Mechanism of catalpol regulating Th17 cell differentiation by interfering PKM2/LDHA expression / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism of catalpol affecting the differentiation of helper T cell 17 （Th17） by interfering the expressions of pyruvate kinase M2 （PKM2） and lactate dehydrogenase A （LDHA）. METHODS The naive CD4+ T cells were selected from the spleen of C57BL/6 mice， and were differentiated into Th17 cells by adding directional differentiation stimulants for 72 hours. At the same time， the cells were treated with 0 （directed control）， 20， 40 and 80 μg/mL catalpol. The flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of Th17 cell differentiation in cells； the colorimetric method was adopted to detect the levels of pyruvate and lactate in cell culture supernatant； mRNA expressions of retinoid-related orphan nuclear receptor gamma t （RORγt）， PKM2 and LDHA were detected by qRT-PCR method； Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of PKM2， LDHA， signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3）， and phosphorylated STAT3 （p-STAT3） proteins in cells. RESULTS Compared with the directed control group， after 72 hours of treatment with 20， 40， 80 μg/mL catalpol， the differentiation ratio of Th17 cells were decreased by 6.74%， 8.41%， 9.24%， and the levels of pyruvate and lactate in the cell culture supernatant， the mRNA expressions of PKM2， LDHA and RORγt as well as the protein expressions of PKM2 and LDHA and the phosphorylation of STAT3 were significantly reduced （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Catalpol can reduce the glycolysis level by down-regulating the expressions of PKM2 and LDHA， thereby inhibiting the differentiation of Th17 cells.

Effect of injury degree of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture on bone cement cortical leakage after percutaneous kyphoplasty / 中国修复重建外科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the correlation between bone cement cortical leakage and injury degree of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) after percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP), and to provide guidance for reducing clinical complications.@*METHODS@#A clinical data of 125 patients with OVCF who received PKP between November 2019 and December 2021 and met the selection criteria was selected and analyzed. There were 20 males and 105 females. The median age was 72 years (range, 55-96 years). There were 108 single-segment fractures, 16 two-segment fractures, and 1 three-segment fracture. The disease duration ranged from 1 to 20 days (mean, 7.2 days). The amount of bone cement injected during operation was 2.5-8.0 mL, with an average of 6.04 mL. Based on the preoperative CT images, the standard S/H ratio of the injured vertebra was measured (S: the standard maximum rectangular area of the cross-section of the injured vertebral body, H: the standard minimum height of the sagittal position of the injured vertebral body). Based on postoperative X-ray films and CT images, the occurrence of bone cement leakage after operation and the cortical rupture at the cortical leakage site before operation were recorded. The correlation between the standard S/H ratio of the injured vertebra and the number of cortical leakage was analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Vascular leakage occurred in 67 patients at 123 sites of injured vertebrae, and cortical leakage in 97 patients at 299 sites. Preoperative CT image analysis showed that there were 287 sites (95.99%, 287/299) of cortical leakage had cortical rupture before operation. Thirteen patients were excluded because of vertebral compression of adjacent vertebrae. The standard S/H ratio of 112 injured vertebrae was 1.12-3.17 (mean, 1.67), of which 87 cases (268 sites) had cortical leakage. The Spearman correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between the number of cortical leakage of injured vertebra and the standard S/H ratio of injured vertebra ( r=0.493, P<0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#The incidence of cortical leakage of bone cement after PKP in OVCF patients is high, and cortical rupture is the basis of cortical leakage. The more severe the vertebral injury, the greater the probability of cortical leakage.

LC-MS analysis of 2-(2-phenylethyl) chromones in sodium chloride-treated suspension cells of Aquilaria sinensis / 中国中药杂志

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of 2-(2-phenylethyl) chromones in sodium chloride(NaCl)-treated suspension cells of Aquilaria sinensis was conducted by UPLC-Q-Exactive-MS and UPLC-QQQ-MS/MS. Both analyses were performed on a Waters T3 column(2.1 mm×50 mm, 1.8 μm) with 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution(A)-acetonitrile(B) as mobile phases at gradient elution. MS data were collected by electrospray ionization in positive ion mode. Forty-seven phenylethylchromones was identified from NaCl-treated suspension cell samples of A. sinensis using UPLC-Q-Exactive-MS, including 22 flindersia-type 2-(2-phenylethyl) chromones and their glycosides, 10 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-(2-phenylethyl) chromones and 15 mono-epoxy or diepoxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-(2-phenylethyl) chromones. Additionally, 25 phenylethylchromones were quantitated by UPLC-QQQ-MS/MS. Overall, the rapid and efficient qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenylethylchromones in NaCl-treated suspension cells of A. sinensis by two LC-MS techniques, provides an important reference for the yield of phenylethylchromones in Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum using in vitro culture and other biotechnologies.

Association of deficits in prepotent response inhibition with attention deficit and impulsive behavior among children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate the associations of deficits in prepotent response inhibition with attention deficit and impulsive behavior in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), so as to provide insights into response inhibition training in ADHD to relieve clinical symptoms. @*Methods@# From March to December 2022, 57 children with ADHD were selected from the clinical psychology department of a tertiary hospital in Hangzhou City as the ADHD group, and 55 normal children matched by age and gender were selected from a primary school as the control group. Prepotent response inhibition, attention deficit and impulsive behavior were assessed by inhibition conflict task, visual continuous performance test (CPT) and matching familiar figures test (MFFT), respectively. The associations of deficits in prepotent response inhibition with attention deficit and impulsive behavior were analyzed using multiple linear regression model, and the predictive value of deficits in prepotent response inhibition on ADHD was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.@*Results@# The children included in the ADHD group had a mean age of (8.77±1.60) years and 44 males (77.19%), and the children included in the control group had a mean age of (9.20±1.77) years and 42 males (76.36%). The error rate of inhibition conflict task, missing report rate of visual CPT and the number of MFFT errors were higher in the ADHD group than in the control group [22.50% (12.50%) vs. 8.75% (7.00%), 24.00% (30.00%) vs. 7.50% (7.00%), 8.67±3.32 vs. 4.47±3.16; all P<0.05]. Multiple linear regression model showed that the error rate of inhibition conflict task was positively associated with the missing report rate of visual CPT (R2=0.135, β=0.091, P<0.001) and the number of MFFT errors (R2=0.092, β=0.009, P<0.001). The area under the ROC curve was 0.891, the sensitivity was 93.00%, the specificity was 80.00%, and the cut-off was 13.13%.@* Conclusions @#The deficits in prepotent response inhibition are positively associated with attention deficit and impulsive behavior.

Ferroptosis of airway epithelial cells in asthma: current and future / 药学学报

Ferroptosis is a novel cell death mode proposed in recent years, which is characterized by intracellular iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. Its mechanisms include lipid peroxidation, iron accumulation and the imbalance of antioxidant system. The crosstalk between ferroptosis and asthma is gradually deepening. Elucidating the specific mechanism of ferroptosis in regulating asthma is helpful to broaden the understanding of the pathology of asthma. This paper expounds the role of ferroptosis in airway epithelial cells in the occurrence and development of asthma from three perspectives: lipid peroxidation, iron accumulation and the imbalance of antioxidant system, hoping to find new targets and strategies for asthma treatment.

Clinical treatment outcomes and their changes in extremely preterm twins: a multicenter retrospective study in Guangdong Province, China / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the clinical treatment outcomes and the changes of the outcomes over time in extremely preterm twins in Guangdong Province, China.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed for 269 pairs of extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks who were admitted to the department of neonatology in 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province from January 2008 to December 2017. According to the admission time, they were divided into two groups: 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. Besides, each pair of twins was divided into the heavier infant and the lighter infant subgroups according to birth weight. The perinatal data of mothers and hospitalization data of neonates were collected. The survival rate of twins and the incidence rate of complications were compared between the 2008-2012 and 2013-2017 groups.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of severe asphyxia and smaller head circumference at birth (P<0.05). The mortality rates of both of the twins, the heavier infant of the twins, and the lighter infant of the twins were lower in the 2013-2017 group compared with the 2008-2012 group (P<0.05). Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of pulmonary hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (P-IVH), and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and a higher incidence rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#There is a significant increase in the survival rate over time in extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks in the 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province. The incidences of severe asphyxia, pulmonary hemorrhage, PDA, P-IVH, and NRDS decrease in both the heavier and lighter infants of the twins, but the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia increases. With the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, the multidisciplinary collaboration between different fields of fetal medicine including prenatal diagnosis, obstetrics, and neonatology is needed in the future to jointly develop management strategies for twin pregnancy.

Cloning, expression and functional identification of cytochrome P450 reductase gene in Aquilaria sinensis / 药学学报

Cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) is essential for the electron transport chain of cytochrome P450s, playing an indispensable role in electron transfer in vivo. In this study, one cDNA encoding cytochrome P450 reductase (Ascpr1) was identified from the callus of Aquilaria sinensis. Ascpr1 contains an open reading frame of 2 124 bp. The deduced protein is composed of 707 amino acids, with a predicted molecular weight of 78.82 kD. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that AsCPR1 is a type Ⅱ CPR protein closely related to the CPR from Theobroma cacao. Transmembrane prediction using TMHMM 2.0 indicated that the amino acids 52-71 of AsCPR1 comprise a transmembrane region. After truncating of 67 amino acid residues from N-terminal, the truncated AsCPR1 was successfully expressed in E. coli Transetta (DE3). Further purification of the recombinant AsCPR1 by affinity chromatography and determination of the enzymatic activity allowed the reducing ability of AsCPR1 to cytochrome C in vitro. The results pave the way for further study on the synthesis of defensive chemicals involved in P450s and the functions of CPR in self-defense of A. sinensis.

Agkistrodon halys venom antitumor component-I inhibits vasculogenic mimicry in triple-negative breast cancer cells in vitro by down-regulating MMP2 / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the inhibitory effect of agkistrodon halys venom antitumor component-I (AHVAC-I) on vasculogenic mimicry (VM) formation in triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells and explore its possible mechanism.@*METHODS@#CCK8 assay was used to determine the optimal concentration of AHVAC-I for cell treatment based on its halfinhibitory concentration (IC50). MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with different concentrations of AHVAC-I or 5-Fu, and the changes in vasomimetic capacity of the cells were examined using Matrigel assay. The expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) and MMP9 in the treated cells were detected using quantitative PCR and Western blotting.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the control treatment with culture medium, treatment with 5, 10 and 20 μg/mL AHVAC-I significantly reduced vasomimetic ability of MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.01). MMP2 supplementation obviously restored the vasomimetic ability of the cells inhibited by AHVAC-I.@*CONCLUSION@#AHVAC-I inhibits VM formation in triplenegative breast cancer cells in vitro by down-regulating MMP2 production.

Sagittaria sagittifolia polysaccharides regulates Nrf2/HO-1 to relieve liver injury caused by multiple heavy metals in vivo and in vitro / 中国中药杂志

This study explored whether Sagittaria sagittifolia polysaccharides(SSP) activates the nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor2(Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) signaling pathway to protect against liver damage jointly induced by multiple heavy metals. First, based on the proportion of dietary intake of six heavy metals in rice available in Beijing market, a heavy metal mixture was prepared for inducing mouse liver injury and HepG2 cell injury. Forty male Kunming mice were divided into five groups: control group, model group, glutathione positive control group, and low-and high-dose SSP groups, with eight mice in each group. After 30 days of intragastric administration, the liver injury in mice was observed by HE staining. In the in vitro experiment, MTT assay was conducted to detect the effects of SSP at 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg·mL~(-1) on HepG2 cell survival at different time points. The content of alanine transaminase(ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) in the 48-h cell culture fluid was measured using micro-plate cultivation method, followed by the detection of the change in reactive oxygen species(ROS) content by flow cytometry. The mRNA expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 in cells were determined by RT-PCR, and their protein expression by Western blot. HE staining results showed that compared with the model group, the SSP administration groups exhibited significantly alleviated inflammatory cell infiltration and fatty infiltration in the liver, with better outcomes observed in the high-dose SSP group. In the in vitro MTT assay, compared with the model group, SSP at four concentrations all significantly increased the cell survival rate, decreased the ALT, AST, and ROS content(P<0.05), and down-regulated Nrf2 and HO-1 mRNA and protein expression(P<0.05). SSP significantly improves inflammatory infiltration in the liver tissue of mice exposed to a variety of heavy metals and corrects the liver fat degeneration, which may be related to its regulation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, reduction of ROS, and alleviation of oxidative damage.

Exosomal microRNAs: an emerging player in systemic lupus erythematosus / 生理学报

Exosomes are nanometer-sized membranous extracellular vesicles that can be secreted by almost all types of cells in the body. Exosomes are involved in cell-to-cell communication through autocrine and paracrine forms. Exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) are stable in plasma, urine and other body fluids, and have various biological functions. They play an irreplaceable role in the occurrence, development, immune regulation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Recent studies have proposed that exosomal miRNAs have promising application prospects in the pathogenesis, early diagnosis, and treatment of SLE. Therefore, this review aims to introduce the current research progress on exosomal miRNAs in SLE and analyze their potential application value.

Polydatin Ameliorated Colonic Inflammation via Precluding Phosphorylation of PKCθ/STAT3 Pathway to Inhibit Th17 Cells in Mice with Ulcerative Colitis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the therapeutic effect of polydatin on ulcerative colitis （UC） in mice and its regulation of protein kinase C<italic>θ</italic>（PKC<italic>θ</italic>）/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3（STAT3） signaling on T helper cell 17（Th17） and its mechanism in the treatment of UC. Method:The 32 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into normal group， model group， polydatin group （0.045 g·kg^-1） and sulfasalazine group （0.5 g·kg^-1）. The UC model was established by giving 3% dextran sodium sulfate （DSS） solution to free drinking water in mice. Polydatin and sulfasalazine groups were given by gavage 0.5 h before modeling for 7 days. The normal group and model group were given the same amount of normal saline. After the last administration， the colonic tissue was taken and hematoxylin-eosin （HE） was used to observe the pathological changes of colonic tissue. Flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of Th17 in the lamina propria of colonic mucosa. The expression of interleukin-17A （IL-17A） in serum was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Polydatin was added to CD4⁺T cells purified from spleen of C57BL/6 mice by magnetic-activated cell sorting （MACS） under the stimulation of cell stimulation cocktail <italic>in vitro </italic>in order to detect its impact on PKC<italic>θ</italic> and STAT3 phosphorylation. Result:Compared with normal group， the body weight was significantly decreased， and disease activity index （DAI） scores of the model group was significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， the colonic mucosal epithelium was damaged and inflammatory cells infiltration in the mucosa and submucosa was obvious， the proportion of Th17 in the lamina propria of colonic mucosa was significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the content of serum IL-17A was significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the model group， the weight and DAI score of polydatin and sulfasalazine groups were significantly improved （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， the degree of colon tissue damage was significantly improved， the proportion of Th17 in colon mucosa lamina propria was significantly decreased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the content of IL-17A in serum was significantly decreased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. <italic>In vitro</italic> experiments showed that polydatin could significantly inhibit the phosphorylation of PKC<italic>θ</italic> and STAT3 in Th17 （<italic>P</italic><0.01） as well as IL-17A secretion. Conclusion:Polydatin can improve the ulcerative colitis in mice via inhibiting the phosphorylation of PKC<italic>θ</italic> and STAT3 to preclude IL-17A secreting in Th17.

Gegen Qinliantang Regulates MMP-9/p38 MARK Pathway to Repair Intestinal Mucosal Barrier Function in Mice with Ulcerative Colitis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the protective effect of Gegen Qinliantang on the intestinal mucosal epithelial barrier function of ulcerative colitis （UC） mice， and to explore its mechanism of action in the treatment of ulcerative colitis via matrix metallopeptidase-9 （MMP-9）/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p38 MAPK） signaling pathway. Method:The 48 female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into normal group， model group， sulfasalazine group （0.3 g·kg^-1） and Gegen Qinliantang high， medium and low dose groups （2.84，1.42，0.71 g·kg^-1）. The UC murine model was established by 3% dextran sulfate sodium （DSS）. Gegen Qinliantang and sulfasalazine were intragastrically administered on the 8^th day after the model was established for 7 days， and the normal group was treated with the same amount of normal saline. Colon tissues were collected after the last administration， and the pathological changes of colon tissues were detected by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The expression of tight junction （TJ） proteins such as Occludin and zonula occludens-1（ZO-1） in colon tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry （IHC）， and the expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-<italic>α</italic>）， interleukin-1<italic>β</italic> （IL-1<italic>β</italic>）， and MMP-9 mRNA in colon tissues were detected by Real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. The expression of phosphorylated p38 MAPK （p-p38 MAPK）， p38 MAPK and MMP-9 protein in colon tissues was detected by Western blot. Result:Compared with normal group， the body weight of mice decreased （<italic>P</italic><0.01） and disease activity index （DAI） score increased significantly （<italic>P</italic><0.01） in model group， the colon tissues of the model group were damaged more obviously， the expression of occludin and ZO-1 proteins in model group was significantly reduced （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the relative expression levels of TNF-<italic>α</italic>， IL-1<italic>β</italic>， and MMP-9 mRNA in model group were significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， the expression of p-p38 MAPK and MMP-9 in model group was significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with model group， the body mass and DAI score of the sulfasalazine group and Gegen Qinliantang group were significantly improved （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）， the colonic tissues damage were significantly improved， and the expression of Occludin and ZO-1 protein was significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）， the relative expression levels of TNF-<italic>α</italic>， IL-1<italic>β</italic>， and MMP-9 mRNA were significantly decreased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the expression of p-p38 MAPK and MMP-9 was significantly decreased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The changes in the middle dose group were the most obvious among the various dose groups of Gegen Qinliantang. Conclusion:Gegen Qinliantang repairs the intestinal mucosal barrier function by inhibiting the expressions of MMP-9 and inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-<italic>α</italic> and IL-1<italic>β</italic>， blocking the activation of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway， and increasing the expressions of tight junction protein.

Impairment of working memory in patients with depressive disorder / 预防医学

Objective@#To analyze the working memory impairment in patients with different degrees of depressive disorder and its influencing factors, so as to provide the basis for the clinical evaluation of cognitive function in patients with depressive disorder. @*Methods@#From January 2019 to November 2020, the patients with depressive disorder were selected in the psychiatry and clinical psychology departments of a tertiary hospital. Demographic information, disease course and medication were collected. Depression subscale ( DEP ) of Mental Health Inventory ( PHI ) was used to measure the degree of depressive disorder. N-back tasks were used to test working memory, with error rate and reaction time as experimental variables to compare the working memory impairment of patients with different degrees of depressive disorder. The multivariate linear regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors for working memory impairment in patients with depressive disorder.@*Results@#A total of 75 patients with depressive disorder were included, including 45 mild cases and 30 moderate and severe cases. The error rates of mild cases and moderate and severe cases in the 3-back task were ( 27.47±20.59 )% and ( 39.60±25.95 )%, the response time between the two groups in 0-back, 1-back, 2-back and 3-back task were ( 458.29±104.19 ) ms and ( 527.90±99.58 )ms,( 499.87±85.46 ) ms and ( 574.57±126.25 ) ms, ( 567.44±114.86 ) ms and ( 675.37±137.54 ) ms, ( 663.76±167.99 ) ms and ( 753.27±152.06 ) ms, the differences between two groups were significant ( P<0.05 ). The multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the severity of depressive disorder was correlated with the response time of 0-back to 3-back tasks and the error rate of 3-back task; whether patients took medicine or not was depressive disorder correlated with the 0-back task response time ( all P<0.05 ). @*Conclusion@#There are differences in working memory impairment among patients with different degrees of depressive disorder and the severity of impairment is correlated with the severity of depressive disorder and the use of antidepressant drugs.

Allium tuberosum alleviates pulmonary inflammation by inhibiting activation of innate lymphoid cells and modulating intestinal microbiota in asthmatic mice / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#This study tests whether long-term intake of Allium tuberosum (AT) can alleviate pulmonary inflammation in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthmatic mice and evaluates its effect on the intestinal microbiota and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs).@*METHODS@#BALB/c mice were divided into three groups: phosphate buffer saline, OVA and OVA + AT. The asthmatic murine model was established by sensitization and challenge of OVA in the OVA and OVA + AT groups. AT was given to the OVA + AT group by oral gavage from day 0 to day 27. On day 28, mice were sacrificed. Histopathological evaluation of lung tissue was performed using hematoxylin and eosin, and periodic acid-Schiff staining. The levels of IgE in serum, interleukin-5 (IL-5) and IL-13 from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The ILCs from the lung and gut were detected by flow cytometry. 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing was used to analyze the differences in colon microbiota among treatment groups.@*RESULTS@#We found that long-term intake of AT decreased the number of inflammatory cells from BALF, reduced the levels of IL-5 and IL-13 in BALF, and IgE level in serum, and rescued pulmonary histopathology with less mucus secretion in asthmatic mice. 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing results showed that AT strongly affected the colonic bacteria community structure in asthmatic mice, although it had no significant effect on the abundance and diversity of the microbiota. Ruminococcaceae and Desulfovibrionaceae were identified as two biomarkers of the treatment effect of AT. Moreover, AT decreased the numbers of ILCs in both the lung and gut of asthmatic mice.@*CONCLUSION@#The results indicate that AT inhibits pulmonary inflammation, possibly by impeding the activation of ILCs and adjusting the homeostasis of gut microbiota in asthmatic mice.

Sugar-sweetened beverages consumption in midlife and risk of late-life cognitive impairment in Chinese adults / 中华流行病学杂志

To evaluate whether midlife consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), including juices and soft drinks, were associated with late-life cognitive impairment in Chinese adults. Follow up was conducted for participants from Singapore Chinese Health Study, a population-based prospective cohort, for 16-23 (mean 20) years. The information about their SSBs consumption were collected at baseline survey from 1993 to 1998 by using a validated food frequency questionnaire and their cognition status were evaluated by using a Singapore-modified Mini-Mental State Examination Scale in the 3(rd) follow-up visit during 2014- 2016. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the and 95s. A total of 16 948 participants were included in the analysis and 2 443 of them were identified as cognitive impairment using education-specific cutoffs. Sex, age, ancestral home, education level, physical activity level, total diet fiber intake level, BMI, alcohol drinking were significantly associated with cognitive impairment (0.05). Compared with those who never or hardly ever drank soft drinks, no significant differences in cognitive impairment risk were observed for those who drank soft drinks 2 or more times a week (=0.91, 95: 0.77-1.08), those who drank 1 time a week (=1.00, 95:0.82-1.23) and those who drank 1-3 times a month (=0.94, 95: 0.80-1.09) (trend =0.306). Compared with those who never or hardly ever drank juices, no significant differences in cognitive impairment risk were observed for those who drank juices 2 or more times a week (=1.03, 95:0.88-1.20), those who drank 1 time a week (=0.96, 95: 0.82-1.12) and those who drank 1-3 times a month (=0.94, 95: 0.82-1.08) (trend =0.930). No significant interactions were found with age, sex, and BMI status. SSBs consumption in midlife was not significantly associated with risk of late-life cognitive impairment in Singaporean Chinese adults with relatively low consumption levels. Further researches are needed to verify the results.

Effect of Melodic Intonation Therapy on Nonfluent Aphasia after Stroke / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To observe the effect of melodic intonation therapy combined with speech training on nonfluent aphasia after stroke, and the changes of brain function. Methods:From March, 2017 to August, 2019, 40 patients with nonfluent aphasia after stroke were randomly divided into control group (n = 20) and intensive group (n = 20). Both groups accepted routine speech training, and the intensive group accepted melodic intonation therapy in addition. They were assessed with China Rehabilitation Research Center Chinese Standard Aphasia Examination before and four weeks after treatment. Three patients from each group were examined with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to observe the changes of regional homogeneity (ReHo) of cerebral hemisphere. Results:The scores of comprehension (noun, verb and sentence), repetition (noun and verb), read (noun) and naming (verb) increased in the control group (t > 2.221, P < 0.05), while it increased in comprehension (noun, verb and sentence), repetition (noun, verb and sentence), reading (noun and verb) and naming (noun and verb) in the intensive group (t > 2.179, P < 0.05). The scores of repetition (noun and verb) increased more in the intensive group than in the control group (t > 2.299, P < 0.05)， and the scores of reading (sentence) increased somehow. The ReHo in left cerebellum and temporal occipital area increased and the ReHo in bilateral frontal and temporal cortex decreased after treatment. Conclusion:Melodic intonation therapy based on speech therapy can promote the recovery of speech function for patients with nonfluent aphasia after stroke, especially in sentence reading and words repetition. The changes of the ReHo in resting state may associate with the neurological repairment after brain injury.

Possible aerosol transmission of COVID-19 and special precautions in dentistry / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Since its emergence in December 2019, corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has impacted several countries, affecting more than 90 thousand patients and making it a global public threat. The routes of transmission are direct contact, and droplet and possible aerosol transmissions. Due to the unique nature of dentistry, most dental procedures generate significant amounts of droplets and aerosols, posing potential risks of infection transmission. Understanding the significance of aerosol transmission and its implications in dentistry can facilitate the identification and correction of negligence in daily dental practice. In addition to the standard precautions, some special precautions that should be implemented during an outbreak have been raised in this review.

Role of adrenergic receptors in tumorigenesis and development of glioma / 生理学报

Gliomas are malignant tumors with strong invasiveness. The current treatment strategy is surgical treatment assisted by a variety of radiotherapies, chemotherapies and immunotherapies. However, the curative efficacy is limited. Adrenergic receptor (AR) is an important stress hormone receptor, which is highly involved in the regulation of the tumorigenesis and progression of various tumors by activating different downstream signal transduction pathways. Recent studies have shown that AR is dysregulated in glioma cells and tissues, and plays an important role in a series of biological behaviors such as tumorigenesis, invasion and metastasis of glioma. This article reviews the research progress of AR in the field of glioma in recent years, which provides a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of glioma targeting the AR.

Possible aerosol transmission of COVID-19 and special precautions in dentistry / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Since its emergence in December 2019, corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has impacted several countries, affecting more than 90 thousand patients and making it a global public threat. The routes of transmission are direct contact, and droplet and possible aerosol transmissions. Due to the unique nature of dentistry, most dental procedures generate significant amounts of droplets and aerosols, posing potential risks of infection transmission. Understanding the significance of aerosol transmission and its implications in dentistry can facilitate the identification and correction of negligence in daily dental practice. In addition to the standard precautions, some special precautions that should be implemented during an outbreak have been raised in this review.

Optimized experimental method for determination of hydroxyproline in lung tissue of mice / 医学研究生学报

ObjectiveThere are many methods for the detection of hydroxyproline (HYP), but few of them are suitable for the detection of lung tissue in mice. We intend to establish an accurate and reliable method for measuring HYP levels based on mouse lung tissues to assess the degree of fibrosis development more effectively.MethodsBased on the alkali hydrolysis method, the effects of the concentration of alkali hydrolysate and hydrolysis time on the determination results of HYP level in mice lung tissue were compared; the effects of the changes of experimental conditions on the determination results of HYP standard were compared; and the results of the determination of HYP level in mice lung tissue under dry and wet conditions were compared on the basis of the above experimental results.ResultsThe optimum concentration of alkali hydrolysate is 2 mol/L and the optimum hydrolysis time is 20 min. The optimum pH value of citric acid buffer is 6.0-6.5. The optimum solvent for chloramine T is methanol, the optimum reaction time for chloramine T solution is 15 min, the optimum reaction time for perchloric acid solution is 5 min, and the optimum reaction time for 4-(dimethylamino) benzoyl toluene is 5 min. The optimum condition of aldehyde solution color development is that it is bathed in water at 85 for 3 minutes. Some related reagents are stored in suitable environment after preparation, and the experimental data will not be affected within 7 days. Dry lung tissue of mice can improve the detection level of HYP. The improved experimental protocol was applied to the bleomycin-induced mouse pulmonary fibrosis model, and the HYP measurement results were significantly higher than that of the original protocol.ConclusionAn accurate and reliable method for the determination of hydroxyproline in lung tissue of mice was established.