Discrimination and prediction of Qingzhuan tea storage year using quantitative chemical profile combined with multivariate analysis: Advantages of MRMHR based targeted quantification metabolomics.

The duration of storage significantly influences the quality and market value of Qingzhuan tea (QZT). Herein, a high-resolution multiple reaction monitoring (MRMHR) quantitative method for markers of QZT storage year was developed. Quantitative data alongside multivariate analysis were employed to discriminate and predict the storage year of QZT. Furthermore, the content of the main biochemical ingredients, catechins and alkaloids, and free amino acids (FAA) were assessed for this purpose. The results show that targeted marker-based models exhibited superior discrimination and prediction performance among four datasets. The R2Xcum, R2Ycum and Q2cum of orthogonal projection to latent structure-discriminant analysis discrimination model were close to 1. The correlation coefficient (R2) and the root mean square error of prediction of the QZT storage year prediction model were 0.9906 and 0.63, respectively. This study provides valuable insights into tea storage quality and highlights the potential application of targeted markers in food quality evaluation.

The ethanolic extract of peanut shell attenuates the depressive-like behaviors of mice through modulation of inflammation and gut microbiota.

Peanut shell is an agricultural byproduct being wasted on a large scale, which is in urgent need to be recycled. To fully utilize its pharmacological ingredients, e.g. luteolin, eriodyctiol, and 5,7-dihydroxychromone, we evaluated the curative effect of ethanol extract deriving from peanut shell (PSE) in treating chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depressive mice. The chronic stress lasted for 10 weeks, and PSE at 100-900 mg/kg/day was gavaged to mice in the last 2 weeks of modeling. The depressive behaviors were assessed by analyses of sucrose preference, tail suspension, and forced swimming. The brain injury was demonstrated by Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E), Nissl body, and TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) stainings in the mouse hippocampus. Biochemical indicators were analyzed, including levels of neurotrophic factors, neurotransmitters, stress hormones, and inflammatory mediators. The feces were collected for the 16S rDNA sequencing of gut microbiome. Administration of PSE improved the sucrose water consumption of depressive mice, while it decreased the immobile time in tail suspension and forced swimming tests. Meanwhile, the anti-depressive effect of PSE was supported by ameliorated histochemical staining, increased levels of neurotrophic factors and neurotransmitters, as well as down-regulated stress hormones. Furthermore, the treatment of PSE was able to mitigate the levels of inflammatory cytokines in brain, serum, and small intestine. Besides, the tight junction proteins, e.g., occludin and ZO-1, of gut showed elevated expressions, which coincided with the elevated abundance and diversity of gut microbiota upon PSE treatment. This study validated the therapeutic efficacy of PSE in fighting against depression, as well as its modulatory action on inflammation and gut microbiota, which promoted the recycling of this agricultural waste to be health supplements of added value.

Noninvasive Strategies for the Treatment of Tiny Liver Cancer: Integrating Photothermal Therapy and Multimodality Imaging EpCAM-Guided Nanoparticles.

Surgical resection and ablation therapy have been shown to achieve the purpose of a radical cure for liver cancer with a size of less than 3 cm; however, tiny liver cancer lesions of diameters smaller than 2 cm remain challenging to diagnose and cure due to the failure of the generation of new blood vessels within tumors. Emerging evidence has revealed that optical molecular imaging combined with nanoprobes can detect tiny cancer from the perspective of molecular and cellular levels and kill cancer cells by the photothermal effect of nanoparticles in real time, thereby achieving radical goals. In the present study, we designed and synthesized multicomponent and multifunctional ICG-CuS-Gd@BSA-EpCAM nanoparticles (NPs) with a potent antineoplastic effect on tiny liver cancer. Using subcutaneous and orthotopic liver cancer xenograft mouse models, we found that the components of the NPs, including ICG and CuS-Gd@BSA, showed synergistic photothermal effects on the eradication of tiny liver cancer. We also found that the ICG-CuS-Gd@BSA-EpCAM NPs exhibited triple-modal functions of fluorescence imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, and photoacoustic imaging, with targeted detection and photothermal treatment of tiny liver cancer under near-infrared light irradiation. Together, our study demonstrates that the ICG-CuS-Gd@BSA-EpCAM NPs in combination with optical imaging technique might be a potential approach for detecting and noninvasively and radically curing tiny liver cancer by the photothermal effect.

Involvement of YTHDF1 in renal fibrosis progression via up-regulating YAP.

Renal fibrosis is a progressive, fatal renal disease characterized by the aberrant accumulation of myofibroblasts that produce excess extracellular matrix (ECM) in the renal interstitium and glomeruli. Yes-associated protein (YAP) has been regarded as a crucial modulator in myofibroblast transformation, but its upstream regulator remains a mystery. In the present study investigating the participation of m6A methylation during renal fibrosis through bioinformatics analysis, we identified YTHDF1, a modulator of m6A methylation, as a key contributor for renal fibrosis because it was highly expressed in human fibrotic kidneys and had a significant correction with YAP. Their co-localization in human fibrotic kidneys was additionally shown by immunofluorescence. We then found that YTHDF1 was also up-regulated in fibrotic mouse kidneys induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), high-dose folic acid administration, or the unilateral ischemia-reperfusion injury, further supporting a causal role of YTHDF1 during renal fibrosis. Consistent with this notion, YTHDF1 knockdown alleviated the progression of renal fibrosis both in cultured cells induced by transforming growth factor-beta administration and in the UUO mouse model. Meanwhile, YAP was accordingly down-regulated when YTHDF1 was inhibited. Furthermore, the specific binding of YTHDF1 to YAP mRNA was detected using RNA Binding Protein Immunoprecipitation, and the up-regulation of fibrotic related molecules in cultured cells induced by YTHDF1 over-expression plasmid was attenuated by YAP siRNA. Taken together, our data highlight the potential utility of YTHDF1 as an indicator for renal fibrosis and suggest that YTHDF1 inhibition might be a promising therapeutic strategy to alleviate renal fibrosis via downregulating YAP.

A-Lipoic Acid Alleviates Folic Acid-Induced Renal Damage Through Inhibition of Ferroptosis.

Folic acid (FA)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is characterized by the disturbance of redox homeostasis, resulting in massive tubular necrosis and inflammation. Α-lipoic acid (LA), as an antioxidant, has been reported to play an important role in renal protection, but the underlying mechanism remains poorly explored. The aim of this study is to investigate the protective effect of LA on FA-induced renal damage. Our findings showed that LA could ameliorate renal dysfunction and histopathologic damage induced by FA overdose injection. Moreover, FA injection induced severe inflammation, indicated by increased release of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and IL-1ß, as well as infiltration of macrophage, which can be alleviated by LA supplementation. In addition, LA not only reduced the cellular iron overload by upregulating the expressions of Ferritin and ferroportin (FPN), but also mitigated reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and lipid peroxidation by increasing the levels of antioxidant glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase-4 (GPX4). More importantly, we found that LA supplementation could reduce the number of Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive tubular cells caused by FA, indicating that the tubular cell death mediated by ferroptosis may be inhibited. Further study demonstrated that LA supplementation could reverse the decreased expression of cystine/glutamate antiporter xCT (SLC7A11), which mediated GSH synthesis. What is more, mechanistic study indicated that p53 activation was involved in the inhibitory effect of SLC7A11 induced by FA administration, which could be suppressed by LA supplementation. Taken together, our findings indicated that LA played the protective effect on FA-induced renal damage mainly by inhibiting ferroptosis.

Chemoprophylaxis, diagnosis, treatments, and discharge management of COVID-19: An evidence-based clinical practice guideline (updated version).

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of a rapidly spreading illness, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), affecting more than seventeen million people around the world. Diagnosis and treatment guidelines for clinicians caring for patients are needed. In the early stage, we have issued "A rapid advice guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infected pneumonia (standard version)"; now there are many direct evidences emerged and may change some of previous recommendations and it is ripe for develop an evidence-based guideline. We formed a working group of clinical experts and methodologists. The steering group members proposed 29 questions that are relevant to the management of COVID-19 covering the following areas: chemoprophylaxis, diagnosis, treatments, and discharge management. We searched the literature for direct evidence on the management of COVID-19, and assessed its certainty generated recommendations using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Recommendations were either strong or weak, or in the form of ungraded consensus-based statement. Finally, we issued 34 statements. Among them, 6 were strong recommendations for, 14 were weak recommendations for, 3 were weak recommendations against and 11 were ungraded consensus-based statement. They covered topics of chemoprophylaxis (including agents and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) agents), diagnosis (including clinical manifestations, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respiratory tract specimens, IgM and IgG antibody tests, chest computed tomography, chest x-ray, and CT features of asymptomatic infections), treatments (including lopinavir-ritonavir, umifenovir, favipiravir, interferon, remdesivir, combination of antiviral drugs, hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine, interleukin-6 inhibitors, interleukin-1 inhibitors, glucocorticoid, qingfei paidu decoction, lianhua qingwen granules/capsules, convalescent plasma, lung transplantation, invasive or noninvasive ventilation, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)), and discharge management (including discharge criteria and management plan in patients whose RT-PCR retesting shows SARS-CoV-2 positive after discharge). We also created two figures of these recommendations for the implementation purpose. We hope these recommendations can help support healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients.

Chemoprophylaxis, diagnosis, treatments, and discharge management of COVID-19: an evidence-based clinical practice guideline (updated version)

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of a rapidly spreading illness, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), affecting more than seventeen million people around the world. Diagnosis and treatment guidelines for clinicians caring for patients are needed. In the early stage, we have issued "A rapid advice guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infected pneumonia (standard version)"; now there are many direct evidences emerged and may change some of previous recommendations and it is ripe for develop an evidence-based guideline. We formed a working group of clinical experts and methodologists. The steering group members proposed 29 questions that are relevant to the management of COVID-19 covering the following areas: chemoprophylaxis, diagnosis, treatments, and discharge management. We searched the literature for direct evidence on the management of COVID-19, and assessed its certainty generated recommendations using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Recommendations were either strong or weak, or in the form of ungraded consensus-based statement. Finally, we issued 34 statements. Among them, 6 were strong recommendations for, 14 were weak recommendations for, 3 were weak recommendations against and 11 were ungraded consensus-based statement. They covered topics of chemoprophylaxis (including agents and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) agents), diagnosis (including clinical manifestations, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respiratory tract specimens, IgM and IgG antibody tests, chest computed tomography, chest x-ray, and CT features of asymptomatic infections), treatments (including lopinavir-ritonavir, umifenovir, favipiravir, interferon, remdesivir, combination of antiviral drugs, hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine, interleukin-6 inhibitors, interleukin-1 inhibitors, glucocorticoid, qingfei paidu decoction, lianhua qingwen granules/capsules, convalescent plasma, lung transplantation, invasive or noninvasive ventilation, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)), and discharge management (including discharge criteria and management plan in patients whose RT-PCR retesting shows SARS-CoV-2 positive after discharge). We also created two figures of these recommendations for the implementation purpose. We hope these recommendations can help support healthcare workers caring for COVID19 patients

Evaluation on the effect of acupuncture on patients with sepsis-induced myopathy (ACU-SIM pilot study): A single center, propensity-score stratified, assessor-blinded, prospective pragmatic controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis-induced myopathy (SIM) is a disease that causes motor dysfunction in patients with sepsis. There is currently no targeted treatment for this disease. Acupuncture has shown considerable efficacy in the treatment of sepsis and muscle weakness. Therefore, our research aims to explore the effects of acupuncture on the improvement of muscle structure and function in SIM patients and on activities of daily living. METHODS: The ACU-SIM pilot study is a single-center, propensity-score stratified, assessor-blinded, prospective pragmatic controlled trial (pCT) with a 1-year follow-up period. This study will be deployed in a multi-professional critical care department at a tertiary teaching hospital in Guangzhou, China. Ninety-eight intensive care unit subjects will be recruited and assigned to either the control group or the acupuncture group. Both groups will receive basic treatment for sepsis, and the acupuncture group will additionally receive acupuncture treatment. The primary outcomes will be the rectus femoris cross-sectional area, the Medical Research Council sum-score and time-to-event (defined as all-cause mortality or unplanned readmission to the intensive care unit due to invasive ventilation). The activities of daily living will be accessed by the motor item of the Functional Independence Measure. Recruitment will last for 2 years, and each patient will have a 1-year follow-up after the intervention. DISCUSSION: There is currently no research on the therapeutic effects of acupuncture on SIM. The results of this study may contribute to new knowledge regarding early muscle atrophy and the treatment effect of acupuncture in SIM patients, and the results may also direct new approaches and interventions in these patients. This trial will serve as a pilot study for an upcoming multicenter real-world study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trials Registry: ChiCTR-1900026308, registered on September 29th, 2019.

Sedative and Hypnotic Effects and Transcriptome Analysis of Polygala tenuifolia in Aged Insomnia Rats.

OBJECTIVE: To study the sedative and hypnotic effects and underlying mechanisms of Polygala tenuifolia (PT) on treating aged insomnia rats. METHODS: Sixty Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into 6 groups by a random number table, including control group, model group, diazepam group (0.92 mg/kg), as well as PT low-, medium- and high-dose groups (0.0875, 0.175, 0.35 g/kg, respectively), 10 rats in each group. Aged insomnia rat model was established with subcutaneous injection of D-galactose for 42 days and then intraperitoneal injection of para-chlorophenylalanine for 3 days. PT and diazepam were respectively given to aged insomnia rats by intragastric administration for 7 days after model establishment. Then the rats were investigated by body weight, Morris water maze test, pentobarbital test, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and transcriptome sequencing. RESULTS: Compared with the model group, PT increased the body weight, improved memory ability, and prolonged pentobarbital-induced sleep time of aged insomnia rats (P<0.01 or P<0.05). The medium dose of PT also increased the neurotransmitter levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and decreased the level of Glu in the hippocampus of aged insomnia rats (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Twenty-four differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were overlapped among model group, medium-dose PT group, and diazepam group in transcriptome analysis. Fuom and Pcp2 were down-regulated by the treatment of medium-dose PT (P<0.01 or P<0.05). The metabolic pathways of PT were relatively less than diazepam (91 vs. 104). CONCLUSIONS: The sedative and hypnotic effects of PT in aged insomnia rats might be related to neuro, metabolism pathways, especially through GABAergic signaling pathway. It provided more effective herb choice for the treatment of senile insomnia.

[A new nor-sesquiterpene glycoside from Corydalis edulis].

This study is to investigate the chemical constituents from the whole plant Corydalis edulis. The chemical constituents were separated and purified by macroporous resin D101, silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, ODS, and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were determined by physicochemical properties and spectroscopic data. Four compounds were isolated from the dichloromethane and water extracts of the whole plant C. edulis, and identified as 6'-ß-D-xylosylicariside B2(1),(3S,5R,6S,7E)-5,6-epoxy-3-hydroxy-7-megastigmen-9-one(2), loliolide(3), and 5,5'-dimethoxybiphenyl-2,2'-diol(4), respectively. Compound 1 is a new compound, of which the absolute configuration was established by electronic circular dichroism(ECD) calculations. Compound 4 is obtained from the plants of Papaveraceae family for the first time. Compounds 2 and 3 are firstly isolated from the Corydalis genus.

A rapid advice guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infected pneumonia (standard version).

In December 2019, a new type viral pneumonia cases occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province; and then named "2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)" by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 12 January 2020. For it is a never been experienced respiratory disease before and with infection ability widely and quickly, it attracted the world's attention but without treatment and control manual. For the request from frontline clinicians and public health professionals of 2019-nCoV infected pneumonia management, an evidence-based guideline urgently needs to be developed. Therefore, we drafted this guideline according to the rapid advice guidelines methodology and general rules of WHO guideline development; we also added the first-hand management data of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University. This guideline includes the guideline methodology, epidemiological characteristics, disease screening and population prevention, diagnosis, treatment and control (including traditional Chinese Medicine), nosocomial infection prevention and control, and disease nursing of the 2019-nCoV. Moreover, we also provide a whole process of a successful treatment case of the severe 2019-nCoV infected pneumonia and experience and lessons of hospital rescue for 2019-nCoV infections. This rapid advice guideline is suitable for the first frontline doctors and nurses, managers of hospitals and healthcare sections, community residents, public health persons, relevant researchers, and all person who are interested in the 2019-nCoV.

Polysaccharide deriving from Ophiopogonis Radix promotes metabolism of ginsenosides in the present of human gut microbiota based on UPLC-MS/MS assay.

The combined usage of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (ginseng) and Ophiopogonis Radix is common in oriental countries for thousands of years. The major active constituents of ginseng are ginsenosides, and the conversion of ginsenosides to different metabolites by gut microbiota has been reported. However, the effect of Ophiopogonis Radix, especially its polysaccharides, on the metabolism of ginsenosides by gut microbiota is not known. Here, an in vitro metabolism of ginseng extract, or ginsenosides, in combination with or without Ophiopogon polysaccharide was conducted. A sensitive and reliable UPLC-MS/MS approach using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) in positive ion mode was developed simultaneously to quantify 22 ginsenosides in the broth of gut microbiota. After fermentation with the microbiota, 15 ginsenosides were detected and quantified, including 6 primary ginsenosides, i.e. Rb1, Rc, Rb2, Rb3, Rd and Re, and 9 metabolites, i.e. F2, Rg3, compound K, Rh2, PPD, Rg1, Rh1, Rg2 and PPT. The quantitative results therefore revealed the elimination of primary ginsenosides and the formation of their metabolites in time-dependent manners. Furthermore, Ophiopogon polysaccharide was shown to stimulate the metabolism of ginsenosides, triggered by gut microbiota. Our study can be extended to investigate the metabolism of different Panax species by gut microbiota when combining with other herbs.

The effects of acupuncture on pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The effects of acupuncture on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes remain controversial. And the variation in participant, interventions, outcomes studied, and trial design may relate to the efficacy of adjuvant acupuncture. METHODS: We searched digital databases for relevant studies, including Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library and some Chinese databases up to December 2018, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects of acupuncture on women undergoing IVF. We included studies with intervention groups using needling, and control groups consisting of no acupuncture or sham (placebo) acupuncture. Primary outcomes were clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR). Meta-regression and subgroup analysis were conducted on the basis of eight pre-specified covariates to investigate the variances of the effects of adjuvant acupuncture on pregnancy rates and the sources of heterogeneity. RESULTS: Twenty-seven studies with 6116 participants were included. The pooled clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) from all of acupuncture groups was significantly greater than that of control groups (RR 1.21, 95% CI: 1.07-1.38), whereas the pooled live birth rate (LBR) was not. Meta-regression subgroup analysis showed a more significant benefit of acupuncture for repeated IVF cycle proportion (number of women with a history of prior unsuccessful IVF attempt divided by number of women included in each trial) ≥ 50% group (CPR: RR 1.60, 95% CI: 1.28-2.00; LBR: RR 1.42, 95% CI: 1.05-1.92), and this covariate explained most of the heterogeneity (CPR and LBR: adjusted R2 = 100 and 87.90%). Similar results were found between CPR and number of acupuncture treatments (CPR: p = 0.002, adjusted R2 = 51.90%), but not LBR. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis finds a benefit of acupuncture for IVF outcomes in women with a history of unsuccessful IVF attempt, and number of acupuncture treatments is a potential influential factor. Given the poor reporting and methodological flaws of existing studies, studies with larger scales and better methodologies are needed to verify these findings.

[Therapeutic effects on primary dysmenorrhea treated with moxibustion at Shenque (CV 8) and warm needling at Guanyuan (CV 4) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6)].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical effects on primary dysmenorrhea treated with moxibustion at Shenque (CV 8) and warm needling at Guanyuan (CV 4) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6). METHODS: A total of 120 patients with primary dysmenorrhea were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 60 cases in each one. In the control group, the warm needling technique was used at Guanyuan (CV 4) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6). In the observation group, besides the same treatment as the control group, moxibustion was added at Shenque (CV 8). The treatment was given for 4 menstrual cycles consecutively. Before and after treatment, the score of the severity and the score of the total frequency in the retrospective scale of dysmenorrhea symptoms as well as the score of the visual analog scale (VAS) were recorded and compared in the patients between the two groups. Additionally, the safety of the two therapeutic methods was evaluated. RESULTS: After treatment, the score of severity and the score of total frequency as well as VAS score of menstrual pain were all reduced as compared with those before treatment in the patients of the two groups (all P<0.05). The scores in the observation group were more obvious as compared with the control group (all P<0.05). Regarding the safety evaluation, the difference was not significant between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The combined treatment of moxibustion at Shenque (CV 8) with the warm needling technique at Guanyuan (CV 4) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) achieves the better clinical effects on primary dysmenorrhea as compared with the simple application of the warm needling technique at Guanyuan (CV 4) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6). This therapy is safety in clinical practice.

Effects of Acupuncture on the Outcomes of Assisted Reproductive Technology: An Overview of Systematic Reviews.

OBJECTIVES: To conclude the evidence from systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses assessing the effectiveness of acupuncture to treat couples with subfertility undergoing ART. METHODS: We searched the major databases from their inception to March 2018: PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, Chongqing VIP, and Sino-Med (the Chinese database). The primary outcomes of the overview were live birth and clinical pregnancy, and secondary outcomes were ongoing pregnancy, miscarriage, and adverse events. Study selection, quality assessment, and data extraction were performed independently by two review authors. Review methodological quality was assessed by using the AMSTAR tool, and the quality of the evidence was rated by GRADE methods. RESULTS: Eleven systematic reviews were included and published between 2009 and 2017. Our study showed that the acupuncture treatment seems to be a useful tool to improve the clinical pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy. However, there was no evidence that acupuncture had any effect on live birth rate, ongoing pregnancy rates, or miscarriage regardless of whether acupuncture was performed around the time of oocyte retrieval or around the day of embryo transfer; this evidence is inconclusive because of the low quality of the included studies. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence for acupuncture to treat couples with subfertility undergoing ART remains unclear. Further research is needed, with high-quality trials undertaken and reported.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the prostate after transurethral resection of the prostate with negative expression of anaplastic lymphoma kinase: a case report

ABSTRACT CONTEXT: Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors are a rare type of soft-tissue tumor. Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors are characterized by rearrangements involving the anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene locus on 2p23. Case Report: We report the case of a 67-year-old Chinese male who presented with dysuria and fever. Magnetic resonance imaging showed an irregular prostatic mass with an isointense signal and obscure boundary. Histopathological evaluation showed that the mass consisted mainly of spindle-shaped cells. Immunohistochemical evaluation showed that the tumor cells were negative for anaplastic lymphoma kinase. CONCLUSIONS: Inflammatory myofibroblastic prostate tumors are rare lesions with unclear etiology. The pathological diagnosis is very important.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the prostate after transurethral resection of the prostate with negative expression of anaplastic lymphoma kinase: a case report.

CONTEXT: Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors are a rare type of soft-tissue tumor. Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors are characterized by rearrangements involving the anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene locus on 2p23. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 67-year-old Chinese male who presented with dysuria and fever. Magnetic resonance imaging showed an irregular prostatic mass with an isointense signal and obscure boundary. Histopathological evaluation showed that the mass consisted mainly of spindle-shaped cells. Immunohistochemical evaluation showed that the tumor cells were negative for anaplastic lymphoma kinase. CONCLUSIONS: Inflammatory myofibroblastic prostate tumors are rare lesions with unclear etiology. The pathological diagnosis is very important.

In silico analysis of the potential mechanism of telocinobufagin on breast cancer MCF-7 cells.

BACKGROUNDS AND AIMS: The extractives from a ChanSu, traditional Chinese medicine, have been discovered to possess anti-inflammatory and tumor-suppressing abilities. However, the molecular mechanism of telocinobufagin, a compound extracted from ChanSu, on breast cancer cells has not been clarified. The aim of this study is to investigate the underlying mechanism of telocinobufagin on breast cancer cells. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The differentially expressed genes after telocinobufagin treatment on breast cancer cells were searched and downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), ArrayExpress and literatures. Bioinformatics tools were applied to further explore the potential mechanism of telocinobufagin in breast cancer using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway, Gene ontology (GO) enrichment, panther, and protein-protein interaction analyses. To better comprehend the role of telocinobufagin in breast cancer, we also queried the Connectivity Map using the gene expression profiles of telocinobufagin treatment. RESULTS: One GEO accession (GSE85871) provided 1251 differentially expressed genes after telocinobufagin treatment on MCF-7 cells. The pathway of neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), intestinal immune network for IgA production, hematopoietic cell lineage and calcium signaling pathway were the key pathways from KEGG analysis. IGF1 and KSR1, owning to higher protein levels in breast cancer tissues, IGF1 and KSR1 could be the hub genes related to telocinobufagin treatment. It was indicated that the molecular mechanism of telocinobufagin resembled that of fenspiride. CONCLUSIONS: Telocinobufagin might regulate neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway to exert its influences in breast cancer MCF-7 cells, and its molecular mechanism might share some similarities with fenspiride. This study only presented a comprehensive picture of the role of telocinobufagin in breast cancer MCF-7 cells using big data. However, more thorough and deeper researches are required to add to the validity of this study.

[Phenylpropanoid amides from whole plants of Corydalis edulis].

Ten phenylpropanoid amides were isolated from the whole plants of Corydalis edulis Maxim. by various of column chromatographies including silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and ODS. Their structures were identified on the basis of physicochemical properties, MS, NMR, and IR spectroscopic data. These compounds were identified as N-trans-sinapoyl-3-methoxytyramine-4'-O-ß-glucoside(1), N-trans-sinapoyl-3-methoxytyramine(2), N-trans-sinapoyltyramine(3), N-trans-p-coumaroyltyramine(4), N-trans-sinapoyl-7-hydroxytyramine(5), N-cis-feruloyltyramine(6), N-cis-p-coumaroyltyramine(7), N-trans-feruloyltyramine(8), N-trans-feruloyl-3-methoxytyramine(9), and N-trans-feruloyl-7-hydroxytyramine(10). Compound 1 is a new compound. Compounds 2-7 are obtained from the plants of Papaveraceae for the first time, while compounds 8-10 are firstly isolated from C. edulis.

[Clinical Studies of Abdominal Acupuncture Combined with Warm Needling on Knee Osteoarthritis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical effects of abdominal acupuncture combined with warm needling on knee osteoarthritis (KOA). METHODS: Eighty-six patients with KOA were divided into a treatment group and a control group according to the digital random table, 43 cases in each one. In the treatment group, patients were treated with abdominal acupuncture at Zhongwan (CV 12), Guanyuan (CV 4) and Huaroumen (ST 24), Wailing (ST 26) and Xiafengshidian (Extra) on the affected side, as well as warm needling at Neixiyan (EX-LE 4), Dubi (ST 35), Heding (EX-LE 2), Liangqiu (ST 34) and Xuehai (SP 10) of the affected side. In the control group, warm needling was given. All the patients were treated 5 times a week for 4 weeks. Each dimension score of Western Ontario and McMaster University (WOMAC) osteoarthritis index scale and health survey 36-item short form (SF-36) of the two groups was compared before and after treatment. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was applied to test serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiopoietin-1(Ang-1). RESULTS: Compared with those before treatment, the scores of pain, stiffness, joint function of WOMAC scale and serum VEGF, Ang-1 of the two groups were lower after treatment (all P<0.01), and each dimension score of SF-36 scale increased significantly (all P<0.01). Each dimension score of WOMAC scale and serum VEGF, Ang-1 in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group after treatment (all P<0.01), and each score of SF-36 was higher (all P<0.01). The total effective rate of 93.0% (40/43) in the treatment group was higher than 74.4% (32/43) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Abdominal acupuncture combined with warm needling can effectively alleviate pain and stiffness, improve the function of knee joint and quality of life, with definite effect for KOA. The mechanism may be related to the decreasing of serum VEGF and Ang-1.