Association between antioxidant nutrients and pregnancy complications: a Mendelian randomization study / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate the causal relationship between antioxidant nutrients and pregnancy complications, so as to provide the reference for the prevention and treatment of pregnancy complications.@*Methods@#Data of seven antioxidant nutrients including vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, zinc, copper and iron were collected from genome-wide association study (GWAS) Catalog database, and data of four pregnancy complications including gestational diabetes mellitus, pre-eclampsia, spontaneous abortion and preterm birth were collected from the Finland database. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data were collected, and 27 SNPS strongly correlated with seven antioxidant nutrients were selected as instrumental variables. Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were performed using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method with seven antioxidant nutrients as exposures factors and four pregnancy complications as outcome variables. The heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochran's Q test, the horizontal pleiotropy was assessed using the MR-PRESSO test and MR-Egger regression, and the robustness of the results was verified with the leave-one-out.@*Results@#Cochran's Q test showed heterogeneity of MR results between vitamin C and gestational diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia and preterm birth, between vitamin E and iron and gestational diabetes (all P<0.05), and a random effect model was employed. There was no heterogeneity in other results (all P>0.05), and a fixed effect model was employed. MR analysis results showed that there was no causal association between seven antioxidant nutrients and the risk of four pregnancy complications (all P>0.05). MR-PRESSO test and the MR-Egger regression identified no horizontal pleiotropy of instrumental variables (both P>0.05).@*Conclusion@#This study did not find genetically predicted associations of antioxidant nutrients with pregnancy complications.

Application of alpha-fetoprotein and IL-6 in prognostic prediction of patients with hepatitis B related liver failure / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To analyze the application value of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in prognosis prediction of hepatitis B virus (HBV) associated liver failure. Methods A total of 135 patients with HBV-related liver failure who underwent treatment at the Infection Department of the Second People's Hospital of Yibin City from July 2020 to June 2022 were selected as the study subjects (observation group). Additionally, 100 patients who underwent physical examination in the hospital during the same period with normal indicators were selected as the control group. Serum levels of AFP and IL-6 were compared between the two groups. Factors influencing the prognosis of HBV-related liver failure were analyzed. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors affecting the prognosis of HBV-related liver failure patients. Results The levels of serum AFP and IL-6 in the control group were lower than those in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P10.0 pg/mL were risk factors affecting the prognosis of HBV-related liver failure. Conclusion Serum AFP and IL-6 can predict the prognosis of patients with HBV-related liver failure, which is worthy of clinical study.

Expression of Galectin⁃3 in peritoneal dialysate and its clinical significance / 安徽医科大学学报

Objective @#To observe the expression of Galectin⁃3 in peritoneal dialysis ( PD) fluid in patients with different dialysis ages , and to conduct correlation analysis with vascular endothelial growth factor ( VEGF) , fibronectin (FN) and related clinical indicators . @*Methods @#A total of 109 PD patients who were regularly followed up in the department of nephrology were divided into four groups according to different peritoneal dialysis ages . The concentrations of Galectin⁃3 , VEGF and FN were determined by enzyme⁃linked immunosorbent assay . The expression of Galectin⁃3 in peritoneal dialysate of the 4 groups was compared , the correlation with VEGF , FN and clinical related indexes was analyzed , and the correlation was analyzed by Spearman test . @*Results @# The concentration of VEGF in peritoneal dialysis patients in group D significantly increased ( P < 0. 05 ) . Galectin⁃3 expression levels were positively correlated with VEGF ( r = 0. 358 , P = 0. 022) , but not significantly correlated with FN ( r = 0. 121 , P = 0. 452) . Galectin⁃3 was positively correlated with clinical indicators parathyroid hormone (PTH) ( r = 0. 201 , P = 0. 037) , C ⁃reactive protein (CRP) ( r = 0. 357 , P < 0. 001) , left ventricular posterior wall dimensions ( LVPWD) ( r = 0. 213 , P = 0. 026) , and negatively correlated with clinical indicators total cholesterol (TC) ( r = - 0. 316 , P = 0. 001) . @*Conclusion @#The concentration of Galectin⁃3 in the dialysate of long⁃term peritoneal dialysis patients is significantly elevated , indicating that the expression of galectin⁃3 increases with the extension of peritoneal dialysis time , suggesting that the detection of galectin⁃3 levels may be helpful for the evaluation of early peritoneal fibrosis . The positive correlation with VEGF may suggest its role in promoting peritoneal angiogenesis and fibrosis . Moreover , it is positively correlated with clinical indicators PTH , CRP and LVPWD , suggesting that it has certain clinical guiding significance on microinflammatory state and myocardial remodeling .

Research advances on the mechanism of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in body surface wound healing / 中华烧伤杂志

Wound healing is a slow and complex biological process, including inflammatory reaction, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, cell migration, angiogenesis, extracellular matrix deposition, tissue remodeling, and so on. Wnt signaling pathway can be divided into classical pathway and non-classical pathway. Wnt classical pathway, also known as Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, plays an important role in cell differentiation, cell migration, and maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Many inflammatory factors and growth factors are involved in the upstream regulation of this pathway. The activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays an important role in the occurrence, development, regeneration, repair and related treatment of skin wounds. This article review the relationship between Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and wound healing, meanwhile summarizes its effects on important processes of wound healing, such as inflammation, cell proliferation, angiogenesis, hair follicle regeneration, and skin fibrosis, as well as the role of inhibitors of Wnt signaling pathway in wound healing.

Herbal Textual Research on Morindae Officinalis Radix in Famous Classical Formulas / 中国实验方剂学杂志

By consulting ancient herbal medicines， medical and prescription books， combined with modern documents， the textual research of Morindae Officinalis Radix has been conducted to verify the name， origin， changes in production areas， quality evaluation， harvesting， and processing methods， so as to provide reference and basis for the development and utilization of the famous classical formulas. After textual research， the production areas of Morindae Officinalis Radix has experienced great changes from north to south in history. The original plants involve 11 families， 14 genera and 21 species， and the mainstream varieties in ancient times were Damnacanthus officinarum and D. indicus， and the basis of Morindae Officinalis Radix in modern times has changed into the dry roots of Morinda officinalis produced in Guangdong province and other places. The medicinal parts of Morindae Officinalis Radix in ancient and modern times are all roots， and the quality is better if it has many beads， thick flesh， and purple color. Ancient medical books recorded that it was usually harvested in February and August， dried in the shade， and used to remove the wood core. And the modern harvesting and processing method is to dig throughout the year， first remove the fibrous roots， dry in the sun until 60%-70% dry， gently beat flatten and dry in the sun. The processing methods of the past dynasties are mainly salt-， vinegar-， wine-processed， etc. Based on the systematic research of Morindae Officinalis Radix， from the perspective of clinical experience and safety and effectiveness， it is recommended that the famous classical formulas should be developed from the mainstream variety since modern times， namely Morindae Officinalis Radix.

Detection of RAS gene mutation and its clinical significance in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the mutation rate of the RAS gene and its clinical significance in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 120 children with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, who were admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2015 to January 2020 and underwent next-generation sequencing. The clinical and molecular features were analyzed. The impact of RAS gene mutation on the overall survival rate was evaluated in these children.@*RESULTS@#Among the 120 children, 35 (29.2%) had RAS gene mutation, 30 (25.0%) had KRAS gene mutation, and 5 (4.2%) had both NRAS and KRAS gene mutations. All NRAS mutations and 71% (25/35) of KRAS mutations were located at the 12th and 13th codons. RAS gene mutation was detected in 35 (33.3%) out of 105 children with B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but it was not detected in those with acute T lymphocyte leukemia. Of all the children, 11 (9.2%) were lost to follow-up, and among the 109 children followed up, 16 (14.7%) died. The children with RAS gene mutation had a significantly lower 2-year overall survival rate than those without RAS gene mutation (P<0.05). The prognosis of children with RAS gene mutation combined with WT1 overexpression and WBC>50×109/L at diagnosis was worse (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#RAS gene mutation is commonly observed in children with B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia and may have an adverse effect on prognosis.

Efficacy of free anterolateral thigh perforater flap in repair of forefoot injuries combined with multiple tissue defect / 中华创伤杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of free anterolateral thigh perforator flap in repair of forefoot injuries combined with multiple tissue defect.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted on 26 patients who suffered from forefoot injuries combined with multiple tissue defect admitted to 920th Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force of PLA from January 2015 to December 2019. There were 21 males and 5 females, aged 15-61 years [(31.6±12.5)years]. The combined injuries were fracture in 10 patients, arsometatarsal joint dislocation in 3, bone defect in 9, tendon injury in 5, and ligament injury in 3. Management of multiple tissue defect of the forefeet: soft-tissue defect of the forefeet was resurfaced with free anterolateral thigh perforator flaps with the dimension of 6.0 cm×3.5 cm to 26.5 cm×10.0 cm; fracture was fixed by Kirschner wires; joint dislocation was treated by open reduction and Kirschner wires fixations; bone defect was reconstructed either by one-stage bone graft or by use of membrane-induced technique and secondary bone graft, according to the wound conditions; tendon injury of extensor digitorum longus was repaired by direct tendon suture or by tendon transfer; tarsometatarsal ligament injury was primarily sutured. The flap survival rate was observed within 2 weeks after operation. The fracture healing, bone-defect repair, foot appearance, and donor-site healing were detected at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year post-operatively and at the last follow-up. The postoperative complications were recorded. The foot function was assessed using American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score before operation and at the final follow-up.Results:All patients were followed up for 6-36 months [(20.5±4.6)months]. All flaps survived uneventfully. The fracture healing and bone defect repair were acquired. The flap showed good texture, including primary flap thinning in 11 patients and secondarily thinning in 15 patients at 3-6 months postoperatively. The donor sites showed good healing, leaving only a linear scar. The flap venous crisis developed in 1 patient and survived after emergency vascular exploring. Local infection of flap occurred in 3 patients and was cured after further debridement and the use of sensitive antibiotics. The AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score was 54-94 points [(76.6±10.4)points] at the last follow-up, compared to preoperative 11-51 points [(27.2±11.3)points] ( P<0.01). The results were excellent in 5 patients, good in 11, and fair in 10, with the excellent and good rate of 62%. Conclusions:For forefoot injuries combined with multiple tissue defect, anterolateral thigh perforator flap transplantation with additional techniques to treat fractures, bone defect, tendon and ligament injuries can achieve satisfactory results in aesthetic appearance of the flap and donor site and foot function recovery.

Sonographic features of Joubert syndrome in first or second trimester: report of two fetuses / 中华围产医学杂志

We report two cases of Joubert syndrome initially tentatively diagnosed by prenatal ultrasound in the first or second trimester which were thereafter confirmed by whole exome sequencing (WES). Case 1 was one of the twins who presented with increased intracranial transparency (IT) and thinner brainstem at 12 +1 gestational weeks. Ultrasound at 18 +2 weeks found multiple intracranial malformations, "molar tooth sign (MTS)" at the midbrain-hindbrain junction level in the cerebral cross section, and bilateral ventriculomegaly. Enlarged and echogenic kidneys and oligohydramnios were also detected. In case 2, ultrasound image at 17 +5 weeks of gestation indicated multiple intra-and extra cranial and extracranial malformations, MTS in the midbrain-hindbrain junction plane, bilateral ventriculomegaly, unclear cavum septum pellucidum. Extracranial anomalies were bilateral multicystic enlarged kidneys, invisible bladder, and oligohydramnios. Both fetuses underwent amniocentesis, which showed normal karyotype and no copy number variation was detected. However, variation of the TMEM67 gene (c.312+5G>A at introns 2 and c.1175C>G at exon12) was detected in both fetuses by WES, supporting the diagnosis of Joubert syndrome. Selective reduction and termination of pregnancy were performed on case 1 and case 2 at 18 +5 and 19 weeks of gestation, respectively.

Metabolomic investigation of secondary metabolites of prepared slices of Glycyrrhiza uralensis with different degrees of honey processing / 药学学报

A metabolomics method was used to search for chemical markers in prepared slices of Glycyrrhiza uralensis with different degrees of honey processing. Coupled with these metabolomics analytical methods, ultra-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was used to generate global chemical profiles of the raw material of Glycyrrhiza uralensis and the prepared slices. The samples were collected in Shanxi, Hebei Zhangjiakou and Inner Mongolia. A total of 57 chemical components were identified in Glycyrrhiza uralensis by using the UNIFI theoretical database combined with the library of reference samples. Among them, 37 compounds were identified in positive ion mode and 56 compounds were identified in negative ion mode. Unsupervised principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the chemical ingredients differed considerably depending on the extent of processing. Supervised orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was used to differentiate the moderate processing group and the raw group, and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used to differentiate the less, the moderate, and the excessive processing groups. The results showed that the contents of glycyrrhizic acid, licoricesaponin G2, and licoricesaponin E2 varied with the extent of processing. The content of these components increased after processing, and reached the highest level when the extent of processing was moderate (P < 0.05). Glycyrrhizic acid, licoricesaponin G2 and licoricesaponin E2 can be regarded as the chemical markers to differentiate the samples with different degrees of processing. These three compounds can be used to monitor the processing of Glycyrrhiza uralensis.

Comparative study of dexmedetomidine vs. midazolam on plasma catecholamine levels and hemodynamics in patients with septic shock / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To compare the effects of dexmedetomidine (DEX) and midazolam on the endogenous plasma catecholamine levels and the dosage of exogenous norepinephrine (NE) to maintain blood pressure in patients with septic shock.Methods:From January 2018 to December 2019, patients admitted to the department of critical care medicine of the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University who needed invasive mechanical ventilation and had a stay of more than 48 hours in the intensive care unit (ICU) for septic shock and received DEX or midazolam for sedation were enrolled in this study. The hemodynamic data, arterial blood lactic acid (Lac) level, arterial blood gas analysis and vasoactive drug dose at 0, 12, 24, 48, 72 hours after entering the ICU were dynamically recorded, and the plasma catecholamine levels at 0, 24, 48 hours after entering the ICU were recorded. The acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) score and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score on ICU-admission were calculated. The parameters of prognosis were collected.Results:A total of 24 patients were enrolled, 12 in the DEX group and 12 in the midazolam group. There were similar dynamic trends in heart rate (HR), central venous pressure (CVP), venous-arterial carbon dioxide pressure difference (Pv-aCO 2), oxygenation index (PaO 2/FiO 2), and Lac level of patients between the two groups. Only the 12-hour CVP and 72-hour Pv-aCO 2 in the DEX group were significantly higher than those in the midazolam group [CVP (mmHg, 1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa): 13±3 vs. 10±3, Pv-aCO 2 (mmHg): 9.4±5.2 vs. 4.8±2.2, both P < 0.05], and the mean arterial pressure (MAP) of patients in the DEX group at 48 hours and 72 hours was significantly higher than that in the midazolam group (mmHg: 95±10 vs. 86±10, 96±9 vs. 88±7, both P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU mortality or in-hospital mortality between the DEX group and the midazolam group [duration of mechanical ventilation (days): 5.6 (3.8, 9.5) vs. 10.5 (5.9, 15.0), ICU mortality: 16.7% vs. 33.3%, in-hospital mortality: 25.0% vs. 41.7%, all P > 0.05]. There was no significant difference in the dosage of propofol or sufentanil between the DEX group and the midazolam group [propofol (mg/kg): 0 (0, 9.35) vs. 4.07 (0, 13.75), sufentanil (μg/kg): 6.26 (4.90, 9.80) vs. 8.32 (3.52, 9.34), both P > 0.05]. The levels of plasma NE, dopamine and dobutamine in the DEX group at 48 hours were significantly lower than those in the midazolam group [NE (ng/L): 1 850.12 (342.16, 2 938.05) vs. 4 596.60 (3 310.56, 5 546.84), dopamine (ng/L): 119.10 (60.47, 200.71) vs. 275.40 (214.61, 418.88), dobutamine (ng/L): 51.20 (36.85, 75.59) vs. 98.97 (85.65, 107.10), all P < 0.05], but the amount of NE required to maintain MAP between 65 mmHg and 75 mmHg in the DEX group and the midazolam group was similar [μg/kg: 1 922 (1 170, 4 887) vs. 2 466 (2 043, 3 438), P > 0.05]. Conclusion:DEX can reduce plasma catecholamine levels in patients with septic shock more than midazolam, and does not increase the dose of exogenous NE, and has a smaller effect on hemodynamics in patients with septic shock than midazolam.

Systematic review and Meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of Compound Glycyrrhizin Injection in improving chronic hepatitis B liver damage / 中国中药杂志

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Compound Glycyrrhizin Injection(CGI) in improving liver damage in chronic hepatitis B(CHB). PubMed, Web of Science, SinoMed, CNKI, Wanfang and VIP databases were retrieved from their inception to February 10, 2020. The randomized controlled trial(RCT) of CGI in the treatment of CHB was included. Data were independently extracted by two authors, and the methodological quality was evaluated using the Cochrane bias risk assessment tool by other two authors. Statistical analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. A total of 18 two-armed RCTs were included, involving 1 915 participants. The methodological quality of all studies included was generally low. In the comparison between CGI and diammonium glycyrrhizinate, the results showed that CGI was superior to the control group in improving the overall clinical effectiveness, but there was no statistical difference between the two groups in increasing ALT normalization rate, reducing ALT and AST level. In the comparison between CGI and diammonium glycyrrhizinate+other general hepatoprotective drugs, the results showed that CGI was superior to the control group in reducing AST level, while there was no statistical difference between the two groups in reducing ALT level and increasing overall clinical effectiveness. In the comparison between CGI+other commonly used drugs(including energy mixture, glutathione, vitamins, potassium magnesium aspartate) and diammonium glycyrrhizinate+other commonly used drugs, the results showed that CGI combined with other commonly used drugs was better than the control group in reducing ALT and AST level and improving the clinical total effective rate, and there was no statistical difference between the two groups in increasing the rate of ALT normalization. In the comparison between CGI+other commonly used drugs and other commonly used drugs, the results showed that CGI combined with other commonly used drugs was superior to the control group in reducing ALT and AST level and improving the overall clinical effectiveness. In the comparison between CGI+vitamins and diammonium glycyrrhizinate+potassium magnesium aspartate+vitamins, the results showed no statistical difference between the two groups in reducing AST level. A small number of studies included reported that CGI caused mild adverse reactions when used alone or in combination with other drugs. Based on the results, CGI has a certain effect in improving CHB liver damage, but the evidence is not enough to prove that CGI would cause serious adverse events. In the future, more well-designed and strictly-enforced RCT with an adequate sample size are needed to further evaluate the effect CGI in alleviating CHB liver damage.

Current opinions on the mechanism, classification, imaging diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic osteomyelitis / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

Post-traumatic osteomyelitis (PTO) is a worldwide problem in the field of orthopaedic trauma. So far, there is no ideal treatment or consensus-based gold standard for its management. This paper reviews the representative literature focusing on PTO, mainly from the following four aspects: (1) the pathophysiological mechanism of PTO and the interaction mechanism between bacteria and the body, including fracture stress, different components of internal fixation devices, immune response, occurrence and development mechanisms of inflammation in PTO, as well as the occurrence and development mechanisms of PTO in skeletal system; (2) clinical classification, mainly the etiological classification, histological classification, anatomical classification and the newly proposed new classifications (a brief analysis of their scope and limitations); (3) imaging diagnosis, including non-invasive examination and invasive examination (this paper discusses their advantages and disadvantages respectively, and briefly compares the sensitivity and effectiveness of the current examinations); and (4) strategies, including antibiotic administration, surgical choices and other treatment programs. Based on the above-mentioned four aspects, we try to put forward some noteworthy sections, in order to make the existing opinions more specific.

GG Genotype at rs1275988 and rs2586886 Loci of TWIK-related Acid-sensitive K Channel-1 Gene is A Potential Risk Factor for Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea / 中国医学科学院学报

To explore the mechanism of obstructive sleep apnea(OSA) by assessing the association between human TWIK-related acid-sensitive K channel-1(TASK-1) gene and OSA. A total of 164 patients with severe OSA and 171 patients without OSA were recruited from the Hypertension Center of People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,China,from April to December 2016.Two single nucleotide polymorphisms(rs1275988 and rs2586886) in the TASK-1 gene were selected and genotyped using a Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR genotyping system. In patients with blood potassium 3.95 mmol/L in patients with TASK-1 GG genotype may be conducive to reducing the incidence of severe OSA.

Genetic variants of rs1275988 and rs2586886 in TWIK-related acid-sensitive K+ channel-1 gene may be potential risk factors for obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#The pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) remains not fully understood. This study aimed to explore the mechanism of OSA by assessing the association between the human tandem of P domains in a weak inwardly rectifying K channel (TWIK)-related acid-sensitive K channel-1 (TASK-1) gene and OSA.@*METHODS@#A total of 164 patients with severe OSA and 171 patients without OSA were recruited from the Center for Hypertension of People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (China) from April to December in 2016. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs1275988 and rs2586886) in the TASK-1 gene were selected and genotyped using a kompetitive allele specific polymerase chain reaction genotyping system. Clinical-pathological characteristics and genotype data were compared between the severe and non-OSA groups to explore the association between TASK-1 gene polymorphism and severe OSA.@*RESULTS@#There were no significant differences in genotype distribution, allele frequency, and the recessive and dominant model of the two selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs1275988 and rs2586886) between the severe and non-OSA groups in the total population (P > 0.05). However, for patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥28 kg/m, the distribution of genotypes and alleles, and the recessive model (GG + GA vs. AA) exhibited significant differences between the severe and non-OSA group (for genotypes: P = 0.014 and P = 0.026; for alleles: P = 0.006 and P = 0.011; for the recessive model: P = 0.005 and P = 0.009, respectively). The simple logistic regression analysis revealed that the GG genotype was a risk factor for OSA. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were 4.902 (1.582-15.186, P = 0.006) for rs1275988 and 4.420 (1.422-13.734, P = 0.010) for rs2586886, respectively. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the combination of GG genotypes of rs1275988 with BMI ≥28 kg/m increased the risk of severe OSA (OR = 8.916, 95% CI 4.506-17.645, P < 0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#Both the GG genotype of rs1275988 and GG genotype of rs2586886 in the TASK-1 gene may play as potential risk factors in obese patients with OSA.

Research Progress on Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Osteomyelitis / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

We review the representatives literatures on chronic osteomyelitis, sum up the new insights in recent years into diagnostic options and treatment regimens, analyze the advantages and disadvantages of various diagnostic approaches and treatment strategies, and propose areas of interest to make current diagnostic and treatment strategies more specific.

A novel approach based on metabolomics coupled with network pharmacology to explain the effect mechanisms of Danggui Buxue Tang in anaemia / 中国天然药物

Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT) is a famous Chinese medicinal decoction. Mechanism of DBT action is wide ranging and unclear. Exploring new ways of treatment with DBT is useful. Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were randomly divided into 3 groups including control (NC, Saline), the DBT (at a dose of 8.10 g), and blood deficiency(BD) (Cyclophosphamide (APH)-andCyclophosphamide(CTX)-induced anaemia). A metabolomics approach using Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole-Time-of-Flight/Mass Spectrometry (LC/Q-TOFMS) was developed to perform the plasma metabolic profiling analysis and differential metaboliteswerescreened according to the multivariate statistical analysiscomparing the NC and BD groups, andthe hub metabolites were outliers with high scores of the centrality indices. Anaemia disease-related protein target and compound of DBT databases were constructed. The TCMSP, ChemMapper and STITCH databases were used to predict the protein targets of DBT. Using the Cytoscape 3.2.1 to establish a phytochemical component-target protein interaction network and establish a component, protein and hub metabolite protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and merging the three PPI networks basing on BisoGenet. The gene enrichment analysis was used to analyse the relationship between proteins based on the relevant genetic similarity by ClueGO. The results shown DBT effectively treated anaemia in vivo. 11 metabolic pathways are involved in the therapeutic effect of DBT in vivo; S-adenosyl-l-methionine, glycine, l-cysteine, arachidonic acid (AA) and phosphatidylcholine(PC) were screened as hub metabolites in APH-and CTX-induced anaemia. A total of 288 targets were identified as major candidates for anaemia progression. The gene-set enrichment analysis revealed that the targets are involved in iron ion binding, haemopoiesis, reactive oxygen species production, inflammation and apoptosis. The results also showed that these targets were associated with iron ion binding, haemopoiesis, ROS production, apoptosis, inflammation and related signalling pathways. DBT can promote iron ion binding and haemopoiesis activities, restrain inflammation, production of reactive oxygen, block apoptosis, and contribute significantly to the DBT treat anaemia.

Genetic variants of rs1275988 and rs2586886 in TWIK-related acidsensitive K+ channel-1 gene may be potential risk factors for obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background@#The pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) remains not fully understood. This study aimed to explore the mechanism of OSA by assessing the association between the human tandem of P domains in a weak inwardly rectifying K+ channel (TWIK)-related acid-sensitive K+ channel-1 (TASK-1) gene and OSA.@*Methods@#A total of 164 patients with severe OSA and 171 patients without OSA were recruited from the Center for Hypertension of People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (China) from April to December in 2016. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs1275988 and rs2586886) in the TASK-1 gene were selected and genotyped using a kompetitive allele specific polymerase chain reaction genotyping system. Clinical-pathological characteristics and genotype data were compared between the severe and non-OSA groups to explore the association between TASK-1 gene polymorphism and severe OSA.@*Results@#There were no significant differences in genotype distribution, allele frequency, and the recessive and dominant model of the two selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs1275988 and rs2586886) between the severe and non-OSA groups in the total population (P < 0.05). However, for patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥28 kg/m2, the distribution of genotypes and alleles, and the recessive model (GG + GA vs. AA) exhibited significant differences between the severe and non-OSA group (for genotypes: P = 0.014 and P = 0.026; for alleles: P = 0.006 and P = 0.011; for the recessive model: P = 0.005 and P = 0.009, respectively). The simple logistic regression analysis revealed that the GG genotype was a risk factor for OSA. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were 4.902 (1.582–15.186, P = 0.006) for rs1275988 and 4.420 (1.422–13.734, P = 0.010) for rs2586886, respectively. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the combination of GG genotypes of rs1275988 with BMI ≥28 kg/m2 increased the risk of severe OSA (OR = 8.916, 95% CI 4.506–17.645, P < 0.001).@*Conclusion@#Both the GG genotype of rs1275988 and GG genotype of rs2586886 in the TASK-1 gene may play as potential risk factors in obese patients with OSA.

Research on trend of international trade in “Belt and Road” of Chinese materia medica resources based on import and encouraging international perspective / 中草药

“The Belt and Road” initiative has put forward new requirements for the development of international trade in Chinese medicine resources. In the new era, the development of traditional Chinese medicine resources needs to build a new pattern of all-round opening up. Based on the theory of national competitive advantage in international trade and the theory of regional spatial economy, this paper provides a theoretical basis for upgrading the natural import pattern of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs to the new mode of resource economy in the international layout of Chinese medicine resources. The market development of medicinal materials resources also promotes the transformation and upgrades of the domestic traditional Chinese medicine resources industry. Therefore, it is proposed that the international trade of Chinese medicine resources in the new era is an upgraded version of “import trade”. It is a measure for the cultivation and development of the international market of Chinese herbal resources and economy. It is also a strategy to promote domestic scientific and efficient utilization, and provide a theoretical and method basis for formulating the policy of international distribution and optimization of the utilization of new Chinese medicine resources.

Cyanidin-3-glucoside Inhibits Platelet-Derived Chemokines and Their Receptors on Leukocytes of ApoE-/-mice / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

[Objective]To investigate the effects of different doses of anthocyanins Cy-3-g on serum lipids,platelet-derived chemokines,including MIF and CXCL12 together with their receptors CXCR4 and CXCR7.[Methods]Male ApoE-/-mice were distributed to 5 groups(n=15 per group),and fed with standard diet,high fat diet(HFD),HFD with 200 mg/kg Cy-3-g(low),HFD with 400 mg/kg Cy-3-g(middle),HFD with 800 mg/kg Cy-3-g(high)respectively for 16 weeks. The changes of body weight and food intake were recorded weekly. At the end of the experiment term,the serum lipids(triglyceride,cholesterol,HDL-C,LDL-C)were detected by kits. Arteries were separated to determine plaque histology by Oil-Red-O stain.MIF,CXCL12 and CCL2 in serum were detected by ELISA kits.The expression of CXCR4 and CXCR7 on the surface of leukocytes were tested via flow cytometry. Tail bleeding time was measured mean-while.[Results]Compared with the HFD group,the levels of serum lipids in medium(400 mg/kg)and high(800 mg/kg)Cy-3-g groups were significantly decreased(P<0.05). The plaque area of carotid artery was decreased in high Cy-3-g group(P<0.05).Cy-3-g at all doses significantly reduced the serum concentrations of CXCL12 and CCL2(P<0.002).Cy-3-g of medium(400 mg/kg)and high(800 mg/kg)dose significantly inhibited the expression of CXCR4 and CXCR7 on leukocyte surface(P<0.05). Cy-3-g does not prolong the tail bleeding time.[Conclusions]Anthocyanin Cy-3-g inhibits chemokine CXCL12,CCL2 in serum,and the expression of CXCR4 and CXCR7 on leukocytes without bleeding risk in ApoE-/-mice.

Sophora alopecuroides ameliorates large intestine dampness-heat syndrome in rats by serum metabolomic approach based on UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS/MS / 药学学报

The Chinese herbal Sophora alopecuroides is widely used to clean intestine and eliminate dampness, and it has good therapeutic effects on treating bacillary dysentery and inflammatory bowel disease, etc. in clinics. However, the mechanism of treatment is not yet well understood. The present study was aimed to explore the mechanism of Sophora alopecuroides treatment of large intestine dampness-heat syndrome (LIDHS). The LIDHS model was performed by the comprehensive factors, including high temperature and humidity environment, high-sugar and high-fat diet, and intraperitoneal injection of Escherichia coli. The blood routine, serum proinflammatory cytokine levels and histopathological changes of intestine were detected and observed. Meanwhile, the serum metabolomic approach was conducted using the method of ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass/mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS/MS). The results showed that Sophora alopecuroides has good therapeutic effects on the LIDHS rat models. After treatment with Sophora alopecuroides, the abnormality of blood routine indexes as well as proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6 and TNF-α in vivo, tended to be normal, and the histopathological changes of intestine were improved. Through metabolic profiling and protocol analysis, 9 potential metabolic markers may be closely related with the treatment mechanism of Sophora alopecuroides on this disease, including taurine, L-tryptophan, LysoPE, LysoPC, LPA, DG, chenodeoxycholic acid disulfate, traumatic acid and 7-ketodeoxycholic acid, which were involved in taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, glycerolipid metabolism, tryptophan metabolism and primary bile acid biosynthesis etc. The serum metabolomic approach can be applied to clarify the therapeutic mechanism of Sophora alopecuroides on LIDHS, and provide the theoretical basis for Sophora alopecuroides in clinical practice.