Very-long chain acyl-coA dehydrogenase deficiency: report of a Chinese pedigree and a literature review / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the correlation between clinical classification and genotype and prognosis among Chinese children with Very-long chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (VLCADD).@*METHODS@#A Chinese pedigree affected with VLCADD admitted at the First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province in February 2019 was selected as the study subject. The characteristics of disease onset, diagnosis and treatment and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed. Relevant literature was also systematically searched and reviewed.@*RESULTS@#The proband, a 1-year-old boy, had the clinical manifestations of frequently vomiting, hypoglycemia, abnormal liver function and myocardial enzymes. Tandem mass spectrometry screening showed significantly elevated C14, C14:1, C16:1, C16:2, C18 and C14/C8. Genetic testing revealed that he has harbored compound heterozygous variants of the ACADVL gene, namely c.664G>A (p.G222R) and c.1345G>A (p.E449K), which were respectively derived from his father and mother. The child was diagnosed with VLCADD cardiomyopathy type and deceased 2 weeks later. Literature review has identified 60 Chinese children with VLCADD. The clinical classifications were mainly cardiomyopathy type and liver disease type, which accounted for 73.3% (43/60). The combination of ACADVL gene variants were correlated with the clinical classifications of VLCAD. Children with one or two loss-of-function (LOF) mutations showed more severe clinical manifestation and a higher mortality. Cardiomyopathy type had the poorest prognosis, with a mortality rate of 76.9% (20/26). C14:1 may be used as an indicator for the diagnosis of VLCADD, but cannot be used for clinical subtyping and prognosis evaluation. The c.1349G>A (p.R450H) variant had the highest frequency among the Chinese patients, accounting for 10.8% (13/120).@*CONCLUSION@#The clinical classifications of VLCADD are strongly correlated with the prognosis, and LOF mutations are more common in those with severe clinical manifestations. c.1349G>A (p.R450H) may be the most common variant among the Chinese patients, and early screening and diagnosis can greatly improve the prognosis of patients.

Effect of Danggui Niantongtang on Intestinal Flora of Knee Osteoarthritis Mice Based on 16S rDNA Sequencing / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the potential mechanism of Danggui Niantongtang in treating knee osteoarthritis （KOA） by regulating the intestinal flora through 16S rDNA analysis. MethodThirty-six C57BL/6J mice were subjected to anterior cruciate ligament transection （ACLT） to establish a KOA model and were randomly divided into the sham surgery group， model group， low-dose Danggui Niantongtang group （0.819 g·kg-1）， medium-dose Danggui Niantongtang group （1.638 g·kg-1）， high-dose Danggui Niantongtang group （3.276 g·kg-1）， and Meloxicam group （0.975 mg·kg-1）， with 6 mice in each group. Except for the treatment groups， the sham surgery group and model group were given normal saline by gavage. After 4 weeks of continuous intervention， feces and intact knee joints of the mice were collected. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Safranin O-Fast Green staining were performed to observe the pathological changes in knee joint tissue morphology. The 16S rDNA sequencing was used to analyze changes in the abundance and diversity of intestinal microorganisms before and after treatment， along with corresponding functional predictions. ResultHigh-dose Danggui Niantongtang and Meloxicam significantly relieved pain symptoms in KOA mice， improved the disorder of joint structure， maintained the integrity of knee articular cartilage， increased the expression of type Ⅱ collagen alpha 1 （Col2a1） in articular cartilage， and decreased the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-13 （MMP-13）. The results of 16S rDNA sequencing showed that high-dose Danggui Niantongtang could adjust the abundance and structure of intestinal microbial species. Compared with the sham surgery group， the abundance of Proteobacteria， Actinobacteria， Ruminococcus， and Bacteroides was significantly increased in the model group （P<0.05）， while in the Danggui Niantongtang group， the abundance of these four flora was significantly reduced compared with the model group. Compared with the sham surgery group， the abundance of Verrucomicrobia， Oscillospira， and Akkermansia was significantly decreased in the model group （P<0.05）， while in the Danggui Niantongtang groups， the abundance of these three flora was significantly increased compared with the model group （P<0.05）. Functional pathway prediction of differential genera revealed that species differences among groups mainly involved metabolic pathways with high abundance associated with biosynthesis and precursors， as well as energy production， including amino acid biosynthesis， nucleotide and nucleoside biosynthesis， cofactors， prosthetic groups， electron carriers， and vitamin biosynthesis. ConclusionDanggui Niantongtang can effectively protect articular cartilage and delay the progression of KOA， possibly by regulating the structure of the intestinal flora， promoting probiotics， and inhibiting the growth of harmful pathogenic bacteria.

Effects of SOX9-activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway on cellular proliferation of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma / 临床与实验病理学杂志

Purpose To investigate the effect and molecu-lar mechanism underlying SOX9 during esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)cells.Methods Immunohistochemistry(IHC)was used to detect the expression of SOX9 in ESCC tis-sues and adjacent normal tissues.The correlation of SOX9 ex-pression with clinicopathological features and prognosis of ESCC was analyzed.The differentially expressed genes in Eca109-Vec-tor and Eca109-SOX9 cells were detected by Affymetrix miRNA array.qRT-PCR was used to determine the differential gene in TE-1 and TE-1-siSOX9 cells.The relationship between SOX9 and active/unphosphorylated β-catenin levels was detected by Western blot.The effects of Wnt inhibitor LGK974 on the prolif-eration of ESCC cells were detected by CCK-8.Results SOX9 was highly expressed in ESCC(4.58±3.04)as compared with that in adjacent normal tissues(1.56±2.08,P＜0.001).SOX9 was related to histopathological grade and invasion depth(P＜0.05).Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated high SOX9 expres-sion in ESCC was significantly correlated with shorter overall sur-vival(P＜0.05).Transcriptome profiling and qRT-PCR analysis suggested that SOX9 contributed to the regulation of AXIN2,FZD7 and WNT5A.Overexpression of SOX9 in Eca109 cells in-creased active/unphosphorylated β-catenin levels,whereas silen-cing SOX9 caused a decrease.Significant attenuation of cell pro-liferation was observed at various concentrations of LGK974 with-out affecting SOX9 expression on SOX9-expressing cell lines.As expected,this inhibitory effect was not obvious in Eca109-Vector cells when compared with Eca109-SOX9 cells treated with the same concentration of LGK974.Conclusion SOX9 is highly ex-pressed in ESCC and SOX9-mediated Wnt/β-catenin signal path-way activation at least partially contributes to the SOX9-induced ESCC growth.These findings suggest that SOX9 is a promising prognostic marker and therapeutic target for ESCC.

Study on a clinical model of predicting severe asthma centered on peripheral blood neutrophils and oxidative stress molecules / 复旦学报（医学版）

Objective To compare the clinical characteristics,peripheral blood inflammatory cells and levels of oxidative stress indicators between severe asthma and non-severe asthma patients,analyze the effects of neutrophils and oxidative stress molecules on the severity of asthma,and build a biological model for early prediction of severe asthma.Methods From Aug 2018 to Jul 2019,67 adult patients with stable asthma in our hospital were enrolled in this study.The clinical characteristics,peripheral blood inflammatory cells and levels of oxidative stress indicators of severe asthma group and non-severe asthma group were compared.Single factor Logistic regression analysis was conducted on severe asthma to screen out the most important five variables.Multifactor Logistic regression analysis was further conducted to establish a prediction model for severe asthma.Results There were 25 severe asthma patients in this cohort,who had a longer course of disease,more frequent acute attacks,poorer asthma control,higher peripheral neutrophils,more severe obstructive ventilation dysfunction,lower myeloperoxidase(MPO)level and higher superoxide dismutase(SOD)than non-severe asthma patients.The patients with higher peripheral blood neutrophil count or proportion were more likely to show severe asthma,more frequent acute attacks,and more obvious reduction of pulmonary ventilation function.A panel of biomarkers,centered on peripheral blood neutrophil count and oxidative stress indicators SOD,human 8-epi-prostaglandin F2α(8-iso-PGF2α),could build a model to predict severe asthma.Conclusion There are significant differences in clinical characteristics,peripheral blood inflammatory cells,and oxidative stress index levels between severe asthma patients and non-severe asthma patients.In stable asthma patients,levels of neutrophils and oxidative stress indicators such as SOD had an impact on the severity of asthma.The prediction model of severe asthma established on this basis provides a new idea for early recognition of severe asthma.

Effects of Ophiopogonis Root Decoction on a mouse model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis based on PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway / 中成药

AIM To investigate the effects of Ophiopogonis Root Decoction on bleomycin(BLM)-induced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF)in mice and to explore its metabolic modulation of immunity.METHODS The IPF mouse model was constructed by tracheal drip injection of BLM,and the mice were randomly divided into the control group,the model group,the pirfenidone group(0.3 g/kg)and the high,medium and low dose groups of Ophiopogonis Root Decoction(18,9,4.5 g/kg).HE and Masson staining,ELISA,flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the histopathological changes of the lung,the levels of Collagen I,HYP and TGF-β1,the proportion of PD-1+ CD4+T cells in plasma,and the expressions of p-STAT3,PD-1,PD-L1 and IL-17A in lung tissue,respectively.RESULTS Compared with the control group,the model group displayed significantly higher level of lung coefficients(P<0.01),more severe pulmonary inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber deposition,and increased pulmonary fibrosis score(P<0.01),increased levels of Collagen I,HYP and TGF-β1(P<0.01),increased proportion of PD-1+ CD4+ T cells in plasma(P<0.01),increased pulmonary expression of p-STAT3,PD-1,PD-L1 and IL-17A(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the Ophiopogonis Root Decoction groups shared lower levels of lung coefficients(P<0.05),less pulmonary inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber deposition,decreased pulmonary fibrosis score(P<0.05),decreased levels of Collagen I,HYP and TGF-β1(P<0.05),decreased proportion of PD-1+ CD4+T cells in plasma(P<0.05),and decreased pulmonary expression of p-STAT3,PD-1,PD-L1,and IL-17A(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Ophiopogonis Root Decoction can significantly reduce extracellular matrix(ECM)deposition and curb the progression of IPF via inhibition of STAT3/PD-1/PD-L1 immunomodulatory signaling pathway.

Gene mutation analysis of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency among infants in Kunming / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective:To analyze the genetic mutation characteristics of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency among infants in Kunming.Methods:A total of 15 533 infants (7 994 males and 7 539 females) born in Kunming from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2020, with an age range of 2 to 44 days, were selected. G6PD enzyme activity and gene mutation types were detected using fluorescence quantitative analysis, multicolor melting curve analysis (MMCA), and Sanger sequencing. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) was used for quantitative analysis of a newly identified variant family to determine the mutant allele proportion in family members. Meanwhile,the protein structure model and pathogenicity prediction of the novel variant were analyzed.Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0. Specifically, chi-square tests were used for the detection rates of G6PD enzyme activity and gene mutations between different genders. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for the comparison of enzyme activity among different mutation types.Results:Among 15 533 infants, 143 cases (129 males and 14 females) were tested positive for G6PD activity, with a detection rate of 0.92% (143/15 533). The difference in detection rates between males and females was statistically significant (χ 2=96.76, P<0.001). Out of 89 enzyme activity-positive cases (83 males and 6 females) underwent genetic testing, 77 (72 males and 5 females) were detected by MMCAand other 12 negative samples were underwent further Sanger sequencing, revealing mutations in 6 samples, all of which were males. Among the 83 individuals with gene mutations, 78 had heterozygous mutations, 1 had a homozygous mutation, and 4 had compound heterozygous mutations. A total of 12 mutation types were detected, with G6PD c.487G>A, c.1024C>T, c.1388G>A, and c.1376G>T being the most common, accounting for 74.70% (62/83) of all mutation types. The average G6PD enzyme activity of c.1376G>T was the lowest, and the differences were statistically significant compared to the average enzyme activity of the other three mutations ( P<0.05). One male infant with a newly identified G6PD c.242G>C mutation was detected, predicted to be pathogenic. ddPCR confirmed that the mother of the affected child was a c.242G>C mutant chimera, with a chimera proportion of 6.66%. Conclusions:In the Kunming region, the predominant G6PD deficiency gene mutation is c.487G>A, with the detection of a novel G6PD c.242G>C mutation. The application of ddPCR technology can assist in detecting the proportion of mutation chimeras.

Advances in relationship between pyroptosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension and therapeutic drugs / 中国药理学通报

Pyroptosis is the programmed death of cells accompanied by an inflammatory response and is widely involved in the development of a variety of diseases, such as infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegeneration. It has been shown that cellular scorching is involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension ( PAH) in cardiovascular diseases. Patients with PAH have perivascular inflammatory infiltrates in lungs, pulmonary vasculopathy exists in an extremely inflam-matory microenvironment, and pro-inflammatory factors in cellular scorching drive pulmonary vascular remodelling in PAH patients. This article reviews the role of cellular scorch in the pathogenesis of PAH and the related research on drugs for the treatment of PAH, with the aim of providing new ideas for clinical treatment of PAH.

Role of inhibiting lncRNA TUG1 to down⁃regulate nucleotide binding oligomerization domain like receptor protein 1 inflammasome in delaying the progression of Alzheimer’s disease / 解剖学报

Objective To investigate the relieving effects of knockdown of long non-coding RNA(lncRNA)taurine up-regulated gene 1 (TUG1) on inhibiting nucleotide binding oligomerization domain like receptor protein 1 (NLRP1) inflammasome and the progression of Alzheimer’ s disease. Methods Wild-type (WT group, 10 mice) or amyloid precursor protein (APP) / presenilin-1 (PS1) transgenic mice (30 mice) with a genetic background of C57 / BL6 aged 9-10 weeks were used in this study. APP / PS1 transgenic mice were randomly divided into model group, model+lncRNA TUG1 short hairpin RNA (shRNA) group and model + shRNA non target (NT) group (n = 10) . Blood samples, cerebral cortex tissues, primary microglial cells and primary astrocytes were collected from mice 12 weeks of age on day 1 (3-month-old) and 32 weeks of age on day 1 (8-month-old), with 5 mice per group at each time point. Real-time PCR analysis was used to detect the expression levels of lncRNA TUG1 and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) mRNA in cerebral cortex tissues and primary microglial cells, and C1r and C1s mRNA levels in primary astrocytes of 3-month-old and 8-month-old mice in the above 4 groups, respectively. ELISA was used to determine the MIF in plasma samples of the above 4 groups of mice. Primary microglia and astrocytes from the cerebral cortex of 3-month-old and 8-month-old mice were co-cultured. CCK-8 method was used to determine the proliferation ability of the above cells. Western blotting was used to determine the expression levels of MIF, pro interleukin-1β (pro-IL-1β), apoptosis associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recrult domain(ASC), Caspase-1 (p20), Caspase-1 (full), NLRP1 and NLRP3 in cerebral cortex tissues of 3-month-old and 8-month-old mice. Immunofluorescent staining was used to determine amyloid beta(Aβ) in cerebral cortex of 8-month-old mice. Results At the age of 3-month-old and 8-month-old, compared with the WT group, the relative expression level of lncRNA TUG1 and MIF in cerebral cortex tissues and primary microglia of model group mice was significantly up-regulated, with primary microglial cells and astrocytes proliferation ability enhanced (P0. 05) . There was no significant difference between the model group and the model+shRNA NT group mice of all the above factors (P>0. 05) . Conclusion In APP / PS1 transgenic mice, up-regulation of lncRNA TUG1 and MIF are positively associated with the activation of NLRP1 inflammasome in mice cerebral cortex tissues and primary microglia. Knock-down of lncRNA TUG1 can ameliorate the progression of Alzheimer’ s disease.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide inhibits neuronal apoptosis in heatstroke rats via PKA/p-CREB pathway / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

PURPOSE@#The incidence of heatstroke (HS) is not particularly high; however, once it occurs, the consequences are serious. It is reported that calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is protective against brain injury in HS rats, but detailed molecular mechanisms need to be further investigated. In this study, we further explored whether CGRP inhibited neuronal apoptosis in HS rats via protein kinase A (PKA)/p-cAMP response element-binding protein (p-CREB) pathway.@*METHODS@#We established a HS rat model in a pre-warmed artificial climate chamber with a temperature of (35.5 ± 0.5) °C and a relative humidity of 60% ± 5%. Heatstress was stopped once core body temperature reaches above 41 °C. A total of 25 rats were randomly divided into 5 groups with 5 animals each: control group, HS group, HS+CGRP group, HS+CGRP antagonist (CGRP8-37) group, and HS+CGRP+PKA/p-CREB pathway blocker (H89) group. A bolus injection of CGRP was administered to each rat in HS+CGRP group, CGRP8-37 (antagonist of CGRP) in HS+CGRP8-37 group, and CGRP with H89 in HS+CGRP+H89 group. Electroencephalograms were recorded and the serum concentration of S100B, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), neuron apoptosis, activated caspase-3 and CGRP expression, as well as pathological morphology of brain tissue were detected at 2 h, 6 h, and 24 h after HS in vivo. The expression of PKA, p-CREB, and Bcl-2 in rat neurons were also detected at 2 h after HS in vitro. Exogenous CGRP, CGRP8-37, or H89 were used to determine whether CGRP plays a protective role in brain injury via PKA/p-CREB pathway. The unpaired t-test was used between the 2 samples, and the mean ± SD was used for multiple samples. Double-tailed p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.@*RESULTS@#Electroencephalogram showed significant alteration of θ (54.50 ± 11.51 vs. 31.30 ± 8.71, F = 6.790, p = 0.005) and α wave (16.60 ± 3.21 vs. 35.40 ± 11.28, F = 4.549, p = 0.020) in HS group compared to the control group 2 h after HS. The results of triphosphate gap terminal labeling (TUNEL) showed that the neuronal apoptosis of HS rats was increased in the cortex (9.67 ± 3.16 vs. 1.80 ± 1.10, F = 11.002, p = 0.001) and hippocampus (15.73 ± 8.92 vs. 2.00 ± 1.00, F = 4.089, p = 0.028), the expression of activated caspase-3 was increased in the cortex (61.76 ± 25.13 vs. 19.57 ± 17.88, F = 5.695, p = 0.009) and hippocampus (58.60 ± 23.30 vs. 17.80 ± 17.62, F = 4.628, p = 0.019); meanwhile the expression of serum NSE (5.77 ± 1.78 vs. 2.35 ± 0.56, F = 5.174, p = 0.013) and S100B (2.86 ± 0.69 vs. 1.35 ± 0.34, F = 10.982, p = 0.001) were increased significantly under HS. Exogenous CGRP decreased the concentrations of NSE and S100B, and activated the expression of caspase-3 (0.41 ± 0.09 vs. 0.23 ± 0.04, F = 32.387, p < 0.001) under HS; while CGRP8-37 increased NSE (3.99 ± 0.47 vs. 2.40 ± 0.50, F = 11.991, p = 0.000) and S100B (2.19 ± 0.43 vs. 1.42 ± 0.30, F = 4.078, p = 0.025), and activated the expression caspase-3 (0.79 ± 0.10 vs. 0.23 ± 0.04, F = 32.387, p < 0.001). For the cell experiment, CGRP increased Bcl-2 (2.01 ± 0.73 vs. 2.15 ± 0.74, F = 8.993, p < 0.001), PKA (0.88 ± 0.08 vs. 0.37 ± 0.14, F = 20.370, p < 0.001), and p-CREB (0.87 ± 0.13 vs. 0.29 ± 0.10, F = 16.759, p < 0.001) levels; while H89, a blocker of the PKA/p-CREB pathway reversed the expression.@*CONCLUSIONS@#CGRP can protect against HS-induced neuron apoptosis via PKA/p-CREB pathway and reduce activation of caspase-3 by regulating Bcl-2. Thus CGRP may be a new target for the treatment of brain injury in HS.

Effect of Physical Activity on the Association Between Diet and Constipation: Evidence From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2010

Background/Aims@#Previous studies have shown that diet and physical activity can influence constipation. However, the combined effect of diet and physical activity on constipation remains unclear. @*Methods@#Constipation was defined based on stool consistency and frequency, while overall diet quality was assessed using Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 scores. Participants were categorized into low (metabolic equivalent [MET]-min/wk < 500) and high physical activitygroups (MET-min/wk ≥ 500). The association between diet and constipation across physical activity groups was analyzed using surveylogistic regression and restricted cubic splines. @*Results@#Higher HEI-2015 scores were associated with reduced constipation risk in the high physical activity group when constipation was defined by stool consistency (odds ratio [OR], 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97-0.99). However, in the low physical activity group, increased HEI-2015 scores did not significantly affect constipation risk (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.97-1.05). Similar results were found when constipation was defined based on stool frequency. In the high physical activity group, increased HEI-2015 scores were significantly associated with a reduced constipation risk (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94-0.98). Conversely, in the low physical activity group, increased HEI-2015 scores did not affect the risk of constipation (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.90-1.03). @*Conclusions@#Our findings suggest that a higher HEI-2015 score is negatively associated with constipation among individuals with high physical activity levels but not among those with low physical activity levels. This association was consistent when different definitions of constipation were used. These results highlight the importance of combining healthy diet with regular physical activity to alleviate constipation.

Drug resistance and genetic diversity of clinical strains of Helicobacter pylori in the Qiannan Prefecture and Guiyang City,and their relationships with diseases / 中国人兽共患病学报

To understand Helicobacter pylori's drug resistance,genetic diversity,and relationship with clinical diseases in the Guiyang and Qiannan minority areas of Guizhou Province,we collected samples through endoscopy,and isolated and cul-tured H.pylori.The drug resistance and genotype characteristics were determined.The differences in different regions and dis-ease types were compared,and the structural characteristics of H.pylori and mixed infections with different strains of H.py-lori in Qiannan Prefecture were analyzed.A difference in the composition ratio of EPYIA typing in the cagA variable region was observed between the two areas(P=0.012),and the composition ratio of the vacA genotype differed(P=0.000).A total of 94.6％(53/56)new sequences of H.pylori strains from two regions were obtained by MLST.The rate of infection by H.pylori mixed with different strains was 44.4％in Qiannan Pre-fecture,and no significant difference was observed in the com-position of H.pylori mixed infections among patients with dif-ferent clinical diseases(P=0.349).Differences in EPI YA typ-ing and the vacA genotype composition ratio in the cagA varia-ble region of H.pylori were observed between the Qiannan Prefecture and Guiyang City.

Effect of problem-solving therapy on clinical efficacy, cognitive and social function in senile patients with first episode depression / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of problem-solving therapy (PST) on clinical efficacy, cognitive and social function in senile patients with first episode depression.Methods:From March 2020 to August 2021, a total of 86 patients with first onset elderly depression treated in the geriatric department of Qingdao Mental Health Center were selected. According to the random number table method, totally 86 patients were randomly divided into a study group and a control group, with 43 cases in each group. The control group was treated with antidepressant drugs and basic psychiatric nursing intervention. The study group received PST treatment on the basis of the control group for 8 weeks. The Hamilton depression scale-17 items(HAMD-17), Montreal cognitive assessment scale (MoCA), and social dysfunction screening scale (SDSS) were used to assess the degree of depression, cognitive function and social function in both groups. SPSS 18.0 was used for statistical analysis. Independent sample t-test was used for comparison between groups, paired sample t-test was used for comparison before and after treatment. Results:After 8 weeks of intervention, HAMD-17 scores and SDSS scores in the two groups were both significantly decreased compared with before intervention, and the differences between pre intervention and post intervention had statistical significance( t=3.067, 22.543, both P<0.05), while MoCA scores were significantly increased, and the difference between pre intervention and post intervention had statistical significance ( t=9.623, P<0.05). Compared with the control group after 8 weeks of intervention, the HAMD-17 score ((14.44±1.97), (15.58±2.66), t=2.260, P=0.026) and SDSS score((9.44±2.24), (13.00±1.73), t=8.242, P<0.001) of the study group were lower, and the score of MoCA ((25.44±1.28), (23.84±1.56), t=5.223, P<0.001) was higher. Conclusion:In addition to conventional antidepressant therapy, PST not only reduces the severity of depression in elderly patients with first episode depression, but also significantly improves their cognitive and social function.

Comparison of Effect of Euodiae Fructus Processed with Different Proportions of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma on Oxidative Stress and Autophagy in Mouse Liver Under Toxic Dose / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the principle and scientific connotation of Euodiae Fructus（EF） processed with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma（Gly） by comparing the effects of unprocessed products of EF（UEF） and processed products of EF with the different proportions of Gly（GEFs） at toxic doses on oxidative stress and autophagy in the liver of mice. MethodSeventy mice were randomly divided into 7 groups， namely the control group， the UEF group， the group of the processed products of EF without Gly（PEF） and 4 groups of GEFs（the mass ratios of EF to Gly were 100∶3， 100∶6， 100∶12 and 100∶24， respectively， hereinafter referred to as the processed products of EF with the mass ratios of 100∶3， 100∶6， 100∶12 and 100∶24 of Gly）. The mice were given purified water， the decoction of UEF， PEF and GEFs by gavage at a dose of 30 g·kg-1. PEF and GEFs were prepared according to the method under EF in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Levels of alanine aminotransferase（ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase（AST） were determined by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry， hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was used to evaluate the pathological changes of liver tissue， the level of reactive oxygen species（ROS） was detected by fluorescence method， the mRNA expression of heme oxygenase-1（HO-1）， quinone oxidoreductase-1（NQO1）， glutathione-S-transferase 1（GSTA1）， Kelch-like epichlorohydrin-associated protein 1（Keap1） and p62 were measured by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR）， western blot was used to detect the protein expression of phosphorylated mammal target of rapamycin（p-mTOR）， phosphorylated ribosomal p70 S6 protein kinase（p-p70S6K）， p62， microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3Ⅰ（LC3Ⅰ） and LC3Ⅱ. ResultCompared with the control group， after 7 d of administration， the increase in body mass of mice in the UEF group began to slow down and the difference gradually increased， and the liver body index significantly increased（P<0.01）， pathomorphological observation showed that the structure of hepatic lobules was disordered， and local hepatic sinuses were narrowed or disappeared， and there were inflammatory infiltration and local bleeding， the levels of ALT and AST in serum and ROS in liver tissue were significantly increased（P<0.01）， and the expressions of Keap1， HO-1， NQO1， GSTA1， p62 mRNA and p-mTOR， p-p70S6K， p62 protein in liver tissue were significantly decreased（P<0.01）， and LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ was significantly increased（P<0.01）. Compared with the UEF group， the body mass of mice increased， and the liver body index， the levels of ALT and AST in serum， and the level of ROS in liver tissue all decreased in the groups of PEF and GEFs. Among these groups， only the liver lobules in GEF（100∶6） group were intact， and the size of liver sinuses was close to that in the control group. The mRNA expressions of Keap1， HO-1， NQO1， GSTA1 and p62 in liver tissue showed an overall upward trend in the groups of PEF and GEFs. Among these groups， only the ones of the above mRNA in the GEF（100∶6） group had a significant increase（P<0.05， P<0.01）. The protein expressions of p-mTOR， p-p70S6K， p62 and LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ had a callback in the groups of PEF and GEFs， of which the protein expressions of p-mTOR， p-p70S6K and LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ in the GEF（100∶6） group and the expression of p62 protein in the GEF（100∶24） group had the largest callback. Except for p-mTOR protein， other protein expressions were statistically significant（P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionThe hepatotoxicity of EF is closely related to its ability to induce oxidative stress， which leads to pathological autophagy and hepatocyte damage. This ability can be reduced by the processing with different proportions of Gly， especially the ratio of 100∶6.

Establishment of a screening cell model for cannabinoid type 1 receptor agonists / 药学学报

Cannabinoid receptors are one of the most expressed G protein-coupled receptors in the central nervous system, which are potential drug targets for inflammation, pain and drug abuse. Cannabinoid receptors are composed of type 1 receptor (CB1R), type 2 receptor (CB2R) and other receptors, of which CB1R plays a vital role in regulating central memory, cognition, and motor function. Therefore, screening CB1R agonists has potential value in treating nervous system diseases. In this study, the intracellular loop 3 (ICL3) domain of CB1R was replaced with a circular-permutated enhanced green fluorescent protein (cpEGFP). After infecting HEK 293T cells with lentivirus particles, we obtained a stable cell line that was overexpressed human CB1R-cpEGFP after puromycin selection. The interaction between receptor agonists and CB1R led to the change of receptor conformation, resulting in de-protonation of the EGFP, and enhancing the fluorescence intensity. Therefore, active CB1R compounds could be verified by measuring the fluorescence intensity. Using CB1R agonist arachidonyl-2′-chloroethylamide (ACEA) as a positive control to evaluate the reliability of this model, studies have shown that ACEA could induce receptor activation and increase fluorescence intensity, while antagonist rimonabant inhibited receptor activation with unchanged fluorescence intensity. In conclusion, this study successfully constructed a fluorescent probe screening model for CB1R agonists.

Effects of fiber surface deposited with silicon dioxide films on properties of fiber-reinforced composites / 口腔医学

Objective@#To investigate the effects of fiber surface deposited with silicon dioxide films by atomic layer deposition on properties of dental fiber-reinforced composites.@*Methods @#SiO2 films were deposited on the surface of quartz fiber by atomic layer deposition(ALD). Then the quartz fiber was used to manufacture fiber resin composites, which were divided into four groups: A(no soaking agent removal), B(soaking agent removed), C(soaking agent removed and silanization), and D(soaking agent removed, 600 ALD cycles performed and then silanization). Scanning electron microscopy, water contact angle test, hygroscopicity test, CCK8 test and three-point bending test were used to investigate the properties of fiber resin composites.@*Results@#The surface morphology of the quartz fiber treated by ALD was smooth and had no obvious change compared with that before treatment. Moreover, the quartz fiber showed hydrophobicity after silanization. The results of three-point bending test revealed that the mechanical properties of fiber-resin composites modified by ALD were significantly improved(P<0.05). When viewed by scanning electron microscopy, a good interfacial bonding could be seen between quartz fibers and the resin matrix in Group D. In addition, it was found that Group D had low absorbability, low solubility and good biocompatibility. @*Conclusion@#It is shown that deposition of SiO2 films on the quartz fiber by ALD can significantly enhance the mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced composites.

Curative effect of full-femtosecond small incision lenticule extraction on the treatment of high myopia based on propensity score matching / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To analyze the effect of full-femtosecond small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)on the treatment of high myopia based on propensity score matching.METHODS: A total of 48 cases(48 eyes)of high myopia patients who underwent SMILE surgery in our hospital from May 2019 to May 2021 were selected as the observation group, and 48 cases(48 eyes)of high myopia patients who underwent FS-LASIK surgery were matched using propensity score matching as the control group. Follow up for 6mo after surgery, the changes in cylindrical, central corneal thickness, uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA), corneal endothelial cell related indicators [percentage of hexagonal endothelial cells(6A), coefficient of variation(CV)of endothelial cell area, central corneal endothelial cell density(ECD)] and corneal biomechanical indicators [simulated Goldman intraocular pressure(IOPg), corneal hysteresis(CH), corneal resistance factor(CRF), corneal compensated intraocular pressure(IOPcc)] between the two groups were compared, and the incidence of complications in both groups of patients was recorded.RESULTS: Both groups of patients showed significant improvements in cylindrical and UCVA at 3 and 6mo after surgery, as well as decreased central corneal thickness, corneal endothelial cells, and corneal biomechanics related indicators. The changes in the observation group were more significant(all P&#x003C;0.05). During the follow-up period, there was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the observation group and the control group(8% vs. 17%, P&#x003E;0.05).CONCLUSION: SMILE has a definite effect on patients with high myopia and is helpful to improve visual acuity.

Research progress in control strategies of biological clock disorder / 生理学报

Circadian clock is an internal mechanism evolved to adapt to cyclic environmental changes, especially diurnal changes. Keeping the internal clock in synchronization with the external clock is essential for health. Mismatch of the clocks due to phase shift or disruption of molecular clocks may lead to circadian disorders, including abnormal sleep-wake cycles, as well as disrupted rhythms in hormone secretion, blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, etc. Long-term circadian disorders are risk factors for various common critical diseases such as metabolic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and tumor. To prevent or treat the circadian disorders, scientists have conducted extensive research on the function of circadian clocks and their roles in the development of diseases, and screened hundreds of thousands of compounds to find candidates to regulate circadian rhythms. In addition, melatonin, light therapy, exercise therapy, timing and composition of food also play a certain role in relieving associated symptoms. Here, we summarized the progress of both drug- and non-drug-based approaches to prevent and treat circadian clock disorders.

Enhanced nitrogen removal by bioelectrochemical coupling anammox and characteristics of microbial communities / 生物工程学报

To investigate the bioelectrochemical enhanced anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) nitrogen removal process, a bioelectrochemical system with coupled anammox cathode was constructed using a dual-chamber microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). Specifically, a dark incubation batch experiment was conducted at 30 ℃ with different influent total nitrogen concentrations under an applied voltage of 0.2 V, and the enhanced denitrification mechanism was investigated by combining various characterization methods such as cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and high-throughput sequencing methods. The results showed that the total nitrogen removal rates of 96.9%±0.3%, 97.3%±0.4% and 99.0%±0.3% were obtained when the initial total nitrogen concentration was 200, 300 and 400 mg/L, respectively. In addition, the cathode electrode biofilm showed good electrochemical activity. High-throughput sequencing results showed that the applied voltage enriched other denitrifying functional groups, including Denitratisoma, Limnobacter, and ammonia oxidizing bacteria SM1A02 and Anaerolineaceae, Nitrosomonas europaea and Nitrospira, besides the anammox bacteria. These electrochemically active microorganisms comprised of ammonium oxidizing exoelectrogens (AOE) and denitrifying electrotrophs (DNE). Together with anammox bacteria Candidatus Brocadia, they constituted the microbial community structure of denitrification system. Enhanced direct interspecies electron transfer between AOE and DNE was the fundamental reason for the further improvement of the total nitrogen removal rate of the system.

Effect of superfine powder and aqueous extract of Polygonati Rhizoma on rats with natural perimenopausal syndrome / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to examine the effect of superfine powder and aqueous extract of Polygonati Rhizomaon on natural perimenopausal syndrome in rats and explore the underlying mechanism. To be specific, a total of 60 female SD rats(14-15 months old) with estrous cycle disorder were screened by the vaginal smear and randomized into model control group, β-estradiol 3-benzoate group(0.1 mg·kg~(-1)), superfine powder of Polygonati Rhizoma group(0.25, 0.5 g·kg~(-1)) and aqueous extract of Polygonati Rhizoma group(0.25, 0.5 g·kg~(-1)), and another 10 female SD rats(14-15 months old) were selected as the youth control group. The administration lasted 6 weeks. Then the perimenopausal syndrome-related indexes such as body temperature, microcirculatory blood flow of face and ear, vertigo period, salivary secretion, grip force, and bone strength were determined and open field test was conducted. The immune system-related indexes such as the wet weight and index of thymus and spleen, percentage of T lymphocytes and subgroups in peripheral blood, and hematological indexes were measured. In addition, the ovary-related indexes such as estrous cycle, the wet weight and index of uterus and ovary, ovarian tissue morphology, and cell apoptosis were determined. Moreover, hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis(HPO)-related indexes such as serum sex hormone levels, cytochrome P450 family 11 subfamily A member 1(CYP11A1), cytochrome P450 family 19 subfamily A member 1(CYP19A1), and cytochrome P450 family 17 subfamily A member 1(P450 17A1) in ovarian tissue were measured. The results showed that the superfine powder and aqueous extract of Polygonati Rhizoma significantly decreased body temperature(anal, facial and dorsal temperature), microcirculatory blood flow in the ear, and vertigo period, increased salivary secretion, grip force, bone strength, total distance and total speed in the open field test, wet weight and index of thymus and spleen, lymphocyte ratio, CD3~+ level, and CD4~+/CD8~+ ratio, reduced neutrophil number and ratio, estrous cycle disorder ratio, and number of ovarian apoptotic cells, raised wet weight and index of uterus, wet weight of ovary, levels of inhibin B(INHB), estradiol(E_2), anti-müllerian hormone(AMH), and ovarian CYP11A1 and CYP19A1, decreased follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH) and luteinizing hormone(LH) content, and improved ovarian tissue morphology. It is suggested that the superfine powder and aqueous extract of Polygonati Rhizoma can improve the symptoms associated with natural perimenopausal syndrome in rats and enhance ovarian function and immune function. The mechanism is that they regulate HPO axis function by increasing estrogen synthesis.

Clinical and pathological features and differential diagnosis of fibro-osseous tumors and dysplasias / 中华口腔医学杂志

Fibro-osseous lesions is a class of diseases with obvious similarities in clinical manifestations and pathological features, which has been attracting the attention of clinicians and pathologists. The latest WHO 2022 Classification (5th edition) included six of these diseases (cemento-osseous dysplasia, segmental odontomaxillary dysplasia, fibrous dysplasia, juvenile trabecular ossifying fibroma, psammomatoid ossifying fibroma and familial gigantiform cementoma) in the " fibro-osseous tumours and dysplasias ", and put forward new ideas on the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. According to the latest WHO 2022 Classification (5th edition), the clinical and pathological features, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of these six diseases were described.