Anticancer Activity of Diosgenin and Its Molecular Mechanism / 中国结合医学杂志

Diosgenin, a steroidal sapogenin, obtained from Trigonella foenum-graecum, Dioscorea, and Rhizoma polgonati, has shown high potential and interest in the treatment of various cancers such as oral squamous cell carcinoma, laryngeal cancer, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, glioma, and leukemia. This article aims to provide an overview of the in vivo, in vitro, and clinical studies reporting the diosgenin's anticancer effects. Preclinical studies have shown promising effects of diosgenin on inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and growth, promoting apoptosis, inducing differentiation and autophagy, inhibiting tumor cell metastasis and invasion, blocking cell cycle, regulating immunity and improving gut microbiome. Clinical investigations have revealed clinical dosage and safety property of diosgenin. Furthermore, in order to improve the biological activity and bioavailability of diosgenin, this review focuses on the development of diosgenin nano drug carriers, combined drugs and the diosgenin derivatives. However, further designed trials are needed to unravel the diosgenin's deficiencies in clinical application.

Epidemiological characteristics of human adenovirus 2, 3 and 7 genetypes in hospitalized children with respiratory infection in a hospital of pediatric in Hebei Province from 2018 to 2020 / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of human adenovirus (HADV) 2, 3 and 7 in hospitalized children with respiratory infection. Methods: A total of 25 686 children with respiratory infection hospitalized at Children's Hospital of Hebei Province from January 2018 to December 2020 were retrospectively included.Deep sputum or nasopharyngeal aspirates of those children were collected. Then thirteen common respiratory pathogens were detected by multiplex PCR. 510 HADV positive specimens were randomly selected via random number and classified for type 2, 3 and 7 using a multiplex real-time quantitative PCR. SPSS 21.0 software was used to perform all of the statistical analyses. Enumeration data were expressed by frequency and percentage. χ2 test was used for comparison between groups. Results: The HADV-positive rate was 7.99% (2 052/25 686). Children at age 3-<6 years had the highest HADV-positive rate (11.44%). The HADV-positive rate in 2019 was highest (10.64%). Among the 510 HADV-positive specimens, the proportion of type 3 was the highest (31.16%), followed by type 7 (21.37%) and type 2 (11.18%). The rate of type 2 in 2019 was significantly lower than that in 2018 and 2020 (χ2=8.954 and 16.354; P=0.003 and <0.01), while the rate of type 3 was significantly higher than that in 2018 and 2020 (χ2=5.248 and 4.811; P=0.022 and 0.028). The rate of type 2, type 3 and type 7 were lowest in winter, spring and autumn, respectively. The rate of type 2 increased significantly in autumn and the rate of type 3 and type 7 increased significantly in winter.The co-detection rate of HADV with other respiratory pathogens was 43.33%(221/510). Among, the co-detection rate of type 3 was highest (47.32%), and the co-detection rate of type 2, 3 and 7 was significantly higher than the alone detection rate (χ2=20.438, P<0.01; χ2=42.105, P<0.01; χ2=27.573, P<0.01).The proportion of severe pneumonia in children with type 7 positive (15.89%) was higher than that in children with non-type 7 positive (8.23%) (χ2=5.260, P=0.022). Conclusion: HADV is one of the important pathogens of children with respiratory infection in Children's Hospital of Hebei Province. The susceptible population of HADV is preschool children aged 3 to 6 years. HADV often co-detects with other respiratory pathogens. Type 3 and 7 is likely to be the dominant genotypes in this region, and type 7 may be one of the risk factors of severe pneumonia in children.

Genomic epidemiology of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from acute diarrheal patients in Shenzhen City from 2013 to 2021 / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective: To characterize the prevalence and genomic epidemiology of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from acute diarrheal patients in Shenzhen City from 2013 to 2021. Methods: Based on the Shenzhen Infectious Diarrhea Surveillance System, acute diarrheal patients were actively monitored in sentinel hospitals from 2013 to 2021. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates was performed, and the genomic population structure, serotypes, virulence genes and multilocus sequence typing were analyzed. Outbreak clusters from 2019 to 2021 were explored based on single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis. Results: A total of 48 623 acute diarrhea cases were monitored in 15 sentinel hospitals from 2013 to 2021, and 1 135 Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains were isolated, with a positive isolation rate of 2.3%. Qualified whole-genome sequencing data of 852 isolates were obtained. Eighty-nine serotypes, 21 known ST types and 5 new ST types were identified by sequence analysis, and 93.2% of strains were detected with toxin profile of tdh+trh-. 8 clonal groups (CGs) were captured, with CG3 as the absolute predominance, followed by CG189. The CG3 group was dominated by O3:K6 serotype and ST3 sequence type, while CG189 group was mainly O4:KUT, O4:K8 serotypes and ST189a and ST189 type. A total of 13 clusters were identified, containing 154 cases. About 30 outbreak clusters with 29 outbreak clusters caused by CG3 strains from 2019 to 2021. Conclusion: Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a major pathogen of acute infectious diarrhea in Shenzhen City, with diverse population structures. CG3 and CG189 have been prevalent and predominant in Shenzhen City for a long time. Scattered outbreaks and persistent sources of contamination ignored by traditional methods could be captured by WGS analysis. Tracing the source of epidemic clone groups and taking precise prevention and control measures are expected to significantly reduce the burden of diarrhea diseases caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection in Shenzhen City.

Chrysin alleviates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting ferroptosis in rats / 中国中药杂志

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether chrysin reduces cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury(CIRI) by inhi-biting ferroptosis in rats. Male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham group, a model group, high-, medium-, and low-dose chrysin groups(200, 100, and 50 mg·kg~(-1)), and a positive drug group(Ginaton, 21.6 mg·kg~(-1)). The CIRI model was induced in rats by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion(tMCAO). The indexes were evaluated and the samples were taken 24 h after the operation. The neurological deficit score was used to detect neurological function. The 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride(TTC) staining was used to detect the cerebral infarction area. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the morphological structure of brain tissues. Prussian blue staining was used to observe the iron accumulation in the brain. Total iron, lipid pero-xide, and malondialdehyde in serum and brain tissues were detected by biochemical reagents. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR), immunohistochemistry, and Western blot were used to detect mRNA and protein expression of solute carrier fa-mily 7 member 11(SLC7A11), transferrin receptor 1(TFR1), glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4), acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 4(ACSL4), and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2) in brain tissues. Compared with the model group, the groups with drug intervention showed restored neurological function, decreased cerebral infarction rate, and alleviated pathological changes. The low-dose chrysin group was selected as the optimal dosing group. Compared with the model group, the chrysin groups showed reduced content of total iron, lipid peroxide, and malondialdehyde in brain tissues and serum, increased mRNA and protein expression levels of SLC7A11 and GPX4, and decreased mRNA and protein expression levels of TFR1, PTGS2, and ACSL4. Chrysin may regulate iron metabolism via regulating the related targets of ferroptosis and inhibit neuronal ferroptosis induced by CIRI.

Association between vaccination and the risk of immunoglobulin A vasculitis in children / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the effect of vaccination on the short-term risk of immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV) in children.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was conducted on the general data and the vaccination history within one year prior to onset in children with IgAV hospitalized in the Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from November 2021 to January 2023. Vaccine exposure rates in the risk period (3 months prior to IgAV onset) and the control period were compared by autocontrol-case crossover analysis, and the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated. A sensitivity analysis for the one-month and two-month risk periods was conducted.@*RESULTS@#A total of 193 children with IgAV were included, with a median age of 7.0 years. Among the 193 children, 36 (18.7%) received at least one dose of the vaccine within 1 year prior to IgAV onset, and 14 (7.3%) received at least one dose of the vaccine during the 3-month risk period. Compared to the unvaccinated IgAV group, the vaccinated IgAV group had a significantly younger age of onset (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the proportions of children with gastrointestinal involvement, renal involvement, and joint involvement between the two groups (P>0.05). The odds ratio for developing IgAV after receiving any type of vaccine within 3 months prior to IgAV onset was 2.08 (95%CI: 0.82-5.27, P>0.05). Further sensitivity analysis for the 1-month and 2-month risk periods demonstrated that the odds ratios for developing IgAV after receiving any type of vaccine were 2.74 (95%CI: 0.72-10.48, P>0.05) and 2.72 (95%CI: 0.95-7.77, P>0.05), respectively.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Vaccination dose not increase the risk of IgAV, nor does it exacerbate clinical symptoms in children with IgAV.

Cholesterol paradox in the community-living old adults: is higher better? / 老年心脏病学杂志（英文版）

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the associations of lipid indicators and mortality in Beijing Elderly Comprehensive Health Cohort Study.@*METHODS@#A prospective cohort was conducted based on Beijing Elderly Comprehensive Health Cohort Study with 4499 community older adults. After the baseline survey, the last follow-up was March 31, 2021 with an average 8.13 years of follow-up. Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) with 95% CI for cardiovascular disease (CVD) death and all-cause death in associations with baseline lipid indicators.@*RESULTS@#A total of 4499 participants were recruited, and the mean levels of uric acid, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) showed an upward trend with the increasing remnant cholesterol (RC) quarters (Ptrend < 0.05), while the downward trend was found in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). During the total 36,596 person-years follow-up, the CVD mortality and all-cause mortality during an average 8.13 years of follow-up was 3.87% (95% CI: 3.30%-4.43%) and 14.83% (95% CI: 13.79%-15.86%) with 174 CVD death participants and 667 all-cause death participants. After adjusting for confounders, the higher level of TC (HR = 0.854, 95% CI: 0.730-0.997), LDL-C (HR = 0.817, 95% CI: 0.680-0.982) and HDL-C (HR = 0.443, 95% CI: 0.271-0.724) were associated with lower risk of CVD death, and the higher level of HDL-C (HR = 0.637, 95% CI: 0.501-0.810) were associated with lower risk of all-cause death. The higher level of RC (HR = 1.276, 95% CI: 1.010-1.613) increase the risk of CVD death. Compared with the normal lipid group, TC ≥ 6.20 mmol/L group and LDL-C ≥ 4.10 mmol/L group were no longer associated with lower risk of CVD death, while RC ≥ 0.80 mmol/L group was still associated with higher risk of CVD death. In normal lipid group, the higher levels of TC, LDL-C and HDL-C were related with lower CVD death.@*CONCLUSIONS@#In community older adults, higher levels of TC and HDL-C were associated with lower CVD mortality in normal lipid reference range. Higher RC was associated with higher CVD mortality, which may be a better lipid indicator for estimating the CVD death risk in older adults.

Anticancer Activity of Diosgenin and Its Molecular Mechanism / 中国结合医学杂志

Diosgenin, a steroidal sapogenin, obtained from Trigonella foenum-graecum, Dioscorea, and Rhizoma polgonati, has shown high potential and interest in the treatment of various cancers such as oral squamous cell carcinoma, laryngeal cancer, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, glioma, and leukemia. This article aims to provide an overview of the in vivo, in vitro, and clinical studies reporting the diosgenin's anticancer effects. Preclinical studies have shown promising effects of diosgenin on inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and growth, promoting apoptosis, inducing differentiation and autophagy, inhibiting tumor cell metastasis and invasion, blocking cell cycle, regulating immunity and improving gut microbiome. Clinical investigations have revealed clinical dosage and safety property of diosgenin. Furthermore, in order to improve the biological activity and bioavailability of diosgenin, this review focuses on the development of diosgenin nano drug carriers, combined drugs and the diosgenin derivatives. However, further designed trials are needed to unravel the diosgenin's deficiencies in clinical application.

The Effect of Intense Pulsed Light Treatment for Chronic Hordeolum / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the effect of intense pulsed light (IPL) in the treatment of chronic hordeolum.@*METHODS@#Patients with chronic hordeolum who underwent IPL treatment were enrolled in this study. According to the severity of hordeolum, the patients were treated with IPL 3 to 5 times. Patients' satisfaction and visual analog scale scores for ocular discomfort symptoms before and after treatment were collected. The number, congestion, long diameter, short diameter and area of nodules were also recorded and measured. Finally, eyelid margin signs, meibum quality, meibomian gland expressibility, meibomian gland dropout, tear meniscus height, and corneal fluorescein staining were scored.@*RESULTS@#20 patients were enrolled in this study. The eyelid margins were congestive and swollen, with blunt rounding or irregularity. The meibum was cloudy or toothpaste-like. The meibomian gland expressibility, meibomian gland dropout and tear meniscus height were reduced. The cornea showed scattered fluorescein staining. After treatment, score of visual analog scale, congestion and size of nodules were significantly reduced. Eyelid margin signs, meibum quality, meibomian gland expressibility, tear meniscus height and corneal fluorescein staining scores were improved. Meibomian gland dropout had no significant change. No side effects occurred during treatment.@*CONCLUSIONS@#IPL is beneficial for the treatment of chronic hordeolum.

Optimal processing technology of Zhangbang vinegar-processed Olibanum with multi-indicator-response surface methodology and anticoagulant effect evaluation / 中国中药杂志

This study first optimized the processing technology for Zhangbang vinegar-processed Olibanum and investigated its in vitro anticoagulant activity. A multi-index-response surface methodology was used, with yield, powder yield, and the relative percentage of the content of six non-volatile components [11-keto-boswellic acid(KBA), 3-acetyl-11-keto-boswellic acid(AKBA), β-elemonic acid, α-boswellic acid(α-BA), β-boswellic acid(β-BA), and α-acetyl-boswellic acid(α-BA)] and three volatile components(octyl acetate, incensole, and incensole acetate) as evaluation indicators. Analytical hierarchy process(AHP) combined with coefficient of variation method was used to calculate the weight of each indicator and calculate the comprehensive score(OD). Furthermore, response surface methodology was used to investigate the effects of frying temperature(A), burning time(B), rice vinegar dosage(C), and steaming time(D) on the processing technology of vinegar-processed Olibanum. Vinegar-steamed Olibanum was prepared according to the optimal processing technology for in vitro anticoagulant experiments. The results showed that the weights of octyl acetate, incensole, incensole acetate, KBA, AKBA, β-elemonic acid, α-BA, β-BA, α-ABA, yield, and powder yield were 0.358 2, 0.104 5, 0.146 4, 0.032 9, 0.123 7, 0.044 4, 0.022 1, 0.042 2, 0.110 1, 0.012 2, and 0.0032, respectively. The optimal processing technology for Zhangbang vinegar-processed Olibanum was as follows. Olibanum(50 g) with a particle size of 1-5 mm was continuously stir-fried at a low heat of 150-180 ℃ until in a gel-like state, ignited for burning for 15 s, sprayed with 7.5 g of rice vinegar(15%), and steamed for 3 min without fire. Subsequently, the cover was removed, and the product was continuously stir-fried at 150-180 ℃ until in a soft lump shape, removed, cooled, and crushed. The results of the in vitro anticoagulant experiments showed that compared with the blank group, both Olibanum and vinegar-processed Olibanum significantly prolonged the activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT), thrombin time(TT), and prothrombin time(PT) of rat platelet-poor plasma(PPP), and the effect of vinegar-processed Olibanum was significantly better than that of Olibanum(P<0.05). The optimized processing technology for Zhangbang vinegar-processed Olibanum is stable, feasible, and beneficial for the further development and utilization of Olibanum slices. At the same time, using the content of volatile and non-volatile components, yield, and powder yield as indicators, and verifying through pharmacological experiments, the obtained results are more reasonable and credible, and have positive guiding significance for the clinical application of characteristic processed Olibanum products.

Research progress on the application of Gegen Qianlian Decoction and its effect on the intestinal barrier / 中国感染控制杂志

Gegen Qinlian Decoction is a classical prescription with the function of relieving exterior and interior syndromes.The formula contains complex chemical components and is prepared into several dosage forms regulating the function of the gut.The review discusses the chemical components,common dosage forms,clinical application and effect on the intestinal barrier of Gegen Qinlian Decoction,so as to provide a basis for its further development and utilization.

Preparation of mesoporous silica nanoparticles with different sizes and study on the correlation between size and toxicity / 药学学报

To investigate the crucial role of particle size in the biological effects of nanoparticles, a series of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were prepared with particle size gradients (50, 100, 150, 200 nm) with the traditional Stober method and adjusting the type and ratio of the silica source. The correlation between toxicity and size-caused biological effects were then further examined both in vitro and in vivo. The results indicated that the prepared MSNs had a uniform size, good dispersal, and ordered mesoporous structure. Hemolytic toxicity was found to be independent of particle size. At the cellular level, MSNs with smaller particle sizes were more readily internalized by cells, which initiated to more intense oxidative stress, therefor inducing higher cytotoxicity, and apoptosis rate. In vivo studies demonstrated that MSNs primarily accumulated in the liver and kidneys of mice. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that larger MSNs were eliminated more efficiently by the urinary system than smaller MSNs. The mice's body weight monitoring, blood tests, and pathological sections of major organs indicated good biocompatibility for MSNs of different sizes. Animal welfare and the animal experimental protocols were strictly consistent with related ethics regulations of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University. Overall, this study prepared MSNs with a particle size gradient to investigate the correlation between toxicity and particle size using macrophages and endothelial cells. The study also examined the biosafety of MSNs with different particle sizes in vivo and in vitro, which could help to improve the safety design strategy of MSNs for drug delivery systems.

Preliminary experience of transoral robotic surgery for oropharyngeal carcinoma / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To investigate the oncological and functional efficacy and safety of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in the treatment of oropharyngeal carcinoma. Methods: Twenty-six patients with oropharyngeal cancer were enrolled who underwent TORS at Beijing United Hospital from June 1, 2017 to December 31, 2020. Among them, 22 patients were males and 4 were females, aged 39 to 76 years old. T1-2 patients accounted for 88.5% (23/26). Clinicopathological data including the time of removal of gastric and endotracheal tube were collected. The SPSS software package was used for survival analysis, and the overall survival rate and disease-free survival rate were calculated. Results: All the 26 patients with oropharyngeal cancer received TORS without conversion to open surgery, and 20 of them underwent simultaneous cervical lymph node dissection. TORS operation time ranged from 65 to 360 minutes with an average of 215 minutes. Intraoperative blood loss ranged from 5 to 600 ml with an average of 70 ml. Four patients (15.4%) underwent tracheotomy, of whom 3 patients had the removals of tracheal tubes within 1 month after surgery and 1 case remained to wear a tube by the end of follow-up. Twelve patients (46.2%) underwent gastric tube implantation, among them, 11 patients had removals of gastric tubes within 1 month after surgery and 1 patient died of oropharyngeal hemorrhage 13 days after operation. One patient (3.8%) had a positive surgical margin and others had pathologically negative surgical margins. Sixteen patients (61.5%) received postoperative radiotherapy, of whom 11 patients (42.3%) received platinum-based concurrent chemotherapy. The median follow-up time was 21.5 months (0.4 to 45 months). The overall survival and the disease-free survival rates were 83.0% and 75.8%, respectively. Conclusion: The application of TORS in treatment of oropharyngeal cancer can achieve good oncological and functional outcomes in selected patients.

A long-term ischemic stroke risk score model in patients aged 60 years and older with obstructive sleep apnea: a multicenter prospective cohort study / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the independent risk factors of long-term ischemic stroke and establish a nomogram for predicting the long-term risks in elderly patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).@*METHODS@#This multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted from January, 2015 to October, 2017 among consecutive elderly patients (≥60 years) with newly diagnosed OSA without a history of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases and loss of important clinical indicators. The follow-up outcome was the occurrence of ischemic stroke. The baseline demographic and clinical data, sleep parameters, laboratory and ultrasound results were collected from all the patients, who were randomized into the modeling group (n=856) and validation group (n=258) at a 3∶1 ratio. LASSO regression was used for variable reduction and dimension screening, and the risk score prediction model of ischemic stroke was established based on Cox proportional hazard regression.@*RESULTS@#In the total of 1141 patients enrolled in this study, 58 (5.08%) patients experienced ischemic stroke during the median follow-up of 42 months (range 41-54 months). The cumulative incidence of ischemic stroke was 5.14% in the model group and 4.91% in the verification group (P < 0.05). Age (HR=3.44, 95% CI: 2.38- 7.77), fasting blood glucose (FPG) (HR=2.13, 95% CI: 1.22-3.72), internal diameter of the ascending aorta (HR=2.60, 95% CI: 1.0- 4.47), left atrial anteroposterior diameter (HR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.75-2.25) and minimum oxygen saturation (LSpO2) (HR=1.57, 95% CI: 1.20-1.93) were identified as independent risk factors for ischemic stroke (P < 0.05 or 0.01). A long-term ischemic stroke risk score model was constructed based the regression coefficient ratios of these 5 risk variables. Before and after the application of the Bootstrap method, the AUC of the cohort risk score model was 0.84 (95% CI: 0.78- 0.90) and 0.85 (95% CI: 0.78- 0.89) in the model group and was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.73-0.93) and 0.82 (95%CI: 0.72-0.90) in the verification group, respectively, suggesting a good prediction efficiency and high robustness of the model. At the best clinical cutoff point, the cumulative incidence of ischemic stroke was significantly higher in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group (P=0.021).@*CONCLUSION@#This model can help to identify high-risk OSA patients for early interventions of the risks of ischemic stroke associated with OSA.

Advances in antiviral research of adaptor-associated protein kinase 1 (AAK1) inhibitors / 药学学报

As one of the major sources of infection, viruses could infect all organisms including bacteria, plants, animals, and humans. Infectious diseases caused by viruses pose a great threat and damage to human health and economic activities all over the world. Adaptor-associated protein kinase 1 (AAK1) is a member of the Ark1/Prk1 family of serine/threonine kinases and a specific key kinase regulating the phosphorylation of AP-2 protein μ2 subunit T156. In the past, AAK1 has been regarded as a feasible biological target for the treatment of nerve pain. Recently, scientists have found that inhibiting AAK1 can regulate endocytosis and inhibit virus invasion into cells. Therefore, AAK1 could be the potential target of anti-virus therapy. This paper reviews the research progress of small molecule AAK1 inhibitors in the field of antiviral, analyzes the future research directions and challenges, and provides new ideas for the development of antiviral drugs targeting AAK1.

Research progress of ATR kinase-targeted inhibitors in the cancer therapy / 药学学报

Cancer, also known as malignant tumor, is the second largest disease after heart disease, which is characterized by genomic instability and mutagenicity. Ataxia telangiectasia and RAD3-related kinase (ATR) are members of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PIKK) family, belonging to serine/threonine kinase, one of the key kinases in DNA damage response (DDR) and DNA repair pathway. This paper reviews the latest progress in the ATR inhibitor field including mechanism of action (MOA), therapeutic applications, and the combination therapy from the perspective of medicinal chemistry. It also discusses the possible challenges and future directions of developing ATR inhibitor antitumor drugs, which could provide the scientists in this field the convenience for access the information and application guidance for clinical studies.

Cloning and Prokaryotic Expression of Glycosyltransferase Genes from Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To clone the full-length glycosyltransferase genes （<italic>PpUGT</italic>1，<italic>PpUGT</italic>7） related to saponins biosynthesis in <italic>Paris polyphylla</italic> var. <italic>yunnanensis</italic>，and perform bioinformatics analysis，relative expression analysis and prokaryotic expression analysis. Method:Total RNA was isolated from <italic>P. polyphylla </italic>var. <italic>yunnanensis </italic>with use of the Eastep^® Super Total RNA Extraction Kit and converted to cDNA. Specific primers were designed according to the transcriptome data to clone the full-length gene. Relevant software was then used for bioinformatic analysis of the protein sequences. The relative gene expression levels were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and the prokaryotic expression vectors were built to heterologously express recombinant protein in <italic>Escherichia coli.</italic> Result:The open reading frame （ORF） of <italic>PpUGT</italic>1 was 1 827 bp，encoding 608 amino acids，and was predicted as a steroid glycosyltransferase；the ORF of <italic>PpUGT</italic>7 was 1 380 bp，encoding 459 amino acids，and was predicted as a triterpenoid glycosyltransferase. The calculated relative molecular mass of two proteins were 67.6 kDa and 51.3 kDa respectively，and both of them were hydrophilic proteins，no transmembrane domain，no signal peptides，both showing high similarity and conservativeness with homologous sequences. The results of Real-time PCR showed that the expression level of <italic>PpUGT</italic>1 was root>leaf>flower>stem；the expression level of <italic>PpUGT</italic>7 was stem>leaf>flower>root. In addition，PpUGTs proteins were expressed in <italic>E. coli</italic>. in a soluble form. Conclusion:The genes of <italic>PpUGT</italic>1 and <italic>PpUGT</italic>7 were cloned successfully. Real-time PCR showed the genes were expressed differently in different plant organs， and their recombinant proteins were successfully expressed in <italic>Escherichia coli</italic>. This study lays a foundation for functional characterization of PpUGTs and analysis of the biosynthesis pathway of saponins in <italic>Paris polyphylla </italic>var. <italic>yunnanensis</italic>.

Innovation of traditional Chinese medicine compounds and patent layout strategy with Lianhua Qingwen Formula as example / 中国中药杂志

The innovation and patent layout of traditional Chinese medicine compounds reflects the innovation level of the traditio-nal Chinese medicine industry to a certain extent. Lianhua Qingwen Formula was taken as an example to analyze the innovation and patent layout of traditional Chinese medicine compounds. The study first proposed an innovative technology system for traditional Chinese medicine compounds, and then analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of Lianhua Qingwen Formula in innovation and patent layout based on 56 patents and other relevant patents. The analysis results showed that Lianhua Qingwen Formula had the following characte-ristics in terms of patent layout. In terms of innovation technical route, the patented technical route of Lianhua Qingwen Formula was mainly based on the composition and preparation of granules as the first choice, followed by corresponding process improvements, new uses, and detection methods as the main improvement routes. In terms of the corresponding patent layout, the basic patent protection scope of Lianhua Qingwen Formula completely covered marketed drugs, and then took new functions as the main layout strategy for subsequent patent applications. With the advancement of modern technical means, the preparation process and testing methods have been optimized continuously. At the same time, the international patent layout was given the priority in domestic patent application. Based on the above characteristics, the study gave suggestions for follow-up innovation and patent work for Lianhua Qingwen Formula, so as to provide enlightenment for other traditional Chinese medicine companies in exploring original innovation of traditional Chinese medicine compounds, improving innovative methods, and enhancing the ability of patent layout of innovative achievements.

Application of Sarcosaprophagous Insects to Estimate the Postmortem Interval in 11 Cases / 法医学杂志

Objective To test the feasibility and accuracy of with sarcosaprophagous insects postmortem interval （PMI） estimation with sarcosaprophagous insects and provide references for estimation practice. Methods Eleven cases confirmed by the detection results, with complete entomological evidence were selected. The insect species, estimation results and true results involved in the cases were statistically analyzed and compared. Results Thirteen species of insects were found at the criminal scene, including Chrysomya megacephala （Fabricius）, Chrysomya rufifacies （Macquart）, Chrysomya nigripes （Aubertin）, Lucilia sericata （Meigen）, Hydrotaea spinigera Stein, Muscina stabulans （Fallén）, Sarcophagid （species were not identified）, Megaselia scalaris （Loew）, Hermetia illucens （Linnaeus）, Saprinus splendens （Paykull）, Creophilus maxillosus （Linnaeus）, Dermestes maculatus （De Geer） and Necrobia ruficollis （Fabricius）. The PMI of all eleven cases was within the range of estimated PMI. The estimated results of 72.73% cases were on the same day of the true results. Conclusion Sarcosaprophagous insects can estimate the PMI simply and conveniently. In cases where the PMI is within the time range of one generation of flies or beetles, the estimation results are relatively accurate. However, the estimation is less accurate when the PMI is beyond the time range.

Hypoglycemic effects of Tibetan medicine Huidouba in STZ-induced diabetic mice and db/db mice / 中草药·英文版

Objective: Huidouba (HDB) is a Chinese folk medicine used to treat diabetes in Sichuan Province, China. Therefore, we investigated the anti-diabetic effects of HDB and its underlying mechanisms. We hypothesized that HDB treatment could enhance glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, and thus prevent a hyperglycemia state. Methods: To test the hypothesis, streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice and db/db mice, widely used models of hyperglycemia and insulin-resistant diabetes, were either treated with HDB, metformin, or acarbose. Blood glucose, oral glucose tolerance test, insulin tolerance test, pancreatic histopathology and serum biochemistry were detected to assess the hypoglycemic effect of HDB. Results: HDB treatments were found to show the effect in reducing glucose levels. HDB also resulted in a significant reduction in body weight and food intake in the STZ-induced diabetic mouse model. Furthermore, it significantly improved glucose and insulin tolerance in the two diabetic mouse models. Importantly, insulin, glucagon, pancreatic polypeptide, and somatostatin immunohistochemistry revealed that HDB treatment improved the function and the location of the cells in the islets compared with the other two treatments. HDB treatment resulted in significant restoration of islet function. Our results illustrated the underlying mechanism of HDB in the progression of diabetes, and HDB can be an effective agent for the treatment of diabetes. Conclusion: The results of this study suggested that HDB can reduce blood glucose levels in STZ-induced hyperglycemic mice and db/db mice.

Factors Correlated With Internet Gaming Disorder Among Malaysian University Students

@#Introduction: Internet gaming disorder (IGD) has recently been incorporated into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fifth edition (DSM-5) as a disorder for future research. The primary objectives of the present study are to describe the level of IGD and to examine its correlations with sociodemographic factors and psychological comorbidities among undergraduate students in a Malaysian university. Methods: A total of 411 undergraduate students completed an online questionnaire. They were selected from a random sample of participating university faculties. The online questionnaire contained the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form and the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale. Results: The presents study reported that 52.8% of the participants had high IGH. Using hierarchical multiple regression, age (β = -0.09, p < 0.05), gender (β = -0.40, p < 0.001) and stress (β = 0.23, p < 0.05) were statistically significant predictors of IGD. Academic performance, depression and anxiety did not emerge as significant predictors. Conclusion: These findings highlight the risk factors (in particular, stress) of IGD. Further studies on interventions, particular that of preventative strategies, will be needed to combat this emerging public health problem.