[Associations of blood pressure change with change in foods' intake among adults with mild to moderate hypertension].

Objective: To explore the association between the intake and changes in various types of food and the changes in blood pressure in patients with mild to moderate hypertension. Methods: Mild to moderate hypertension participants with complete baseline and outcome data were included from DECIDE-Diet study, a multicenter, randomized controlled trial. Dietary records and blood pressure measurements at both 7-day run-in (baseline) and 28-day intervention phases were collected for enrolled participants. Blood pressure change was defined as the difference between blood pressure at the end of trial and the baseline blood pressure. Baseline intake of food was the average daily intake during the run-in period, and the intake increment was defined as the difference between the average intake during the trial period and the average intake during the run-in period. After adjusting for age, sex, study center, intervention groups, baseline body mass index (kg/m2), antihypertension medication use, and baseline total calorie intake, a linear regression model was used to analyze the associations of the before-after-intervention change in blood pressure with baseline intake and intake increment of foods. Results: A total of 258 patients with mild to moderate hypertension were included, including 133 males, aged (56.5±9.9) years. (1) After adjusting for confounding factors, there was no significant association between baseline intake of food and baseline blood pressure (all P>0.05). The blood pressure change was negatively associated with baseline intakes of tubers, vegetables, and vegetable oils but positively with baseline intake of meats; and was negatively associated with intake increment of whole grains and fish (all P<0.05). (2) The multiple linear regression analysis showed that baseline intake of vegetables (ß=-0.021, P=0.004), vegetable oils (ß=-0.260, P=0.002), and increment in intake of fish (ß=-0.128, P=0.026) were all significantly associated with changes in systolic blood pressure; baseline intake of vegetables (ß=-0.017, P=0.002), vegetable oils (ß=-0.182, P=0.001), dairy products (ß=0.021, P=0.022), and increment in intake of fish (ß=-0.092, P=0.010) were all significantly associated with changes in diastolic blood pressure. Conclusion: Increasing the intake of whole grains, vegetables, vegetable oils, and fish and decreasing the intake of meat may be beneficial for blood pressure control in patients with mild to moderate hypertension.

[Bushen Huoxue Fang improves recurrent miscarriage in mice by down-regulating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of Bushen Huoxue Fang (BSHXF, a traditional Chinese medicine formula) for improving recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) in mice and the role of tyrosine kinase (JAK2) and transcriptional activator (STAT3) signaling pathway in its therapeutic mechanism. METHODS: Female CBA/J mice were caged with male DBA/2 mice to establish RSA mouse models, which were randomly divided into model group, dydrogesterone group and BSHXF group, with the female mice caged with male BALB/c mice as the control group (n=6). From the first day of pregnancy, the mice were subjected to daily intragastric administration of BSHXF, dydrogesterone, or distilled water (in control and model groups) for 12 days. After the treatments, serum levels of antithrombin III (AT-III), activated protein C (APC), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), progesterone, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), and estradiol (E2) were detected in each group using ELISA. HE staining was used to observe the morphological changes of the endometrium of the mice. Western blotting was performed to determine the expressions of p-JAK2, p-Stat3 and Bcl-2 in the placenta of the mice. RESULTS: Compared with the control mice, the mouse models of RSA showed a significantly increased embryo loss rate with decreased serum levels of AT-III, T-PA, progesterone, APC and HCG, increased placental expressions of p-JAK2, p-STAT3 and Bax, and decreased expression of Bcl-2 (P < 0.05). Treatments with BSHXF and dydrogesterone both increased serum levels of AT-III, t-PA and HCG in the mouse models; Serum APC level was significantly reduced in BSHXF group and serum progesterone level was significantly increased in dydrogesterone group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: BSHXF can improve the prethrombotic state and inhibit cell apoptosis by downregulating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway to increase the pregnancy rate in mouse models of RSA.

Effect of clay supplementation on growth performance of broiler chickens: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

1. This review assessed the effect of dietary clay supplementation as a drug and toxin adsorbent on broiler growth performance as a meta-analysis.2. A total of 33 eligible studies were included in the present study after identification and evaluation from online databases. Standardised mean differences (SMD) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals were computed with a fixed-effects model.3. The results indicated that clay supplementation significantly improved broiler daily gain (P < 0.001) and feed conversion ratio (P < 0.001), but did not affect feed intake (P = 0.954). Results of subgroup analysis showed that zeolite clay had the most stable medium improvement effect on FCR, while kaolin had a large effect. In addition, male broilers and Cobb or Ross broilers were more sensitive to the addition of clay, and the best supplemental levels, in general, were 10 g/kg to 30 g/kg.4. Meta-regression analysis showed that clay supplemental level and sex of broilers may be important factors in the effect of clay on ADG and FCR of broilers, respectively. The sensitivity analysis showed high stability of the results and no significant publication bias was found with funnel plot analysis and Egger's or Begg's test (P > 0.05).5. In conclusion, an appropriate addition level is a prerequisite for effective clay application. Kaolin and zeolite clays seem to be more suitable for enhancing broiler growth performance, and the value of clay is amplified in specific broiler breeds.

Pestalotioid Species Associated with Medicinal Plants in Southwest China and Thailand.

In this paper, a total of 26 pestalotioid isolates associated with different medicinal plants from southwest China and Thailand were studied. Based on morphological examinations and multigene analyses of three gene loci (ITS, tef1-α, and tub2), these 26 isolates represent 17 species distributed in three genera, including seven new species and eight new records. The concatenated three loci tree was used to infer the occurrence of sexual recombination within each pestalotioid genus through the pairwise homoplasy index (PHI) test implemented in SplitsTree. Further, simplifying the description of pestalotioid species is discussed, and a checklist for pestalotioid species associated with medicinal plants worldwide is provided. IMPORTANCE Pestalotioid species are an important fungal group, occurring commonly as plant pathogens, endophytes, and saprophytes. The study of pestalotioid species associated with medicinal plants is significant for agriculture, industry, and pharmaceutical industry but remains poorly studied. In this study, we report 17 pestalotioid species related to medicinal plants based on morphology and molecular analyses. Our study significantly enriches the species richness of pestalotioids and provides a basis for follow-up studies.

[Effects of Sidaxue, a Miao ethnomedicine recipe, on apoptosis and pyrolysis of human fibroblast-like synovial cells in rheumatoid arthritis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Sidaxue (SX), a recipe in Miao ethnomedicine, on apoptosis and pyrolysis of human fibroblast-like synovial cells in rheumatoid arthritis (RA-FLS). METHODS: The target proteins related with RA and those involved in cell apoptosis and pyroptosis were searched in different online databases, and Venny software was used to obtain apoptosis- and pyroptosis-related proteins in RA. RA-apoptosis-pyroptosis protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to identity the key target proteins related with apoptosis and pyroptosis in RA. Autodock vina software was used to perform molecular docking to verify the binding ability of the main active ingredients in SX with the apoptosis- and pyroptosis-related proteins. In the cell experiment, MH7A cells were treated with 5 mg/L TGT (positive control) or 5, 10, 20, and 40 mg/L SX, and the changes in cell migration and invasion abilities and expressions of apoptosis- and pyroptosis-related proteins were examined using wound healing assay, Transwell assay, ELISA and Western blotting. RESULTS: We identified 9 RA-related apoptotic target proteins, 15 RA-related pyroptosis target proteins, and 4 overlapping target proteins related with RA, apoptosis and pyroptosis. The main active ingredients in SX had a high affinity with the target proteins including TNF-α, Fas, and Bax. In MH7A cells, SX treatment concentration-dependently increased the cell inhibition rate at 24, 48 and 72 h (P < 0.05), and significantly lowered the cell migration ability at 6, 12 and 24 h (P < 0.05); treatment with 20 and 40 mg/L SX for 24 h obviously suppressed MH7A cell invasion (P < 0.05). SX treatment (20 and 40 mg/L) and TGT treatment both significantly lowered the expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-18 in the cells (P < 0.05). The Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and Fas and FasL expressions were increased significantly in cells treated with 20 and 40 mg/L SX (P < 0.05), and caspase-1 expression was decreased significantly in cells treated with 5 and 40 mg/L SX (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: SX can induce apoptosis and pyroptosison in RA-FLSs possibly by down-regulating the expressions of TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-18, up-regulating the expressions of Bax, Fas, and FasL, and inhibiting Bcl-2 and caspase-1 protein expressions.

Potential probiotics Lactobacillus casei K11 combined with plant extracts reduce markers of type 2 diabetes mellitus in mice.

AIMS: Probiotics and plant extracts have been used to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The study aimed to explore the effect of the interaction between potential probiotics and bitter gourd extract (BGE) or mulberry leaf extract (MLE) on T2DM. METHODS AND RESULTS: Potential probiotics were tested for their gastrointestinal tract viability and growth situation combined with BGE and MLE in vitro. The diabetes model was constructed in C57BL/6 mice, and the potential effect and mechanism of regulating blood glucose were verified. Hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE), gas chromatography (GC), ELISA, and RT-PCR were also used for analysis. The results showed that Lactobacillus casei K11 had outstanding gastrointestinal tract viability and growth situation with plant extracts. Administration of L. casei K11 combined with BGE and MLE significantly reduced blood glucose levels and ameliorated insulin resistance in diabetic mice than the administration of Lactobacillus paracasei J5 combined with BGE and MLE. Moreover, in L. casei K11 combined with BGE and MLE groups, lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and proinflammatory cytokine levels were regulated. Furthermore, the results indicated that L. casei K11 combined with BGE and MLE improved free fatty acid receptor 2 (FFAR2) upregulation, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) secretion, and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels. CONCLUSIONS: These findings showed that L. casei K11 combined with BGE and MLE modified the SCFA-FFAR2-GLP-1 pathway to improve T2DM. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study identified a new modality for evaluating interactions between potential probiotics and plant extracts. Our findings revealed that L. casei K11 combined with BGE and MLE significantly promoted the SCFA-FFAR2-GLP-1 pathway to inhibit T2DM.

[Effect of oral administration of branched-chain amino acids supplementation on the mortality of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis].

Objective: To investigate the effect of oral administration of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) supplementation on the mortality of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after treatment. Methods: Computer searching of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database was conducted to search for clinical controlled trials and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effect of oral administration of BCAA on the mortality of patients with HCC. The retrieval time limit was from the time of the establishment of each database to December 30, 2019. Two researchers independently screened the literature and extracted the data. Another researcher assessed the risk of bias in the included studies and then used RevMan 5.3 software for meta-analysis. Results: A total of 14 studies were included with 1 179 patients. The overall results showed that oral administration of BCAA had no significant effect on the mortality of HCC patients at 1 year after treatment (RR=0.85, 95%CI:0.68-1.06, P=0.16), while the mortalities of patients at 3 years (RR=0.73, 95%CI: 0.61-0.88, P=0.000 7) and 5 years (RR=0.57, 95%CI:0.34-0.96, P=0.03) after treatment were significantly lower than those of the control group. The subgroup analysis showed that for radiofrequency ablation (RFA) patients, there was no significant difference in 1-year mortality between the BCAA group and the control group (RR=0.96, 95%CI:0.14-6.5, P=0.97), while 3-year mortality was significantly reduced (RR=0.59, 95%CI:0.43-0.81, P=0.001); for hepatectomy patients, there was no significant differences in 1 -and 3-year mortality between the two groups (RR=0.90, 95%CI:0.44-1.88, P=0.79; RR=0.97, 95%CI:0.71-1.33, P=0.85, respectively). In addition, as for albumin levels, BCAA supplementation significantly increased albumin levels without considering the treatment of HCC (SD=0.45, 95%CI: 0.29-0.90; P=0.000 1), but had no significant effect on hepatectomy patients (SD=0, 95%CI: -0.41-0.41, P=0.99). Conclusion: BCAA supplementation might improve liver reserve function and long-term prognosis of HCC patients, which was related to the surgical method. Supplementing BCAA reduced the long-term mortality of RFA patients, but had no significant effect on hepatectomy patients.

[A prospective study of bone loss in early stage postmenopausal breast cancer treated with aromatase inhibitors].

Objective: To investigate the occurrence and development of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) related bone loss in Chinese patients with postmenopausal early-stage breast cancer. Methods: Patients with estrogen receptor (ER) and (or) progesterone receptor(PR) positive postmenopausal early-stage breast cancer who received Letrozole, Anastrozole, or Exemestane as adjuvant therapy were enrolled. Before treatment, baseline bone mineral density (BMD), bone metabolism markers were examined and a lifestyle questionnaire was completed; BMD was examined annually during the treatment; Outpatient visits were conducted to record recurrent and fatal events. Results: From November 2013 to August 2016, 131 patients with breast cancer eligible for enrollment were enrolled. A total of 65 patients had normal baseline bone mass, and 68 patients had reduced bone mass. Letrozole was taken in 69 patients, anastrozole in 52 patients, and exemestane in 10 patients. With a median follow-up of 43.7 months, 100 patients could be evaluated for changes in bone mineral density. Bone mineral density of femoral neck, total hip, and lumbar spine L1 to 4 decreased year by year, and the decrease was the most significant in the first year, which decreased by 2.3%, 2.4%, and 3.9% respectively. Ten new cases of osteoporosis occurred in two years, eight of them occurred in the lumbar spine, all of whom had reduced bone mass at baseline. Among the 131 patients who completed the lifestyle questionnaire, the proportions of daily calcium supplementation and vitamin D were 28.2% and 7.6%, respectively; more than half (52.7%) of them lacked regular exercise. Conclusion: BMD was declining steadily in patients treated with AIs, especially in the first year. Lumbar spine is the most common osteoporosis site, early prevention and health education should be strengthened.

[A Qualitative Proteome-Wide Lysine Succinylation Profiling of Tea Revealed its Involvement in Primary Metabolism].

Lysine succinylation of proteins has potential impacts on protein structure and function, which occurs on post-translation level. However, the information about the succinylation of proteins in tea plants is limited. In the present study, the significant signal of succinylation in tea plants was found by western blot. Subsequently, we performed a qualitative analysis to globally identify the lysine succinylation of proteins using high accuracy nano LC-MS/MS combined with affinity purification. As a result, a total of 142 lysine succinylation sites were identified on 86 proteins in tea leaves. The identified succinylated proteins were involved in various biological processes and a large proportion of the succinylation sites were presented on proteins in the primary metabolism, including glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, TCA cycle and glycine, serine and threonine metabolism. Moreover, 10 new succinylation sites were detected on histones in tea leaves. The results suggest that succinylated proteins in tea plants might play critical regulatory roles in biological processes, especially in the primary metabolism. This study not only comprehensively analyzed the lysine succinylome in tea plants, but also provided valuable information for further investigating the functions of lysine succinylation in tea plants.

The effects of dietary sodium butyrate supplementation on the growth performance, carcass traits and intestinal microbiota of growing-finishing pigs.

AIM: This study was carried out to investigate the effects of dietary sodium butyrate supplementation on growth performance, carcass traits and intestinal of growing-finishing pigs. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty pigs (27·4 ± 0·4 kg) were randomly assigned to receive one of three diets: basal diet (negative control group), basal diet + 40 ppm zinc bacitracin (positive control group) and basal diet + 0·2% sodium butyrate (sodium butyrate group), respectively. The experiment lasted for 69 days, including 3 days for diet and housing condition adaptation. On day 70, five piglets from each diet group were slaughtered for collecting blood and tissue samples. When compared to the control group, final body weight, daily body weight gain and daily feed intake of pigs in the sodium butyrate group were increased (P < 0·05) and feed intake/body weight gain ratio was decreased (P < 0·05). Carcass weight of pigs in the sodium butyrate group was higher than that of pigs in the negative and positive groups (P < 0·05); backfat thickness of pigs in the positive group was higher than that of pigs in the negative group and sodium butyrate group (P < 0·001). When compared to the negative and positive groups, pigs fed diet supplemented with sodium butyrate showed a increased relative abundance of bacteroidetes in the caecum and a decreased relative abundance of fiemicutes and proteobacteria in the caecum (P < 0·05). CONCLUSION: The results indicated that dietary sodium butyrate supplementation increased growth performance of growing-finishing pigs and improved the carcass traits and intestinal health. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Antibiotic-free feed has become an inevitable worldwide trend. This study showed that dietary sodium butyrate supplementation improved the growth performance and intestinal health of growing-finishing pigs. Thus, sodium butyrate can be applied in growing-finishing pig feed as an alternative of antibiotics.

Gingko biloba extract EGB761 alleviates heat-stress damage in chicken heart tissue by stimulating Hsp70 expression in vivo in vascular endothelial cells.

1. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of Gingko biloba extract EGB761 on heat-stressed chicken heart in vivo and its underlying relevance to Hsp70.2. A total of 50 one-day-old female chicks were randomly divided into five groups: control (Con), heat-stress (HS), 0.1% EGB761 plus heat-stress (0.1%EGB+HS), 0.3%EGB761 plus heat-stress (0.3%EGB+HS) and 0.6%EGB761 plus heat-stress (0.6%EGB+HS) groups. After administration of EGB761 for 45 days, the chickens in each group were exposed to a single heat-stress event at 38 ± 1°C for 3 h.3. EGB761 attenuated the abnormal symptoms and pathological scores of myocardium of heat-stressed chickens. Despite a reduction in the transcription and translation of the Hsp70 gene in heat-stressed myocardium, EGB761 induced the expression of Hsp70 in endothelial cells of the microarteries and venules into the blood, and reduced heat-stress damage in vascular endothelial cells.4. Supplementation with EGB761 before heat-stress exposure protected chicken myocardium from damage by increasing serum Hsp70 protein from myocardial cells and cardiac microvascular endothelial cells and protected the microvascular system from adverse injury.

Effects of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa fermentation product on the laying performance, egg quality, jejunal mucosal morphology and intestinal microbiota of hens.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa solid-state fermentation product (RSFP) on the laying performance, egg quality and intestinal microbial flora of hens. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, 40-week-old Roman laying hens (n = 216) were randomly assigned to one of the four groups: the control (CON) group, fed 87.5% basal diet +12.5% fermentation substrate; the 0.5% RSFP group, fed 87.5% basal diet +12.0% fermentation substrate +0.5% RSFP; the 2.5% RSFP group, fed 87.5% basal diet +10.0% fermentation substrate +2.5% RSFP; and the 12.5% RSFP group, fed 87.5% basal diet +12.5% RSFP. The effect of each treatment was analysed in six replicates of nine hens. The experimental period was 31 days, which included a 3-day adaptation period. After 31 days of feeding, one hen from each replicate was randomly selected and killed, and the jejunum and digesta in the cecum were collected for the determination of the intestinal morphology and microbial flora respectively. Daily egg mass in the 2.5 and 12.5% RSFP groups and egg production and feed conversion ratio in the 12.5% RSFP group were higher than those in control group (P < 0.05). The yolk colour was improved in hens fed RSFP-supplemented diets (P < 0.05). Hens fed RSFP-supplemented diet showed a decrease in the relative abundances of Proteobacteria, Bacteroides, Helicobacteraceae, Helicobacter and Lachnospiraceae UCG-002, but an increase in the relative abundance of Prevotellaceae UCG-001 in the cecum (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Dietary RSFP supplementation improved the laying performance, egg quality and intestinal microflora of hens. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Dietary supplementing diet with Rhodotorula mucilaginosa solid-state fermentation product, which is rich in carotenoids, improved the yolk colour and increased the carotenoid content, thereby improving the intestinal health of hens.

[Effect of intravenous granisetron combined and acupuncture point injection at PC6(Neiguan) with 0.9% sodium chlorideon postoperative nausea and vomiting after gynecological laparoscopy].

Objective: To observe the effects of intravenous granisetron and acupuncture point injection at PC6(Neiguan) with 0.9% sodium chloride on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after gynecological laparoscopic surgery. Methods: Qualified cases were collected according to prospective randomized controlled clinical trial design. 94 cases patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery without postoperative intravenous analgesia were selected from February 2017 to November 2018 in Beijing Aerospace General Hospital and The Affiliated Hangzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. The patients were randomly divided into three groups: bilateral PC6 sham injection of 0.9% sodium chloride+ intravenous granisetron(group A, n=31); bilateral acupuncture point injection at PC6 of 0.9% sodium chloride+ intravenous 0.9% sodium chloride(group B, n=33); bilateral acupuncture point injection at PC6 of 0.9% sodium chloride+ intravenous granisetron(group C, n=30). The indexes including age, body mass index(BMI), type of surgery, surgery time, anesthesia time, liquid intake and output volume, the time from the completion of the operation to the removal of the tracheal catheter, the time from the completion to follow the instruction, respiratory depression, restlessness, arrhythmias and other adverse reactions during anesthesia recovery were recorded. Evaluated the nausea and vomiting according to the visual analogue scales (nausea visual analog scale, NVAS) 12 hours after the operation. Not only the dose and the related frequency of antiemetic drugs for rescue, but also the time of the first anal exsufflation and the pain 24 hours after the operation were recorded. Detected the concentration of motilin (MTL), when the operation started/awake after extubation/12 hours after the operation Results: The incidence of nausea and vomiting 12 hours after the operation in group A, B and C was 35.5%, 33.3%, 10.0%. The difference was statistically significant (χ(2)=0.654, P<0.05). The motilin after 12 hours of operation in group A, B and C was (564±76),(559±84),(472±69) ng/L. The difference was statistically significant (F=14.033, P<0.05). The incidence of nausea and vomiting and the motilin after 12 hours of operation in group C were lower than group A and B. The time for the first anal exsufflation in group A, B and C was (19±8),(19±7),(14±8)h.The difference was statistically significant (F=4.523, P<0.05). The time for the first anal exsufflation in group C was earlier than group A and B. Conclusion: Either intravenous granisetron or acupuncture point injection at PC6 of 0.9% sodium chloride can effectively reduce the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting after gynecological laparoscopic surgery. Intravenous granisetron combined with acupuncture point injection at PC6 of 0.9% sodium chloride has better effect and promotes the first anal exsufflation time, which is conducive to the rapid postoperative recovery of patients.

Maintenance of SOX9 stability and ECM homeostasis by selenium-sensitive PRMT5 in cartilage.

OBJECTIVES: Selenium (Se) plays pivotal roles in maintaining optimal health. Nevertheless, how Se influences the metabolism of extracellular matrix (ECM) in cartilage remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to observe protein dimethylation by certain Se-sensitive PRMT and to elucidate its effects on the key transcriptional factor in cartilage. METHODS: We observed the expression of selenoproteins and markers of ECM metabolism in chondrocytes and articular cartilage of the rats under Se-deficiency by RT-qPCR, immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Then, we analyzed the expression of total dimethylated protein by using specific antibody under different Se statuses. After Se sensitive PRMT was identified, we used siRNA or PRMT inhibitor or stably overexpressing vector to intervene in the PRMT expression and identified the key transcriptional factor. Co-immunoprecipitation was applied to verify the interaction between PRMT and the key transcriptional factor. Finally, we measured the half-life time of the key transcriptional factor by immunoblotting after cycloheximide treatment. RESULTS: In chondrocytes and cartilage of the rats with Se deficiency, we found an aberrant metabolism manifesting decreased expression of Col2a1 and increased expression of Mmp-3. Then, we identified that PRMT5 was the unique type II PRMT, sensitive to Se status. PRMT5 upregulation led to the increased COL2A1 expression but decreased MMP-3 expression in chondrocytes. Furthermore, we revealed that PRMT5 improved SOX9 stability by dimethylating the protein, which contributed to maintain the matrix metabolic homeostasis of the chondrocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Se-sensitive PRMT5 increases the half-life of SOX9 protein via PTM and helps to maintain ECM homeostasis of the articular cartilage.

Overexpression of AdeABC efflux pump associated with tigecycline resistance in clinical Acinetobacter nosocomialis isolates.

OBJECTIVES: Tigecycline non-susceptible Acinetobacter nosocomialis (TNAN) has been discovered in clinical isolates. The resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND)-type efflux system plays a major role in tigecycline non-susceptible Acinetobacter baumannii, but the mechanism in A. nosocomialis remains unknown. Our aim was to analyse the contribution of efflux-based tigecycline resistance in clinical A. nosocomialis isolates collected from multiple medical centres in Taiwan. METHODS: A total of 57 A. nosocomialis isolates, including 46 TNAN and 11 tigecycline-susceptible A. nosocomialis (TSAN) isolates, were analysed. Of these, 46 TNAN isolates were clustered to ST410 (43 isolates) and ST68 (three isolates) by multi-locus sequence typing. RESULTS: The relationship between the RND efflux pump and tigecycline resistance was indirectly verified by successfully reducing tigecycline resistance with NMP, an efflux pump inhibitor. The three RND efflux systems (AdeABC, AdeIJK and AdeFGH) were detected in all clinical isolates. The transcript level of adeB gene increased significantly and was correlated with tigecycline resistance. Moreover, the AdeRS two-component system was further classified into four different types of AdeRS patterns considering the amino acid sequence. Further analysis showed that tigecycline resistance was related to the transcript level of adeB gene and the AdeRS pattern. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the dissemination of TNAN isolates in Taiwan is attributable mainly to the spread of ST410. The AdeABC efflux pump appeared to play an important role in the tigecycline resistance of A. nosocomialis.

[Prognostic value of pretreatment (18)F-FDG PET-CT for patients with advanced diffuse large B-cell lymphoma].

Objective: To investigate the prognostic value of the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) measured by pretreatment (18)F-FDG PET-CT in patients with stage Ⅲ~Ⅳ diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Methods: Clinical data of 72 DLBCL patients with stage Ⅲ~Ⅳ disease undergoing a pretreatment PET-CT scan were retrospectively analyzed. SUVmax, MTV and TLG values of whole-body tumor were calculated from PET-CT images with a threshold of SUVmax 40% of tumor tissues. The optimal cutoff lines of SUVmax, MTV and TLG were obtained by ROC curve analysis. The Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test were used to perform univariate survival analysis, while Cox proportional hazards model was done for multivariate analysis. Results: The SUVmax, MTV and TLG of 72 patients were 21.64, 139.48 cm(3) and 1 413.77, respectively. The areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of SUVmax, MTV and TLG were 0.411 (95%CI=0.279~0.544, P=0.195), 0.688 (95%CI=0.566~0.811, P=0.006) and 0.526 (95%CI= 0.469~0.672, P=0.123), respectively. The median SUVmax (21.64) and TLG(1 413.77) were used as the cutoff lines due to smaller AUC. The cutoff point of MTV was 69.71 cm(3). For DLBCL patients of stage Ⅲ~Ⅳ disease, univariate analysis showed that SUVmax and TLG were not associated with the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (P>0.05 for all). Multivariate analysis showed that National Comprehensive Cancer Network International Prognostic Index (NCCN-IPI) but not MTV was the independent prognostic predictor of PFS and OS (P<0.05 for all). And MTV was not the independent prognostic factor of PFS and OS for stage Ⅲ DLBCL (P>0.05 for all). Conclusions: For DLBCL patients with stage Ⅲ~Ⅳ disease, the prognostic value of SUVmax, MTV and TLG before treatment initiation are undetermined, and these indices cannot be used to predict the prognosis.

[The clinical value of China Savin pollen extract used for skin prick test].

Objective:The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of China Savin pollen extract which was used for skin prick test (SPT) in the diagnosis of China Savin pollen allergy. Method:Patients with diagnosis of allergic diseases were collected from Allergy Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital. All patients were given SPT with China Savin pollen extract, and the mean wheal diameter (MWD) was measured after 15 minutes. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was performed based on the results of serum specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE). The effectiveness of SPT in the diagnosis of China Savin pollen allergy was evaluated under different diagnostic cutoff values. Adverse events were also recorded to evaluate the safety. Result:A total of 1 029 patients were enrolled in this study without drop out case. There were 1 007 patients in full analysis set (FAS) and 765 patients in per protocol analysis set (PPS). The elimination rate was 25.66%. The area under the ROC curve of FAS is 0.814 (95%CI: 0.788-0.839); which of PPS is 0.829 (95%CI: 0.801-0.857). Based on the ROC curve of PPS, the optimal and the 95% specificity diagnostic cutoff values of MWD were 3.25 mm and 4.75 mm respectively. Based on different diagnostic cutoff value (3.00, 3.25 and 4.75 mm), the sensitivities of SPT with China Savin pollen extract were 0.740 0 (95%CI: 0.701 6-0.778 4), 0.700 (95%CI: 0.659 8-0.740 2) and 0.532 (95%CI: 0.488 3-0.575 7) respectively, whereas the specificity was gradually increased in sequence, which was 0.769 8 (95%CI: 0.719 1-0.820 5), 0.826 4 (95%CI: 0.780 8-0.872 0) and 0.950 9 (95%CI: 0.924 9-0.976 9) respectively. There were 7 adverse events observed among 6 patients (rate: 0.583%, 6/1 029). The manifestation was mild. There was no severe adverse event. Conclusion:SPT with China Savin pollen extract is an effective and safe tool for the diagnosis of China Savin pollen allergy. The effectiveness of diagnosis could be improved based on integration of medical history and different diagnostic threshold values of SPT.

[Sorafenib combined with chemotherapy and donor lymphocyte infusion as salvage therapy in patients with FLT3-positive acute myeloid leukemia relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation].

To explore the efficacy of sorafenib combined with chemotherapy and donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) in patients with FLT3-positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML) relapsed after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Of the 14 patients relapsed after allo-HSCT, 9 achieved complete remission after salvage therapy of sorafenib combined with chemotherapy and DLI, 6 with complete molecular remission, 2 with partial remission, and 3 with no response. With a median follow up of 220 (range, 30-1 782) days after post-transplantation relapse, 7 patients were still alive and 7 died. Salvage therapy of sorafenib combined with chemotherapy and DLI shows a decent therapeutic effect for FLT3-positive AML relapsed after allo-HSCT.

[Preliminary analysis of the effects of tailor-made notched music therapy on chronic idiopathic tinnitus].

Objective: Tailor-made notched music was applied to alleviate the symptoms of chronic idiopathic tinnitus and compared its effectiveness with other existing sound treatment of tinnitus. Methods: Subjects (n=43; ears=75 )were recruited during June 2015 to October 2016 from the out-patients of our hospital. These patients had chronic (longer than 6months) and idiopathic tinnitus, with or without significant sensorineural hearing loss. In the prospective design, the patients were randomly divided into group A (treated with tailor-made notched music) and group B (treated with analogous sound masking), and received the treatment for 3 months. The tinnitus scale, tinnitus questionnaire and audiological findings were evaluated before treatment, and at one month and three months after treatment started. Results: After onemonth of treatment, the effective rate between the two groups was 40.9% and 42.9%, there was no significant difference between the two groups (χ(2)= 0.017, P=0.897). The average VAS for patients in group A showed more decrease in group A than in group B(VAS: 1.8 vs. 0.8, the percentage : 29.5% vs. 13.6%), but there was no significant difference between the two groups (t=-1.450, P=0.155). After 3 months of treatment, the effective rates were 68.2% and 23.8%, respectively. There was significant difference between the two groups (χ(2)= 8.503, P=0.004). The difference of the VAS scores between the two groups was statistically significant (t=-3.263, P=0.002), and the VAS score of group A was less.After 3 months of treatment, there was significant decreaseinthe average tinnitus loudness for patients in group A(t=5.569, P<0.01), and there was no significant changein group B(t=-0.953, P=0.374). There was also significant decreasein the scores of tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) (F=7.334, P<0.05), loudness visual analog scale (VAS) (F=20.48, P<0.001), and the proportion of patients with moderate to severe tinnitus(χ(2)=11.289, P<0.05) in the group A, and there was no significant change in group B(F=2.198, F=0.989, χ(2)=1.651; P=0.120, P=0.378, P=0.438>0.05). Conclusions: Our resultssuggest that long-term normalized listening to tailor-made notched music, can significantly reduce the perceived tinnitus loudness in varying degrees and improve the quality of life of patients. The effects and possible mechanism of this method were discussedin this paper.

Hydrostatic pressure effects on the static magnetism in Eu(Fe0.925Co0.075)2As2.

EuFe2As2-based iron pnictides are quite interesting compounds, due to the two magnetic sublattices in them and the tunability to superconductors by chemical doping or application of external pressure. The effects of hydrostatic pressure on the static magnetism in Eu(Fe0.925Co0.075)2As2 are investigated by complementary electrical resistivity, ac magnetic susceptibility and single-crystal neutron diffraction measurements. A specific pressure-temperature (P-T) phase diagram of Eu(Fe0.925Co0.075)2As2 is established. The structural phase transition, as well as the spin-density-wave order of Fe sublattice, is suppressed gradually with increasing pressure and disappears completely above 2.0 GPa. In contrast, the magnetic order of Eu sublattice persists over the whole investigated pressure range up to 14 GPa, yet displaying a non-monotonic variation with pressure. With the increase of the hydrostatic pressure, the magnetic state of Eu evolves from the canted antiferromagnetic structure in the ground state, via a pure ferromagnetic structure under the intermediate pressure, finally to an "unconfirmed" antiferromagnetic structure under the high pressure. The strong ferromagnetism of Eu coexists with the pressure-induced superconductivity around 2 GPa. Comparisons between the P-T phase diagrams of Eu(Fe0.925Co0.075)2As2 and the parent compound EuFe2As2 were also made.