Progress on risk factors involved in airway mucus hypersecretion in children with community acquired pneumonia / 国际儿科学杂志

Airway mucus hypersecretion is one of the pathological changes in children with community acquired pneumonia（CAP），and affects the severity，progression and prognosis of CAP.Diagnosis of airway mucus hypersecretion currently relies on fiberoptic bronchoscopy. To predict the risk of airway mucus hypersecretion and to take early action to avoid serious consequences such as plastic bronchitis and hypoxia and respiratory failure，the article summarizes the relationship between age，clinical characteristics and laboratory indices and the formation of airway mucus hypersecretion in children with CAP. Among them，age，pathogenic species，fever peak and fever range，neutrophil ratio，C-reactive protein，lactate dehydrogenase，D-dimer，serum 25（OH）D，and some interleukins，interferons，and acquired immune indicators have an early warning effect on the development of airway mucus hypersecretion in children with CAP.

Improvement of sepsis-related acute lung injury through Naringin by regulating TGF-β1/Smad2 signaling pathway / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To investigate the protective effect of naringenin on acute lung injury related with sepsis; To discuss its possible mechanism.Methods:Totally 30 male SD rats were randomly divided into sham-operation group, model group, naringin low-, medium- and high-dosage groups, with 6 rats in each group. The sepsis-related acute lung injury model was established by cecal ligation and puncture in all groups except the sham-operation group. After modeling, naringin low-, medium- and high-dosage groups were given naringin 20 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg, respectively for gavage, while the sham-operation group and the model group were given the same volume of distilled water by gavage, once a day, for 2 days. Pathological changes in lung tissue were observed using HE staining. The levels of 1L-1, IL-6 and IL-18 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured by ELISA; the expression of TNF-α in lung tissue was detected by immunofluorescence histopathology; the expressions of TGF-β1, TGF-βR1 and Smad2 were detected by Western Blot. An agonist group and a naringin plus agonist group were set up, with 6 mice in each group, and the expressions of TGF-β1 and Smad2 protein in the lung tissue of each group were detected by immunohistochemical staining to verify the effect of naringin on the expressions of TGF-β1 and Smad2 protein.Results:Compared with the model group, the pathological injury of lung tissue in naringin groups were obviously alleviated, and the levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-18 in BALF decreased ( P<0.01), the protein expressions of TNF-α, TGF-β1, TGF-βR1 and Smad2 in lung tissue decreased ( P<0.01 or P<0.05). Further verification found that the expressions of TGF-β1 and Smad2 in the agonist group increased ( P<0.01), while the expressions of TGF-β1 and Smad2 in the naringin agonist group decreased ( P<0.01). Conclusion:Naringin can reduce the inflammatory response in the lung of the rats to protect against sepsis-related acute lung injury, and its protective effect could be related to the inhibition of the TGF-β1/Smad2 signaling pathway.

The expression of WDR5 in cervical cancer tissue and its relationship with clinical and pathological charac-teristics of patients / 实用医学杂志

Objective To investigate the expression of WD repeat-containing protein 5(WDR5)in cervical cancer tissue and its relationship with clinical pathological characteristics and prognosis of patients.Methods 105 CA patients admitted to our hospital from January 2018 to March 2020 were included as the study subjects,the cancer tissue and adjacent tissue samples of patients were collected,Immunohistochemical staining and Western blot were used to detect the level of WDR5 in CA tissue and adjacent cancer tissues.Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to determine the level;Survival analysis was conducted using the Kaplan Meier method;The influencing factors of patient prognosis were analyzed through Cox regression.Results Among 105 CA tissue samples,the positive expression rate of WDR5(WDR5 positive cases/total cancer tissue cases)was 68.57% (72/105),which was higher than 22.86% (24/105)in adjacent cancer tissues(P<0.05);Compared to adjacent tissues(1.00±0.11),the expression level of WDR5 was higher in CA tissues(4.66±0.98)(t = 38.030,P<0.05).The expression level of WDR5 is related to the degree of differentiation,TNM staging,and lymph node metastasis(P<0.05);The survival rate of WDR5 positive expression was 65.28% (47/72)lower than that of negative expression of 90.91% (30/33)(Log rank χ2 = 6.732,P = 0.009);TNM staging,WDR5,degree of dif-ferentiation,and lymph node metastasis are all influencing factors for patient prognosis(P<0.05).Conclusion The expression of WDR5 is elevated in cervical cancer tissues,and its changes are closely related to TNM staging,differentiation,lymph node metastasis,and prognosis in cervical cancer patients.

Nanomaterial-based Therapeutics for Biofilm-generated Bacterial Infections / 生物化学与生物物理进展

Bacterial biofilms gave rise to persistent infections and multi-organ failure, thereby posing a serious threat to human health. Biofilms were formed by cross-linking of hydrophobic extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), such as proteins, polysaccharides, and eDNA, which were synthesized by bacteria themselves after adhesion and colonization on biological surfaces. They had the characteristics of dense structure, high adhesiveness and low drug permeability, and had been found in many human organs or tissues, such as the brain, heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and skeleton. By releasing pro-inflammatory bacterial metabolites including endotoxins, exotoxins and interleukin, biofilms stimulated the body’s immune system to secrete inflammatory factors. These factors triggered local inflammation and chronic infections. Those were the key reason for the failure of traditional clinical drug therapy for infectious diseases.In order to cope with the increasingly severe drug-resistant infections, it was urgent to develop new therapeutic strategies for bacterial-biofilm eradication and anti-bacterial infections. Based on the nanoscale structure and biocompatible activity, nanobiomaterials had the advantages of specific targeting, intelligent delivery, high drug loading and low toxicity, which could realize efficient intervention and precise treatment of drug-resistant bacterial biofilms. This paper highlighted multiple strategies of biofilms eradication based on nanobiomaterials. For example, nanobiomaterials combined with EPS degrading enzymes could be used for targeted hydrolysis of bacterial biofilms, and effectively increased the drug enrichment within biofilms. By loading quorum sensing inhibitors, nanotechnology was also an effective strategy for eradicating bacterial biofilms and recovering the infectious symptoms. Nanobiomaterials could intervene the bacterial metabolism and break the bacterial survival homeostasis by blocking the uptake of nutrients. Moreover, energy-driven micro-nano robotics had shown excellent performance in active delivery and biofilm eradication. Micro-nano robots could penetrate physiological barriers by exogenous or endogenous driving modes such as by biological or chemical methods, ultrasound, and magnetic field, and deliver drugs to the infection sites accurately. Achieving this using conventional drugs was difficult. Overall, the paper described the biological properties and drug-resistant molecular mechanisms of bacterial biofilms, and highlighted therapeutic strategies from different perspectives by nanobiomaterials, such as dispersing bacterial mature biofilms, blocking quorum sensing, inhibiting bacterial metabolism, and energy driving penetration. In addition, we presented the key challenges still faced by nanobiomaterials in combating bacterial biofilm infections. Firstly, the dense structure of EPS caused biofilms spatial heterogeneity and metabolic heterogeneity, which created exacting requirements for the design, construction and preparation process of nanobiomaterials. Secondly, biofilm disruption carried the risk of spread and infection the pathogenic bacteria, which might lead to other infections. Finally, we emphasized the role of nanobiomaterials in the development trends and translational prospects in biofilm treatment.

Clinical characteristics and risk factors for perioperative lung surgery patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective     To investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors for perioperative lung surgery patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron variant infection. Methods     The clinical data of patients who underwent lung surgery at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from December 1, 2022 to January 9, 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into an infection group and a non-infection group according to whether they were infected with SARS-CoV-2. And the clinical data of two groups were collected and compared. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the risk factors affecting the time of hospitalization. Results     A total of 70 patients were enrolled in this study, including 36 (51.4%) males and 34 (48.6%) females at a median age of 61.0 (49.0, 66.8) years. There were 28 patients in the infection group and 42 patients in the non-infection group. The proportion of preoperative abnormal coagulation function and the risk of postoperative pulmonary infection in perioperative patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 were higher than those in the non-infection group (P<0.05). Subgroup analysis found that patients with preoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection were more likely to have pulmonary infection after surgery, but did not prolong the time of hospitalization or increase the risk of severe disease rate. The patients with postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection had worse clinical prognosis, including longer time of hospitalization (P=0.004), higher ICU admission rate (P=0.000), higher lung infection rate (P=0.003) and respiratory failure rate (P=0.000). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that gender and extent of surgery were independent risk factors for prolonged hospitalization time. Conclusion     Preoperative infection with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant will increase the risk of pulmonary infection, but it will not affect the clinical prognosis. However, postoperative infection with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant will still prolong the time of hospitalization, increase the ICU rate, and the risk of pulmonary complications.

Uniportal thoracoscopic thorough debridement for tubercular empyema with abscess of the chest wall / 中华外科杂志

Objective: To examine the feasibility and technical considerations of thorough debridement using uniportal thoracoscopic surgery for tuberculous empyema complicated by chest wall tuberculosis. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 38 patients who underwent comprehensive uniportal thoracoscopy debridement for empyema complicated by chest wall tuberculosis in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, from March 2019 to August 2021. There were 23 males and 15 females, aged (M(IQR)) 30 (25) years (range: 18 to 78 years). The patients were cleared of chest wall tuberculosis under general anesthesia and underwent an incision through the intercostal sinus, followed by the whole fiberboard decortication method. Chest tube drainage was used for pleural cavity disease and negative pressure drainage for chest wall tuberculosis with SB tube, and without muscle flap filling and pressure bandaging. If there was no air leakage, the chest tube was removed first, followed by the removal of the SB tube after 2 to 7 days if there was no obvious residual cavity on the CT scan. The patients were followed up in outpatient clinics and by telephone until October 2022. Results: The operation time was 2.0 (1.5) h (range: 1 to 5 h), and blood loss during the operation was 100 (175) ml (range: 100 to 1 200 ml). The most common postoperative complication was prolonged air leak, with an incidence rate of 81.6% (31/38). The postoperative drainage time of the chest tube was 14 (12) days (range: 2 to 31 days) and the postoperative drainage time of the SB tube was 21 (14) days (range: 4 to 40 days). The follow-up time was 25 (11) months (range: 13 to 42 months). All patients had primary healing of their incisions and there was no tuberculosis recurrence during the follow-up period. Conclusion: Uniportal thoracoscopic thorough debridement combined with postoperative standardized antituberculosis treatment is safe and feasible for the treatment of tuberculous empyema with chest wall tuberculosis, which could achieve a good long-term recovery effect.

Analysis of intermittent photic stimulation in children′s video electroencephalography / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To explore the value of intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) in children′s video electroencephalography (EEG).Methods:The data of 8 994 children aged 1 to 18 years, who received IPS in the video EEG examination at the Liangjiang Campus of the Children′s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from March 2021 to March 2022, were analyzed retrospectively.Patients were divided into non-epilepsy group and confirmed or suspected epilepsy group.Their IPS responses, clinical and EEG characteristics were collected.Categorical variables were expressed using frequencies and percentages.The relationship between IPS response and age was determined by Chi- square test or Fisher′ s exact probability method. Results:The median age of 8 994 children was 6.3 years.There were 2 310 (25.7%) children in the non-epileptic group, including 1 364 (59.0%) males and 946 (41.0%) females.There were 6 684 (74.3%) children in the confirmed or suspected epileptic group, including 3 842 (57.5%) males and 2 842 (42.5%) females.In the non-epileptic group, 141 cases (6.1%) had IPS photo-driving responses, and 1 case had photo paroxysmal response (PPR). In the confirmed or suspected epilepsy group, IPS photo-driving responses (2.4%) occurred in 160 cases, PPR (1.2%) in 82 cases, photo convulsion responses(0.3%) in 18 cases, and asymmetric photo-driving responses (0.2%) in 14 cases.The IPS photosensitivity responses varied among children of different ages, sexes, epileptic discharge types and seizure types in the confirmed or suspected epilepsy group.The children aged 6 to 18 years showed significantly stronger photosensitivity responses than those aged 1 to <6 years ( P<0.001). The photosensitivity activity in females was 1.9 times higher than that in males.The photosensitivity activity in patients with generalized discharges was 1.7 times more intense than that in patients with focal discharges.The photosensitivity reaction in patients with photo convulsive generalized seizures was 2.5 times stronger than that in patients with focal seizures. Conclusions:Routine standardized IPS is important for the detection of photosensitivity in children diagnosed or suspected with epilepsy.It can effectively guide the medical practice.

Intraoperative assessment of blood supply to the femoral head after femoral neck fracture / 中华创伤骨科杂志

Objective:To explore intraoperative assessment of blood supply to the femoral head after femoral neck fracture, and the correlation between the blood supply and postoperative osteonecrosis of the femoral head.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed of the 63 patients with femoral neck fracture who had been treated at Department of Orthopaedic Trauma and Microsurgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University by open reduction and internal fixation with hollow compression screws from April 2016 to March 2021. They were 39 males and 24 females with an age of (44.9±13.6) years. There were 42 cases of Garden type Ⅲ and 21 cases of Garden type Ⅳ. Time from injury to operation was (4.1±2.4) days. After internal fixation, a hole was drilled using a 2.0 mm Kirschner wire at 2.0 cm above the femoral head-neck junction to observe the velocity, color, and characteristics of the blood oozing at the drill hole. The patients were divided into a good oozing group of 51 cases in whom bright red blood oozing was observed within 15 seconds after drilling and a poor oozing group of 12 cases in whom dark red blood oozing was observed beyond 15 seconds after drilling. The incidence of postoperative femoral head necrosis, Harris hip score, and visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain were compared between the 2 groups. Single factor and multi factor analyses were conducted using the Cox regression model to analyze the factors influencing postoperative femoral head necrosis in the patients.Results:The 63 patients were followed up for 24 (18, 36) months. The 2 groups were comparable because there was no significant difference in the preoperative general data between them ( P>0.05). Femoral head necrosis was observed in 3 cases in the good oozing group and in 5 cases in the poor oozing group, showing a significant difference between the 2 groups ( P<0.05). The Harris hip score [90.0 (86.0, 92.0)] and the VAS pain score [1.0 (1.0, 2.0)] at 1 year after surgery in the good oozing group were significantly better than those in the poor oozing group [85.5 (71.3, 88.8) and 2.5 (1.0, 3.8)] ( P<0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that Garden type Ⅳ ( HR=6.784, 95% CI: 1.324 to 35.664, P=0.023) and intraoperative poor blood oozing ( HR=10.744, 95% CI: 2.359 to 51.774, P=0.003) were risk factors for femoral head necrosis after cannulated compression screw fixation of fractures of displaced femoral neck ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The blood supply to the femoral head after femoral neck fracture can be directly assessed by drilling a hole in the femoral head after open reduction and internal fixation. Intraoperative poor blood oozing is a risk factor for the femoral head necrosis after cannulated compression screw fixation of fractures of displaced femoral neck.

A comparative study of automatic delineation of organs at risk for prostate cancer based on deep learning and atlas library / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To compare the effect of uPWS R15 software based on deep learning with MIM-Maestro 6.9 software based on atlas library to automatically delineate the organs at risk of prostate cancer in order to provide a reference for clinical application.Methods:The CT data of 90 prostate cancer patients admitted to the Department of Oncology Radiotherapy of the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College from 2018 to 2022 were retrospectively selected. Based on the uPWS R15 software developed by Shanghai United Imaging Medical Technology Company and the MIM-Maestro 6.9 software developed by Beijing Mingwei Vision Medical Software Company, the effects of uPWS and MIM software on automatic delineation of organs at risk were evaluated according to five parameters, including delineation time (T), Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), Jaccard similarity coefficient (JSC), Hausdorff distance (HD) and the mean distance to agreement (MDA).Results:The sketching time of uPWS software was less than that of MIM software. There were no significant differences in the sketching effect of femoral head and skin between the two software (all P>0.05). The delineation of right kidney ( tMDA=-3.43, zDSC=-4.03, zJSC=-4.16, P<0.05), left kidney ( tMDA=-3.87, zDSC=-4.18, zJSC=-4.41, P<0.05), small intestine ( tMDA=-8.57, zDSC=-9.99, tJSC=14.21, P<0.05) and rectum ( zMDA=-4.00, tDSC=-9.98, tJSC= 9.72, P< 0.05) except HD, was statistically different. The bladder ( z=-7.88, -9.00, -8.17, -8.74, P<0.05) and spinalcord ( z=-3.87, -4.43, 4.03, 3.05, P<0.05) were also delineated with significant differences. The DSC automatically delineated by uPWS software was >0.7, while the DSC automatically delineated by MIM software was >0.7 for all other organs at risk except small intestine and rectum. In addition, the HD, MDA and JSC values of the organs at risk (bilateral femoral head, bilateral kidneys, spinal cord, bladder, skin, rectum and small intestine) automatically delineated by uPWS software were generally better than those with MIM software. Conclusions:The uPWS software outlines better than the MIM software, but the MIM software can also be used clinically with modifications to the small bowel and rectum, saving a great deal of time in preparation for radiation therapy.

Clinical characteristics and risk factors for bronchoscopic airway mucus hypersecretion in childhood pneumonia infected by different pathogens / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To investigate the risk factors for airway mucus hypersecretion in childhood pneumonia infected by different pathogens. Method: A retrospective cohort included 968 children who were hospitalized for Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) pneumonia, adenovirus pneumonia and underwent bronchoscopy in Respiratory Department of Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2019 to December 2021 was conducted. The children were divided into two groups distinguished by airway mucus secretion according to the airway mucus hypersecretion score which were scored according to the mucus secretion under the bronchoscope. The demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, laboratory tests and disease severity of the two groups were compared. And the risk factors for the development of airway mucus hypersecretion in two groups were analyzed. Chi square test, Mann-Whithey U test and Fisher exact test were used to analyze the differences between the two groups, and multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors. Result: There were 559 males and 409 females in the 968 children, with an age of 4.0 (1.4, 6.0) years. Among the 642 children with MPP, 185 cases were in the hypersecretion group and 457 cases were in the non-hypersecretion group. There were 41 cases in the hypersecretion group and 160 cases in the non-hypersecretion group of 201 children with RSV pneumonia. In the 125 children with adenovirus pneumonia, there were 39 cases in the hypersecretion group and 86 cases in the non-hypersecretion group. In these children, the age of children in the hypersecretion group was older than that in the non-hypersecretion group (6.0 (4.0, 7.0) vs. 5.0 (3.0, 7.0) years old, 1.5 (0.5, 3.6) vs. 0.8 (0.4, 1.6) years old, 2.0 (1.2, 4.5) vs. 1.3 (0.8, 2.0) years old, U=35 295.00, 2 492.00, 1 101.00, all P<0.05). Through multivariate Logistic regression analysis it found that increased risk of airway mucus hypersecretion was present in childhood MPP with increase in peripheral blood white blood cell count (OR=3.30, 95%CI 1.51-7.93, P=0.004) or increase in neutrophil ratio (OR=2.24, 95%CI 1.16-4.33, P=0.016) or decrease in lymphocyte count (OR=3.22, 95%CI 1.66-6.31, P<0.001) or decrease in serum albumin (OR=2.00, 95%CI 1.01-3.98, P=0.047). The risk of airway mucus hypersecretion was increased in children with RSV pneumonia combined with elevated peripheral blood eosinophils (OR=3.04, 95%CI 1.02-8.93, P=0.043). Meanwhile, airway mucus hypersecretion was associated with severe pneumonia (OR=2.46, 95%CI 1.03-6.15, P=0.047) in children with RSV pneumonia. Older age was associated with increased risk of airway mucus hypersecretion in children with adenovirus pneumonia (OR=1.02, 95%CI 1.00-1.04, P=0.026). In these children with occurrence of pulmonary rales, wheezes or sputum sounds (OR=3.65, 95%CI 1.22-12.64, P=0.028) had an increased risk of airway mucus hypersecretion. Neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) demonstrated higher ratio in hypersecretion group from children with MPP (0.65 (0.43, 0.81) vs. 0.59 (0.34, 0.76), U=24 507.00, P<0.01), while the proportion of macrophages in BALF was lower (0.10 (0.05, 0.20) vs. 0.12 (0.06, 0.24), U=33 043.00, P<0.05). Nucleated cell count and neutrophil ratio in BALF were higher in hypersecretion group of children with RSV pneumonia (1 210 (442, 2 100)×106 vs. 490 (210, 1 510)×106/L, 0.43 (0.26, 0.62) vs. 0.30 (0.13, 0.52), U=2 043.00, 2 064.00, all P<0.05). Conclusions: The increase in peripheral blood white blood cell count, neutrophil ratio and decrease in lymphocyte count, serum albumin in children with MPP is related to the development of airway mucus hypersecretion. In children with RSV pneumonia, the abnormal increase of eosinophils in peripheral blood has relationship with hypersecretion. The appearance of lung rale, wheezing, and sputum rale are associated with airway mucus hypersecretion in children with adenovirus pneumonia. In addition, local neutrophil infiltration in the respiratory tract is closely related to the occurrence of airway mucus hypersecretion caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae and RSV infection.

Rho A/ROCK signaling pathway involved in hyper responsiveness to aortic contraction in mice with type 2 diabetes / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the mechanism of RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway in abnormal aortic contractility in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) mice. Methods The experiment was divided into two groups, the control group (db/m mice) and the model group (db/db mice). Changes of the response to different methods were measured in aorta rings using a Multi Myograph System. At the same time, the protein expression changes of aortic smooth muscle contraction signaling pathway in mice were determined by Western method. Results Compared with the control group, the blood glucose and body weight levels of the mice in the T2DM group significantly increased, and the cardiac function was abnormal (P <0. 01). The contractile response of the aorta of the diabetic mice induced by the contractile agents Phe, 5-HT and CaCl

Mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1 induces senescence of atrial fibroblasts by activating β-catenin / 中国药理学通报

Aim To observe whether the mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1 was involved in the senescence of atrial fibroblasts by activating β-catenin based on our previous study which found marked increase of Piezo1 mRNA in senescent atrial fibroblasts. Methods Primary mouse atrial fibroblasts (MAFs) were isolated from male C57BL/6 mice (3-4 weeks) by enzyme digestion, and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) was used to induce the senescence of cells. The ratio of senescent cells was detected by senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal) staining. The protein levels of Piezo1, β-catenin/p-β-catenin, senescence-associated proteins p53 and p21 in the cells treated with TBHP (100 μmol · L

The protective effect of cuminaldehyde on gastric mucosa in Rattus norregicus of experimental gastric ulcer / 中国药理学通报

Aim To explore the effect of cuminaldehyde in cumin fruit on gastric ulcer and the protective mechanism via establishing the gastric ulcer model of rats was by ethanol injury. Methods Thirty-six male R. norregicus were divided into six groups: control group, model group, omeprazole positive control group and cuminaldehyde low, medium and high dosage groups. After seven days of continuous intragastric administration, the acute gastric ulcer of R. norregicus was tested by absolute alcohol. Gastric ulcer area, inhibition rate, gastric tissue antioxidant activity, serum inflammatory factors and gastric mucosal protective factors were detected in different groups. Results The results showed that cuminaldehyde significantly reduced the area of gastric ulcer and increased the inhibition rate of gastric ulcer. The inhibition rate of cuminaldehyde at high dose group was up to 74.65%, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH) in gastric tissue significantly increased, and the contents of serum prolandin E

METTL3-mediated m6A modification involved in electrical remodeling of atrial cardiomyocytes under high hydrostatic pressure / 中国药理学通报

To investigate the regulation of N6- methyladenosine ( m6A ) modification on L-type calcium channels in atrial myocytes under high hydrostatic pressure, mediated by methyltransferase-like protein 3 ( METTL3 ). Methods C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to the control group and the hypertension group ( treated with continuous administration of angiotensin for four weeks ). Masson staining was used to observe the fibrosis of mouse atrial tissue, while dot blot assay and Western blot were used to detect the levels of m6A, METTL3, and Cavi1 2 in the atrial tissue. A high hydrostatic pressure model was constructed using the HL-1 cell line cultured in vitro, and METTL3 was intervened to observe changes in m6A expression levels, METTL3 and Cavi1 2 levels in cells,and action potential duration ( APD ) and L-type calcium current ( I

Ethanol extract of Herpetospermum caudigerum Wall ameliorates psoriasis-like skin inflammation and promotes degradation of keratinocyte-derived ICAM-1 and CXCL9 / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#To explore whether the ethanol extract of Herpetospermum caudigerum Wall (EHC), a Xizang medicinal plant traditionally used for treating liver diseases, can improve imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like skin inflammation.@*METHODS@#Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining were used to determine the effects of topical EHC use in vivo on the skin pathology of imiquimod-induced psoriasis in mice. The protein levels of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) in mouse skin samples were examined using immunohistochemical staining. In vitro, IFN-γ-induced HaCaT cells with or without EHC treatment were used to evaluate the expression of keratinocyte-derived intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and chemokine CXC ligand 9 (CXCL9) using Western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide and proteasome inhibitor MG132 were utilized to validate the EHC-mediated mechanism underlying degradation of ICAM-1 and CXCL9.@*RESULTS@#EHC improved inflammation in the imiquimod-induced psoriasis mouse model and reduced the levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-17A in psoriatic lesions. Treatment with EHC also suppressed ICAM-1 and CXCL9 in epidermal keratinocytes. Further mechanistic studies revealed that EHC suppressed keratinocyte-derived ICAM-1 and CXCL9 by promoting ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated protein degradation rather than transcriptional repression. Seven primary compounds including ehletianol C, dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol, herpetrione, herpetin, herpetotriol, herpetetrone and herpetetrol were identified from the EHC using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry.@*CONCLUSION@#Topical application of EHC ameliorates psoriasis-like skin symptoms and improves the inflammation at the lesion sites. Please cite this article as: Zhong Y, Zhang BW, Li JT, Zeng X, Pei JX, Zhang YM, Yang YX, Li FL, Deng Y, Zhao Q. Ethanol extract of Herpetospermum caudigerum Wall ameliorates psoriasis-like skin inflammation and promotes degradation of keratinocyte-derived ICAM-1 and CXCL9. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(6): 584-592.

Casticin Attenuates Stemness in Cervical Cancer Stem-Like Cells by Regulating Activity and Expression of DNMT1 / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore whether casticin (CAS) suppresses stemness in cancer stem-like cells (CSLCs) obtained from human cervical cancer (CCSLCs) and the underlying mechanism.@*METHODS@#Spheres from HeLa and CaSki cells were used as CCSLCs. DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) activity and mRNA levels, self-renewal capability (Nanog and Sox2), and cancer stem cell markers (CD133 and CD44), were detected by a colorimetric DNMT activity/inhibition assay kit, quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, sphere and colony formation assays, and immunoblot, respectively. Knockdown and overexpression of DNMT1 by transfection with shRNA and cDNA, respectively, were performed to explore the mechanism for action of CAS (0, 10, 30, and 100 nmol/L).@*RESULTS@#DNMT1 activity was increased in CCSLCs compared with HeLa and CaSki cells (P<0.05). In addition, HeLa-derived CCSLCs transfected with DNMT1 shRNA showed reduced sphere and colony formation abilities, and lower CD133, CD44, Nanog and Sox2 protein expressions (P<0.05). Conversely, overexpression of DNMT1 in HeLa cells exhibited the oppositive effects. Furthermore, CAS significantly reduced DNMT1 activity and transcription levels as well as stemness in HeLa-derived CCSLCs (P<0.05). Interestingly, DNMT1 knockdown enhanced the inhibitory effect of CAS on stemness. As expected, DNMT1 overexpression reversed the inhibitory effect of CAS on stemness in HeLa cells.@*CONCLUSION@#CAS effectively inhibits stemness in CCSLCs through suppression of DNMT1 activation, suggesting that CAS acts as a promising preventive and therapeutic candidate in cervical cancer.

Aerobic glycolysis in colon cancer is repressed by naringin via the HIF1Α pathway / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Metabolic reprogramming is a common phenomenon in cancer, with aerobic glycolysis being one of its important characteristics. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF1Α) is thought to play an important role in aerobic glycolysis. Meanwhile, naringin is a natural flavanone glycoside derived from grapefruits and many other citrus fruits. In this work, we identified glycolytic genes related to HIF1Α by analyzing the colon cancer database. The analysis of extracellular acidification rate and cell function verified the regulatory effects of HIF1Α overexpression on glycolysis, and the proliferation and migration of colon cancer cells. Moreover, naringin was used as an inhibitor of colon cancer cells to illustrate its effect on HIF1Α function. The results showed that the HIF1Α and enolase 2 (ENO2) levels in colon cancer tissues were highly correlated, and their high expression indicated a poor prognosis for colon cancer patients. Mechanistically, HIF1Α directly binds to the DNA promoter region and upregulates the transcription of ENO2; ectopic expression of ENO2 increased aerobic glycolysis in colon cancer cells. Most importantly, we found that the appropriate concentration of naringin inhibited the transcriptional activity of HIF1Α, which in turn decreased aerobic glycolysis in colon cancer cells. Generally, naringin reduces glycolysis in colon cancer cells by reducing the transcriptional activity of HIF1Α and the proliferation and invasion of colon cancer cells. This study helps to elucidate the relationship between colon cancer progression and glucose metabolism, and demonstrates the efficacy of naringin in the treatment of colon cancer.

Recent progress in the biosynthesis of dicarboxylic acids, a monomer of biodegradable plastics / 生物工程学报

Plastics are one of the most important polymers with huge global demand. However, the downsides of this polymer are that it is difficult to degrade, which causes huge pollution. The environmental-friendly bio-degradable plastics therefore could be an alternative and eventually fulfill the ever-growing demand from every aspect of the society. One of the building blocks of bio-degradable plastics is dicarboxylic acids, which have excellent biodegradability and numerous industrial applications. More importantly, dicarboxylic acid can be biologically synthesized. Herein, this review discusses the recent advance on the biosynthesis routes and metabolic engineering strategies of some of the typical dicarboxylic acids, in hope that it will help to provide inspiration to further efforts on the biosynthesis of dicarboxylic acids.

Research progress on the role of mitochondrial DNA in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy / 眼科新进展

In the early stage of diabetes retinopathy(DR),the change in the molecular level is often earlier than chan-ges in retinal microvessels.Under the chronic high-glucose environment,oxidative stress,epigenetic changes and other mechanisms cause retinal mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA)damage,affect the transcription process of mtDNA coding genes,and damage the electronic transport chain,leading to a vicious cycle of free radicals,which accelerates the apoptosis of retinal capillary pericytes and endothelial cells,leads to retinal microcirculation dysfunction,and cause DR.This paper will review the epigenetic changes,oxidative stress,damage to replication and repair system,gene mutation and other aspects,in order to elaborate on the research progress of retinal mtDNA damage in the pathogenesis of DR.

Anatomical and histological investigation of the area anterior to the anorectum passing through the levator hiatus / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To document the anatomical structure of the area anterior to the anorectum passing through the levator hiatus between the levator ani slings bilaterally. Methods: Three male hemipelvises were examined at the Laboratory of Clinical Applied Anatomy, Fujian Medical University. (1) The anatomical assessment was performed in three ways; namely, by abdominal followed by perineal dissection, by examining serial cross-sections, and by examining median sagittal sections. (2) The series was stained with hematoxylin and eosin to enable identification of nerves, vessels, and smooth and striated muscles. Results: (1) It was found that the rectourethralis muscle is closest to the deep transverse perineal muscle where the longitudinal muscle of the rectum extends into the posteroinferior area of the membranous urethra. The communicating branches of the neurovascular bundle (NVB) were identified at the posterior edge of the rectourethralis muscle on both sides. The rectum was found to be fixed to the membranous urethra through the rectourethral muscle, contributing to the anorectal angle of the anterior rectal wall. (2) Serial cross-sections from the anal to the oral side were examined. At the level of the external anal sphincter, the longitudinal muscle of the rectum was found to extend caudally and divide into two muscle bundles on the oral side of the external anal sphincter. One of these muscle bundles angled dorsally and caudally, forming the conjoined longitudinal muscle, which was found to insert into the intersphincteric space (between the internal and external anal sphincters). The other muscle bundle angled ventrally and caudally, filling the gap between the external anal sphincter and the bulbocavernosus muscle, forming the perineal body. At the level of the superficial transverse perineal muscle, this small muscle bundle headed laterally and intertwined with the longitudinal muscle in the region of the perineal body. At the level of the rectourethralis and deep transverse perineal muscle, the external urethral sphincter was found to occupy an almost completely circular space along the membranous part of the urethra. The dorsal part of the external urethral sphincter was found to be thin at the point of attachment of the rectourethralis muscle, the ventral part of the longitudinal muscle of the rectum. We identified a venous plexus from the NVB located close to the oral and ventral side of the deep transverse perineal muscle. Many vascular branches from the NVB were found to be penetrating the longitudinal muscle and the ventral part of rectourethralis muscle at the level of the apex of the prostate. The rectourethral muscle was wrapped ventrally around the membranous urethra and apex of the prostate. The boundary between the longitudinal muscle and prostate gradually became more distinct, being located at the anterior end of the transabdominal dissection plane. (3) Histological examination showed that the dorsal part of the external urethral sphincter (striated muscle) is thin adjacent to the striated muscle fibers from the deep transverse perineal muscle and the NVB dorsally and close by. The rectourethral muscle was found to fill the space created by the internal anal sphincter, deep transverse perineal muscle, and both levator ani muscles. Many tortuous vessels and tiny nerve fibers from the NVB were identified penetrating the muscle fibers of the deep transverse perineal and rectourethral muscles. The structure of the superficial transverse perineal muscle was typical of striated muscle. These findings were reconstructed three-dimensionally. Conclusions: In intersphincteric resection or abdominoperineal resection for very low rectal cancer, the anterior dissection plane behind Denonvilliers' fascia disappears at the level of the apex of the prostate. The prostate and both NVBs should be used as landmarks during transanal dissection of the non-surgical plane. The rectourethralis muscle should be divided near the rectum side unless tumor involvement is suspected. The superficial and deep transverse perineal muscles, as well as their supplied vessels and nerve fibers from the NVB. In addition, the cutting direction should be adjusted according to the anorectal angle to minimize urethral injury.