Seasonal characteristics of scarlet fever in Songjiang District, Shanghai in 2012-2021 / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To analyze the seasonal characteristics of scarlet fever in Songjiang District from 2012 to 2021, and to provide references for the prevention and control of scarlet fevers. Methods The incidence data of scarlet fever in Songjiang District from 2012 to 2021 were collected through the China Disease Prevention and Control Information System. The seasonal characteristics and peak of scarlet fever incidence were analyzed using concentration and circular distribution methods. Results The average annual reported incidence rate of scarlet fever in Songjiang District from 2012 to 2021 was 20.15/100 000. The M value of the concentration analysis was 0.18. The results of the circular distribution method showed that the peak day of scarlet fever from March to August was May 12, and the epidemic peak period was from April 3 to June 20. From September to February of the next year, the peak day of scarlet fever was December 21, and the epidemic peak period was from December 2 to January 9 of the next year. The differences were all statistically significant (P values were all less than 0.05). Conclusion The peaks of scarlet fever in Songjiang District mainly occur in May and December. It is suggested that the monitoring methods and prevention strategies should be adjusted in time according to Seasonal characteristics of scarlet fever.

A new xanthone from the Polygala tenuifolia Willd. of northern Shaanxi / 药学学报

Ten compounds were isolated and purified from ethanol extracts of dried roots bark of Polygala tenuifolia Willd. by various chromatography techniques such as silica gel and Sephadex LH-20. Their structures were identified by analysis of physicochemical properties and spectral data, and determined as β-sitosterol (1), tenuifolin (2), 6-methoxy coumarin (3), 7-phenyl-1-hydroxy-2,3,6-trimethoxyxanthone (4), 1,8-dihydroxy-3,4,7-trimethoxyanthone (5), mangiferin (6), quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside (7), rutin (8), syringaldehyde (9), salicylicacid (10). Among them, compounds 3, 4 and 5 were isolated from the genus of Ploygala for the first time and compound 4 was a new xanthone. The acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities of compounds 3, 4 and 5 were evaluated by Ellman colorimetric method, compounds 3 and 5 exhibited moderate inhibitory activity, compound 4 exhibited weak inhibitory activity.

Effect of three intrinsic foot muscle exercises on cross-sectional area of abductor hallucis muscle and foot morphology in subjects with flatfoot / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo compare the effect of three kinds of intrinsic foot muscle exercise on flatfoot. MethodsFrom September to November, 2022, 45 subjects with flatfoot from Capital University of Physical Education and Sports were randomly divided into short foot exercise (SFE) group (n = 15), toe-spread-out exercise (TSOE) group (n = 15) and short foot & toe-spread-out exercise (SF+TSOE) group (n = 15), who received SFE, TSOE and SF+TSOE, respectively, for eight weeks. The cross-sectional area of abductor hallucis muscle, navicular drop test (NDT) and Chippaux-Smirak index (CSI) were measured before treatment, four weeks after treatment and eight weeks after treatment. ResultsThree subjects dropped out in each group. The main effect of time was significant for left and right cross-sectional area of abductor hallucis muscle, NDT and CSI (F > 13.906, P < 0.001). The main effect of group was not significant for left and right cross-sectional area of abductor hallucis muscle, NDT and CSI (F < 1.934, P > 0.05). The interaction effect of group and time was significant for left and right NDT (F > 3.044，P < 0.05), and it was better in SF+TSOE group than in SFE group and TSOE group (P < 0.05). ConclusionSF and TSOE can improve the cross-sectional area of abductor hallucis muscle and foot morphology in subjects with flatfoot, and the combination of them may be more effective.

Analgesic Effect and Mechanism of Osteoking on Dorsal Root Ganglion Compression Model Rats / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the analgesic effect and mechanism of Osteoking （OK） on nerve compression in lumbar disc herniation. MethodThe rat model of chronic compression of dorsal root ganglion （CCD） was established to simulate clinical lumbar disc herniation. The CCD rats were randomly divided into model group， low， medium， and high dose OK groups （1.31， 2.63， 5.25 mL·kg-1·d-1）， and pregabalin group （5 mg·kg-1）， with eight rats in each group. Another eight SD rats were taken as the blank group， and the same volume of normal saline was given by gavage. Behavioral tests， side effect evaluation， network analysis， Western blot， immunofluorescence， and antagonist application were used to explore the effect. ResultCompared with the blank group， the mechanical hyperalgesia threshold， thermal hyperalgesia threshold， and the expression of inflammatory factors in the spinal dorsal horn of the model group are significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the related indicators of the affected foot footprints are significantly down-regulated （P<0.01）. The expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3）， vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA）， and phosphorylated extracellular regulated protein kinase （p-ERK） in microglia in the spinal dorsal horn is significantly increased in the model group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， low， medium， and high dose OK groups can increase the mechanical hyperalgesia and thermal hyperalgesia thresholds of CCD rats （P<0.05， P<0.01） in a dose-dependent manner， improve the gait of CCD rats （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and reduce the expression of inflammatory factors in the spinal dorsal horn （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expression of STAT3， VEGFA， and p-ERK in the spinal dorsal horn microglia of CCD rats is significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the acetic acid-induced nociceptive response in rats is effectively reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In addition， there is no tolerance. The results of the body mass test， organ index， forced swimming， and rotation show that OK has no obvious toxic or side effects. Further antagonist experiments show that MRS1523 and RS127445 can reverse the transient analgesic effect of OK compared with the high dose OK group （P<0.01）. ConclusionOK has a good analgesic effect on the CCD model without obvious toxic side effects， and its mechanism may be related to the activation of ADORA3 and HTR2B and the inhibition of STAT3， VEGFA， p-ERK， and other elements in microglia.

Effect of short-foot exercise on adult flatfoot: a systematic review / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo systematically review the effects of short-foot exercise on adult flatfoot. MethodsArticles related to short-foot exercise for flatfoot were searched from PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, Embase, Scopus, CNKI, Wanfang Data and CBM, from January, 2010 to December, 2022. The methodological quality was evaluated with the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale, and the relevant data were extracted. ResultsTen randomized controlled trials were included, involved 335 individuals. The mean score of the PEDro scale was 7.1. Short-foot exercise improved the navicular drop, posture index score, balance and cross-sectional area of abductor hallucis muscle for patients with flatfoot, but plantar pressure. ConclusionShort-foot exercise can improve the foot structure, balance and adductor hallucis muscle in adult flatfoot, but plantar pressure.

Application progress of artificial intelligence in the screening and identification of drug targets / 中国药科大学学报

@#In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has developed rapidly, with improved computing power and algorithms, which has greatly facilitated the collection and processing of biological, chemical information and clinical data, injecting new vitality into the research and development of new drugs.In this review, we began with a brief overview of the development and the main algorithms of AI in drug discovery.Then we elaborated through several specific cases on the various scenarios of AI application, including target identification, protein structure prediction, hit generation and optimization etc.Finally, we focused on a recent example to discuss the high efficiency of "end-to-end" application of AI.

Impact of sinonasal anatomic changes after endoscopic anterior skull base surgery on nasal airflow and air conditioning: a computational fluid dynamics study / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To analyze the impact of the sinonasal anatomic changes after endonasal endoscopic anterior skull base surgery on the nasal airflow and heating and humidification by computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and to explore the correlation between the postoperative CFD parameters and the subjective symptoms of the patients. Methods: The clinical data in the Rhinology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2016 to 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients received the endoscopic resection of the anterior skull base tumor were selected as the case group, and the adults whose CT scans had no sinonasal abnormalities were chosen as the control group. The CFD simulation was performed on the sinonasal models after reconstructed from the patients' sinus CT images during the post-surgical follow-up. All the patients were asked to complete the Empty Nose Syndrome 6-Item Questionnaire (ENS6Q) to assess the subjective symptoms. The comparison between two independent groups and the correlation analysis were carried out by using the Mann-Whitney U test and the Spearman correlation test in the SPSS 26.0 software. Results: Nineteen patients (including 8 males and 11 females, from 22 to 67 years old) in the case group and 2 patients (a male of 38 years old and a female of 45 years old) in the control group were enrolled in this study. After the anterior skull base surgery, the high-speed airflow moved to the upper part of the nasal cavity, and the lowest temperature shifted upwards on the choana. Comparing with the control group, the ratio of nasal mucosal surface area to nasal ventilation volume in the case group decreased [0.41 (0.40, 0.41) mm-1 vs 0.32 (0.30, 0.38) mm-1; Z=-2.04, P=0.041], the air flow in the upper and middle part of the nasal cavity increased [61.14 (59.78, 62.51)% vs 78.07 (76.22, 94.43)%; Z=-2.28, P=0.023], the nasal resistance decreased [0.024 (0.022, 0.026) Pa·s/ml vs 0.016 (0.009, 0.018) Pa·s/ml; Z=-2.29, P=0.022], the lowest temperature in the middle of the nasal cavity decreased [28.29 (27.23, 29.35)℃ vs 25.06 (24.07, 25.50)℃; Z=-2.28, P=0.023], the nasal heating efficiency decreased [98.74 (97.95, 99.52)% vs 82.16 (80.24, 86.91)%; Z=-2.28, P=0.023], the lowest relative humidity decreased [(79.62 (76.55, 82.69)% vs 73.28 (71.27, 75.05)%; Z=-2.28, P=0.023], and the nasal humidification efficiency decreased [99.50 (97.69, 101.30)% vs 86.09 (79.33, 87.16)%; Z=-2.28, P=0.023]. The ENS6Q total scores of all patients in the case group were less than 11 points. There was a moderate negative correlation between the proportion of the inferior airflow in the post-surgical nasal cavity negatively and the ENS6Q total scores (rs=-0.50, P=0.029). Conclusions: The sinonasal anatomic changes after the endoscopic anterior skull base surgery alter the nasal airflow patterns, reducing the efficiency of nasal heating and humidification. However, the post-surgical occurrence tendency of the empty nose syndrome is weak.

Bloodletting Acupuncture at Jing-Well Points on Hand Induced Autophagy to Alleviate Brain Injury in Acute Altitude Hypoxic Rats by Activating PINK1/Parkin Pathway / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the protective effect of bloodletting acupuncture at twelve Jing-well points on hand (BAJP) on acute hypobaric hypoxia (AHH)-induced brain injury in rats and its possible mechanisms.@*METHODS@#Seventy-five Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups by a random number table (n=15), including control, model, BAJP, BAJP+3-methyladenine (3-MA), and bloodletting acupuncture at non-acupoint (BANA, tail tip blooding) groups. After 7-day pre-treatment, AHH models were established using hypobaric oxygen chambers. The levels of S100B, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling method were used to assess hippocampal histopathology and apoptosis. Transmission electron microscopy assay was used to observe mitochondrial damage and autophagosomes in hippocampal tissues. Flow cytometry was used to detect mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). The mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I, III and IV activities and ATPase in hippocampal tissue were evaluated, respectively. Western blot analysis was used to detect the protein expressions of Beclin1, autophagy protein 5 (ATG5), microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta (LC3B), phosphatase and tensin homolog induced kinase 1 (PINK1), and Parkin in hippocampal tissues. The mRNA expressions of Beclin1, ATG5 and LC3-II were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.@*RESULTS@#BAJP treatment reduced hippocampal tissue injury and inhibited hippocampal cell apoptosis in AHH rats. BAJP reduced oxidative stress by decreasing S100B, GFAP and MDA levels and increasing SOD level in the serum of AHH rats (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Then, BAJP increased MMP, the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I, III and IV activities, and the mitochondrial ATPase activity in AHH rats (all P<0.01). BAJP improved mitochondrial swelling and increased the autophagosome number in hippocampal tissue of AHH rats. Moreover, BAJP treatment increased the protein and mRNA expressions of Beclin1 and ATG5 and LC3-II/LC3-I ratio in AHH rats (all P<0.01) and activated the PINK1/Parkin pathway (P<0.01). Finally, 3-MA attenuated the therapeutic effect of BAJP on AHH rats (P<0.05 or P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#BAJP was an effective treatment for AHH-induced brain injury, and the mechanism might be through reducing hippocampal tissue injury via increasing the PINK1/Parkin pathway and enhancement of mitochondrial autophagy.

Clinical characteristics of children infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant combined with allergic disease / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of children with allergic diseases suffering from SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant strains. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 43 pediatric patients with allergic diseases infected by SARS-CoV-2 from April 25, 2022 to June 8, 2022 in Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine were selected as the allergic disease group, while 114 cases without underlying diseases and 16 cases with other underlying diseases were selected as control groups diagnosed at the same period. Clinical data including clinical features, laboratory tests, duration of hospitalization, and the time to negative turn of novel coronavirus nucleic acid were collected and analysed. Kruskal-Wallis H test, chi-square test or Fisher exact test were used for comparison among three groups. Results: Among the 43 patients with allergic diseases, 28 were males and 15 were females, with an age of 4.4 (2.1, 8.2) years on admission, including 32 mild cases and 11 common cases. The allergic disease group included 20 cases (46.5%) of atopic dermatitis and eczema, followed by 14 cases (32.6%) of rhinitis, 8 cases (18.6%) of food allergies, 7 cases (16.3%) of asthma, 4 cases (9.3%) of allergic conjunctivitis and 2 cases (4.7%) of drug allergy. Among the 114 cases without underlying diseases, 57 were males and 57 were females, with an age of 2.8 (1.2, 5.6) years on admission, including 93 mild cases and 21 common cases. Among the 16 cases with other underlying diseases, 9 were males and 7 were females, with an age of 3.0 (2.6, 10.8) years on admission, including 13 cases mild and 3 cases common cases. Children with allergic diseases had higher frequency of sore throat and vomiting than those without underlying diseases (10 cases (23.3%) vs.9 cases (7.9%), 14 cases (32.6%) vs. 11 cases (9.6%), χ²=6.93, 12.24, both P<0.05). The lymphocyte count of patients with allergic disease was lower than those without underlying disease (1.1 (0.7,1.7)×109 vs. 1.6 (1.1,2.7)×109/L, H=-28.00,P=0.005). There were no significant differences in age, gender, typing of SARS-CoV-2, the duration of hospitalization, cycle threshold values of SARS-CoV-2 and the time to negative turn of novel coronavirus nucleic acid among the three groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Children with allergic diseases may suffer from sore throat and vomiting more frequently when infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. The combination of allergic diseases hardly influenced the disease course of SARS-CoV-2 in children.

The expression and function of PD-L1 in CD133(+) human liver cancer stem-like cells / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To investigate the expression of programmed death protein-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in liver cancer stem-like cells (LCSLC) and its effect on the characteristics of tumor stem cells and tumor biological function, to explore the upstream signaling pathway regulating PD-L1 expression in LCSLC and the downstream molecular mechanism of PD-L1 regulating stem cell characteristics, also tumor biological functions. Methods: HepG2 was cultured by sphere-formating method to obtain LCSLC. The expressions of CD133 and other stemness markers were detected by flow cytometry, western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were used to detect the expressions of stemness markers and PD-L1. The biological functions of the LCSLC were tested by cell function assays, to confirm that the LCSLC has the characteristics of tumor stem cells. LCSLC was treated with cell signaling pathway inhibitors to identify relevant upstream signaling pathways mediating PD-L1 expression changes. The expression of PD-L1 in LCSLC was down regulated by small interfering RNA (siRNA), the expression of stem cell markers, tumor biological functions of LCSLC, and the changes of cell signaling pathways were detected. Results: Compared with HepG2 cells, the expression rate of CD133 in LCSLC was upregulated [(92.78±6.91)% and (1.40±1.77)%, P<0.001], the expressions of CD133, Nanog, Oct4A and Snail in LCSLC were also higher than those in HepG2 cells (P<0.05), the number of sphere-formating cells increased on day 7 [(395.30±54.05) and (124.70±19.30), P=0.001], cell migration rate increased [(35.41±6.78)% and (10.89±4.34)%, P=0.006], the number of transmembrane cells increased [(75.77±10.85) and (20.00±7.94), P=0.002], the number of cloned cells increased [(120.00±29.51) and (62.67±16.77), P=0.043]. Cell cycle experiments showed that LCSLC had significantly more cells in the G(0)/G(1) phase than those in HepG2 [(54.89±3.27) and (32.36±1.50), P<0.001]. The tumor formation experiment of mice showed that the weight of transplanted tumor in LCSLC group was (1.32±0.17)g, the volume is (1 779.0±200.2) mm(3), were higher than those of HepG2 cell [(0.31±0.06)g and (645.6±154.9)mm(3), P<0.001]. The expression level of PD-L1 protein in LCSLC was 1.88±0.52 and mRNA expression level was 2.53±0.62, both of which were higher than those of HepG2 cells (P<0.05). The expression levels of phosphorylation signal transduction and transcription activation factor 3 (p-STAT3) and p-Akt in LCSLC were higher than those in HepG2 cells (P<0.05). After the expression of p-STAT3 and p-Akt was down-regulated by inhibitor treatment, the expression of PD-L1 was also down-regulated (P<0.05). In contrast, the expression level of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (p-ERK1/2) in LCSLC was lower than that in HepG2 cells (P<0.01), there was no significant change in PD-L1 expression after down-regulated by inhibitor treatment (P>0.05). After the expression of PD-L1 was knockdown by siRNA, the expressions of CD133, Nanog, Oct4A and Snail in LCSLC were decreased compared with those of siRNA-negative control (NC) group (P<0.05). The number of sphere-formating cells decreased [(45.33±12.01) and (282.00±29.21), P<0.001], the cell migration rate was lower than that in siRNA-NC group [(20.86±2.74)% and (46.73±15.43)%, P=0.046], the number of transmembrane cells decreased [(39.67±1.53) and (102.70±11.59), P=0.001], the number of cloned cells decreased [(57.67±14.57) and (120.70±15.04), P=0.007], the number of cells in G(0)/G(1) phase decreased [(37.68±2.51) and (57.27±0.92), P<0.001], the number of cells in S phase was more than that in siRNA-NC group [(30.78±0.52) and (15.52±0.83), P<0.001]. Tumor formation in mice showed that the tumor weight of shRNA-PD-L1 group was (0.47±0.12)g, the volume is (761.3±221.4)mm(3), were lower than those of shRNA-NC group [(1.57±0.45)g and (1 829.0±218.3)mm(3), P<0.001]. Meanwhile, the expression levels of p-STAT3 and p-Akt in siRNA-PD-L1 group were decreased (P<0.05), while the expression levels of p-ERK1/2 and β-catenin did not change significantly (P>0.05). Conclusion: Elevated PD-L1 expression in CD133(+) LCSLC is crucial to maintain stemness and promotes the tumor biological function of LCSLC.

Correlation Between Vimentin and Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Intervention Effect of Jianpi Yiqi Prescription / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo study the correlation between Vimentin and hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） and the mechanism of Jianpi Yiqi prescription against HCC through Vimentin. MethodCorrelation between Vimentin and HCC was analyzed based on the cancer genome atlas（TCGA）， clinical proteomic tumor analysis consortium（CPTAC）， STRING， and Cytoscape. SD rats were randomized into normal group （normal saline， ig， once/day， 4 weeks）， model group （normal saline， ig， once/day， 4 weeks）， low-dose， medium-dose， and high-dose （5.25， 10.5， 21 g·kg-1， ig， once/day， 4 weeks） JianpiYiqi prescription groups， signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3） inhibition group （C188-9， 4.5 mg·kg-1， ip， once/day， 4 weeks）， and glycoprotein 130 （gp130） inhibition group （SC144， 4.5 mg·kg-1， ip， once/day， 4 weeks）， 10 rats in each group. Diethylnitrosamine （DEN， 70 mg·kg-1 body weight， ip） was injected in rats except the normal group to induce HCC. After the modeling， administration began. After last administration， Real-time polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was performed to determine Vimentin mRNA level in rat liver tissue. Caspase-3 activity in liver tissue was detected by colorimetry， and expression of Rho kinase （ROCK）1， ROCK2， aurora kinase B （AURKB）， Zinc-finger protein 148 （ZNF148）/zinc-binding protein-89 （ZBP-89）， STAT3， p-STAT3， total Vimentin， and phosphorylated （p）-Vimentin in liver tissue and Vimentin in liver tissue nucleus detected by Western blot. Serum Vimentin concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. ResultVimentin mRNA level was high in tissues from HCC patients with different cancer stages （stage Ⅰ-Ⅳ）， different pathological grades （G1-G3）， no regional lymph node metastasis （N0）， and different subtypes （P<0.01）. Vimentin mRNA expression was higher in tissues from patients with lymph node metastasis than in patients without lymph node metastasis and normal samples. Vimentin protein level was decreased in HCC tissues （P<0.01）. Vimentin gene has 4 mutations which can induce change in the primary structure of Vimentin protein and patients with Vimentin gene mutation had short disease free survival time （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of Vimentin was negatively associated with HCC cell purity （P<0.01） but was positively associated with the infiltration levels of cancer-associated fibroblasts， M2 macrophages， myeloid dendritic cell and other immune cells in tumor microenvironment （P<0.01）. Association analysis results showed that the expression of Vimentin was correlated with the STAT3 expression in HCC tissues （P<0.01）. As for the animal experiment， Vimentin mRNA level and protein levels of total Vimentin and p-Vimentin in liver tssue， Vimentin protein level in liver tissue nucleus， Vimentin in rat serum， ROCK2， AURKB， STAT3 and p-STAT3 in liver tissues were up-regulated （P<0.01） and protein level of negative regulator ZBP-89 was reduced in the model group （P<0.01） compared with those in the normal group. Activity of Caspase-3 in liver tissue increased and the ROCK1 protein level was increased in the model group compared with those in the normal group. STAT3 inhibitor， gp130 inhibitor， and medium-dose and high-dose Jianpi Yiqi prescription all can reduce the secretory Vimentin protein in serum， protein levels of total Vimentin and p-Vimentin in liver tissues， and Vimentin in liver tissue nucleus， and the protein levels of STAT3/Vimentin signaling pathway-related molecules， such as STAT3， p-STAT3， ROCK2， and AURKB and up-regulate the protein level of negative regulator ZBP-89 and activity of Caspase-3 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Effect of medium-dose or high-dose Jianpi Yiqi prescription on Vimentin mRNA expression， STAT3 protein expression， ZBP-89 protein expression， ROCK2 protein expression， AURKB protein expression and Caspase-3 activity was not significantly different from that of STAT3 inhibitor. ConclusionVimentin， an important inflammatory molecule， is closely related to the occurrence and development of HCC and its expression， subcellular location and function may be affected by cancer-associated fibroblasts， M2 macrophages， myeloid dendritic cell， and IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway， particularly by STAT3 molecule. Jianpi Yiqi prescription may exert therapeutic effect on HCC via regulating Vimentin through the STAT3/Vimentin signaling pathway.

Effect of intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents on systemic concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Chorioretinal disease has become a significant problem affecting human vision. Abnormal expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)leads to increased fundus permeability and neovascularization. Vitreous injection of anti-VEGF agents can rapidly inhibit the level of VEGF in the eye and effectively control the development of the disease. At present, anti-VEGF agents are widely administered in ophthalmology. However, studies have shown that intravitreal anti-VEGF agents can reduce plasma VEGF concentration after entering the circulatory system, and the pointless off-target effects of drugs may lead to systemic adverse reactions. For elderly patients, patients with serious comorbidities, lactating women, premature infants and other special populations, attention should be paid to systemic VEGF inhibition after multiple injections. In this paper, in order to provide reference for clinical anti-VEGF therapy, the pharmacokinetics therapy, systemic adverse reactions, contralateral eye effects, and effects of anti-VEGF on breast milk and preterm infants were discussed, and the systemic effects of vitreous injection of anti-VEGF agents were reviewed.

Intervention Effect of Qufeng Gutong Babu Ointment on Rat Model of Osteoarthritis with Cold-dampness Obstruction Based on PI3K/Akt Signal Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the intervention effect of Qufeng Gutong Babu ointment （QFGT） on rats with osteoarthritis （OA） with cold-dampness obstruction， and preliminarily clarify its mechanism. MethodSD male rats were divided into 6 groups， namely， the blank group， model group， positive control drug Huoxue Zhitong ointment （HXZTG） group （1.26 cm2·d-1）， and low， medium， and high-dose QFGT group （75， 150， 300 mg·d-1）. OA model was prepared by joint cavity injection of papain and L-cysteine. On the second day of modeling， climate factors were applied to establish an animal model of combination of disease and syndrome of OA rats with cold-dampness obstruction. Standard VonFrey fiber was used to evaluate the threshold of mechanical pain. Weight bearing difference score and joint function score of both hind limbs were recorded. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and safranine fixation green staining were used to observe the pathological changes and cartilage degeneration of rat knee joint. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to detect the expression of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-8 （IL-8）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， and cathepsin K （CTSK）. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of kinase B （Akt）， phosphorylated protein kinase B （p-Akt）， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）， nuclear factor 1 （NFATc1）， MMP-9， and CTSK in T cells. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed significant mechanical pain sensitivity reaction after modeling （P<0.01）， and the weight bearing difference of both hind limbs and joint function score were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， both the high-dose QFGT group and the HXZTG group significantly reduced the mechanical pain sensitivity， weight difference， and joint function score of rats （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the medium-dose QFGT group also improved the joint function to a certain extent， and the degeneration of the knee joint cartilage of rats was significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. QFGT and HXZTG both inhibited the protein expression of IL-1β， IL-8， TNF-α， MMP-9， CTAK， PI3K， p-Akt， Akt， and other related proteins in articular cartilage of rats with OA to a certain extent （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionQFGT can inhibit the release of inflammatory factors and matrix metalloproteinases by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signal pathway in articular articular cartilage of rats with OA with cold-dampness obstruction， thus ultimately weakening local cartilage degeneration and improving joint function.

Effect of physical activity on executive function of children and adolescents: a systematic review / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo analyze the effect of physical activity on executive function of children and adolescents, and sort out the related factors. MethodsArticles about physical activity intervention for children and adolescents on executive function were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang Data, Google Scholar, Wiley Online Library and PubMed, from January 1st, 2010 to June 30th, 2021. The articles were screened, evaluated and systematically reviewed. ResultsA total of 21 articles were included, from eleven countries, including 13 randomized controlled trials, involving 2 496 subjects, aged five to 18 years. The articles were published from 2010 to 2019, with mean score of Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale as 5.57. The physical activity intervention mainly involved physical fitness, skills and sport games, with low to high intensity, eight to 120 minutes a time, one to five times a week, no more than ten months. Physical activity was indicated to improve the executive function, specifically inhibition control, working memory and cognitive flexibility, such as the improvement of the accuracy and reaction time of cognitive tasks, and activation of bilateral prefrontal cortex activity. Types, intensity, duration, frequency and cycle of physical activity, participant selection, and assessment tools were related to the effect of intervention. ConclusionPhysical activity can improve the inhibition control, working memory and cognitive flexibility of children and adolescents. The main factors related to the intervention effect are the physical activity elements, the participant's factors and the experimental design factors.

Intervention effect of Qufeng Gutong Cataplasm on myofascial pain syndrome in rats and its mechanism / 中国中药杂志

This paper aims to investigate the intervention effect of Qufeng Gutong Cataplasm(QFGT) on myofascial pain syndrome(MPS) in rats and to preliminarily explain its mechanism from the perspective of improving muscle inflammation and pain. Male SD rats were divided into 6 groups, namely normal group, model group, positive control drug(Huoxue Zhitong Ointment, HXZT) group, and low, medium, and high-dose QFGT groups(75, 150, and 300 mg·d~(-1)). The rat model of MPS was established by striking combined with centrifugation for 8 weeks, during which QFGT and HXZT were used for corresponding intervention. Standard VonFrey fiber was used to evaluate the mechanical pain threshold, and acetone was used to detect the cold pain threshold. The electrophysiological activity of muscle at trigger point was detected, and the electromuscular analysis of trigger point was performed. CatWalk gait analyzer was used to detect pain-induced gait adaptation changes. The hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes in muscle and skin tissues at the trigger point of rats. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of capsaicin receptor transient receptor potential vanilloid 1(TRPV1) in muscle tissues and interleukin(IL)-33 in skin tissues at the trigger point. The protein expression levels of TRPV1, protein kinase B(Akt), phosphorylated protein kinase B(p-Akt), IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in muscle tissues at the trigger point were detected by Western blot. The results showed that as compared with the model group, the mechanical pain threshold and cold pain threshold of rats in other groups were increased after treatment with QFGT. The spontaneous electromyography(EMG) activity was observed in the model group, but QFGT alleviated the EMG activity in a dose-dependent manner. Gait analysis showed that standing duration, average intensity, swing speed, maximum contact point, maximum contact area, paw print length, paw print width, and paw print area were significantly improved in all QFGT groups. Pathological results showed that the disorder of muscle arrangement at the trigger point was decreased, muscle fiber adhesion and atrophy were reduced, and inflammatory cell infiltration was alleviated after treatment with QFGT. In addition, QFGT and HXZT both inhibited the protein expression of TRPV1, PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, IL-1β, and TNF-α in the muscle tissues of rats with MPS. However, there was no significant difference in the pathological structure and expression of IL-33 in the treated skin as compared with the normal group. The related results have proved that QFGT can inhibit the release of inflammatory factors by inhibiting the TRPV1/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in the muscle trigger point of rats with MPS and finally attenuate the atrophy and adhesion of local muscles and inflammatory infiltration, thereby relieving the muscle pain of rats with MPS, and local administration has no skin irritation.

Clinical characteristics of patients with malignant tumors and immune checkpoint inhibitors related multisystem adverse events as well as therapeutic efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors: a retrospective study / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with malignant tumors and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) related multisystem adverse events as well as therapeutic efficacy of ICI.Methods:The general data, immune-related adverse events (irAE) type, onset time, severity and ICI efficacy of patients with malignant tumors who developed irAE after receiving ICI in China-Japan Friendship Hospital between January 2019 and November 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were divided into multisystem irAE group and single system irAE group according to whether patients with more than 1 organ or system developed irAE for once. The occurrence of irAE was summarized, and the clinical characteristics of patients were compared. Progression-free survival analysis was not performed owing to the pause of immunotherapy caused by some irAE, so the efficacy of ICI was evaluated by using ICI treatment duration (TD).Results:A total of 47 patients with malignant tumors and irAE were included in this study, with 70 times of irAE in total. The median onset time was 90 d (35 d, 196 d). Among them, 12 patients (25.53%) developed multisystem irAE (32 times of irAE in total); the other 35 patients (74.47%) developed single system irAE (38 times of irAE in total). Cutaneous toxicity for 7 times, thyroid toxicity for 7 times and pulmonary toxicity for 5 times were the most frequent among multisystem irAE group; pulmonary toxicity for 13 times, thyroid toxicity for 12 times and cutaneous toxicity for 5 times were the most frequent among single system irAE group. There were no statistically significant differences in the proportion of patients stratified by age, gender, the combination of other treatments and different body mass between the two groups (all P > 0.05). The median follow-up time was 20 months (9-40 months). The median TD of ICI was 16.00 months (95% CI 3.62-31.22 months) in multisystem irAE group and 4.60 months (95% CI 4.12-11.30 months) in single system irAE group; TD in multisystem irAE group was longer than that in single system irAE group, and the difference was statistically significant ( HR = 0.413, 95% CI 0.202-0.844, P = 0.038). Conclusions:The efficacy of ICI in patients with malignant tumors and multisystem irAE is better than that in those with single system irAE. It suggests that the better efficacy of ICI may be associated with greater risk of irAE. There is no significant difference in the clinical features between multisystem irAE and single system irAE.

Isolation and genome-wide evolutionary analysis of a type Ⅲ WU polyomavirus strain / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective:To isolate and culture WU polyomavirus (WUPyV), and to analyze the genome-wide evolutionary patterns, homology and population dynamics.Methods:Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the nasopharyngeal aspirate samples of hospitalized children with respiratory tract infection in Beijing Friendship Hospital during 2020 to 2022. Primary human airway epithelial cells cultured at the air-liquid interface were used to isolate and culture WUPyV. Whole genome sequence of the isolated strain was obtained by Sanger sequencing. For phylogenetic and evolutionary dynamics analysis, the whole genome was compared with the published whole genome sequences in GenBank database.Results:The detection rate of WUPyV was 4.7% (31/659) during 2020 to 2022, and a clinical strain BJ0593 of WUPyV type Ⅲc was successfully isolated. The homology of the whole genome and gene fragments of WUPyV was high. The average evolutionary rate of VP2 gene was about 1.256×10 -4 substitution/site every year, and the population dynamics of WUPyV tended to be flat in the last decade. Conclusions:This study successfully isolated a clinical WUPyV type Ⅲ strain for the first time, which provided the basis for further investigation on the molecular evolution and pathogenicity of WUPyV.

Effect of preoperative TACE on the complications after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma: a propensity score matching analysis / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Objective:To study the effect of preoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) on postoperative complications after hepatectomy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by propensity score matching analysis.Methods:Of 1 666 patients with HCC undergoing hepatectomy in Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Tianyou Hospital of Wuhan University of Science and Technology from March 2015 to March 2021 were retrospectively screened. Of 262 patients were enrolled, including 236 males and 26 females, aged (50.3±11.8) years. Of 131 patients were enrolled in both the single surgery group and the combined group (preoperative TACE + surgical resection). Factors affecting the complications after hepatectomy in patients with HCC were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression method.Results:After matching the propensity score, the incidence of postoperative complications in the single surgery group was 22.1% (29/131), lower than that in the combined group [41.2% (54/131), χ 2=11.02, P<0.001]. The incidence of bile leakage in the single surgery group [2.3% (3/131)] was also lower than that in the combined group [(9.2% (12/131), χ 2=5.73, P=0.017]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the combined group ( OR=2.43, 95% CI: 1.28-4.61, P=0.007) had an increased incidence of postoperative complications, so did patients with a preoperative alpha-fetoprotein > 400 μg/L, anatomic hepatectomy, long operation time, and hilar occlusion. Conclusion:Preoperative TACE could be a risk factor for postoperative complications in patients with HCC, especially for the postoperative biliary leakage.

Application of laparoscopic radical cholecystectomy in the treatment of stage Ⅲ gallbladder cancer / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Objective:To study the clinical efficacy of laparoscopic radical cholecystectomy in the treatment of stage Ⅲ gallbladder cancer.Methods:The clinical characteristics and postoperative follow-up data of 184 patients (male 66, and female 118) who underwent radical cholecystectomy for stage Ⅲ gallbladder cancer at Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, from May 2015 to May 2022, were retrospectively analyzed. The age was (67.0±8.6) years old (range 38 to 85 years old). There were 71 patients in the laparoscopic group and 113 in the open group. The general medical data, surgery-related indicators and complications were analyzed. Follow-up was completed by outpatient visits and by telephone.Results:The laparoscopic group showed better postoperative alanine aminotransferase [67.5 (40.0, 138.5) vs. 104.0 (45.0, 252.2) U/L] and aspartate aminotransferase [41.5 (26.0, 71.2) vs. 53.0 (30.2, 153.5) U/L] recovery, higher albumin levels [32.05 (30.18, 35.20) vs. 30.50 (27.70, 33.50) g/L], earlier abdominal drainage tube removal [8.00(6.00, 10.25) vs. 10.00(6.00, 13.00)d], shorter hospital stay [10.00(8.00, 15.25) vs. 14.00(9.00, 19.00) d] and lower incidences of complications [(14.1%(10/71) vs. 31.9%(36/113)] when compared with the open group (all P<0.05). The 1 year (49.1% vs 61.0%), 2 years (24.0% vs. 28.5%), 3 years (16.0% vs. 14.5%) overall survival ( P=0.640), and the 3 years progression-free survival (18.3% vs. 15.0%, P=0.463) showed no significant difference between the 2 groups. Conclusion:Laparoscopic surgery for AJCC TNM stage Ⅲ gallbladder cancer showed comparable results with open surgery. When compared with open surgery, laparoscopic radical resection of gallbladder cancer had the advantages of earlier removal of abdominal drainage tube, lower incidence of postoperative complications, and shorter hospital stay.

Effects of educational level on the choice of intervention strategies for smoking cessation in patients with moderate to severe tobacco dependence / 中国基层医药

Objective:To investigate the effects of educational level on smoking cessation in patients with moderate to severe tobacco dependence, explore effective individualized smoking cessation methods, and increase smoking cessation rate.Methods:A total of 480 patients with moderate to severe tobacco dependence who were willing to quit smoking and received treatment in the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shengli Oilfield Central Hospital from January to December 2020 were included in this study. They were divided into four groups ( n = 120/group) according to their educational level: group A (elementary school and below), group B (junior high school and senior high school), group C (technical secondary school or college), and group D (university and above). All patients were randomly assigned to undergo "5A" intervention alone or "5A" intervention combined with varenicline intervention (combined intervention). Patients' awareness of the health risks of tobacco smoking was compared among the four groups. The smoking cessation rate measured at different time points was compared between different intervention strategies. Results:The scores of health risk of tobacco smoking in groups D, C, B, and A were (806.5 ± 35.7) points, (710.8 ± 26.2) points, (643.6 ± 43.4) points, and (512.4 ± 30.1) points, respectively. Patients with high education levels had high awareness of the health risk of tobacco smoking ( F = 1 543.26, P < 0.001). At 1, 3, and 6 months, the smoking cessation rate of combined intervention was higher than that of "5A" intervention alone in each group (group A: χ2 = 3.85, 4.23, 4.10, group B: χ2 = 4.30, 4.09, 4.60, group C: χ2 = 6.81, 4.30, 4.03, group D: χ2 = 6.71, 6.51, 4.73, all P < 0.05). The smoking cessation rate after 6 months of "5A" intervention alone or combined intervention in group D was 60.0% and 78.3% respectively, which were significantly higher than 41.7% and 60.0% in group C, 23.3% and 41.7% in group B, and 20.0% and 36.7% in group A ( χ2 = 26.59, 26.12, both P < 0.001). At different time points, the smoking cessation rates of the "5A" intervention alone in group D were significantly higher than those of combined intervention in groups A and B ( χ2 = 9.25, 25.04, 7.29, all P < 0.05). Conclusion:Awareness of the health risks of tobacco smoking is related to a patient's educational level, and affects smoking cessation. Individualized smoking cessation interventions based on a patient's educational level can increase the rate of smoking cessation.