteroids have been implicated in the pathogenesis of depressive episodes, providing innovative therapies for psychiatric disorders such as depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. This paper reviewed the research progress on the role of neurosteroids in the treatment of depressive episodes.

Progress in researches on latent class analysis based subtyping of depression / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

Depression is a highly heterogeneous syndrome. Homogeneous subtypes according to symptomatology of illness may contribute to development of individualized treatment, assessment on outcomes and prognosis. Latent class analysis is a flexible statistical approach to determine classes with similar symptom profiles in a heterogeneous group, which has been widely used in data-driven subtyping of depression to increase accuracy of subtyping. This article reviewed existing symptom-based subtypes of depression and findings of researches on latent class analysis based illness subtyping.

Research progress of microglia and peripheral monocytes in mood disorders / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

The role of inflammation in the pathomechanism and treatment of mood disorders has drawn public attention in the field.As representatives of central and peripheral immune systems,microglia and peripheral monocytic cells become more active and release relative cytokines in mood disorders patients.These two classes of immune cells have similar genetic expression and functions.It is beneficial to explore how microglia and monocytes influence emotion and behavior via immunc signaling pathway for understanding the disease pathogenesis and developing potential therapeutic strategies.

Effects of Taoren-Honghua drug pair on degeneration of cervical disc cartilage endplate in rat model of dynamic and static forces imbalance / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the effect of TaorenHonghua drug pair on intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) in rats.Methods Fifty healthy Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group,model group,sham group,meloxicam group and Taoren-Honghua drug pair group,with 10 rats in each group.We established dynamic and static forces imbalance of cervical disc degeneration model or sham surgery in rats.12 weeks later,rats were intragastrically administered with meloxicam,Taoren-Honghua drug pair or saline for 30 days.C4/5 and C6/7 discs were harvested from rats.ABOG staining was used for observation of intervertebral disc morphology,real time PCR for mRNA expressions of type Ⅱ collagen (Col Ⅱ) and type Ⅹ collagen (Col Ⅹ),and immunohistochemical staining for Col Ⅱ and Col Ⅹ.Results Compared with model group,Col Ⅱ expression increased,while Col X expression decreased in chondrocyte of intervertebral disc in Taoren-Honghua-treated group(P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion Taoren-Honghua drug pair could delay the degeneration of cartilage endplate in rat intervertebral disc.