Dissolution rate enhancement of new co-crystals of ezetimibe with maleic acid and isonicotinamide.

Ezetimibe (EZT) is a selective cholesterol absorption inhibitor with poor aqueous solubility (0.012mg/ml 23oC) and low oral bioavailability (about 35-65% for a once 10mg dose). The present study illustrates the preparation and characterization of two new co-crystals of ezetimibe using maleic acid and isonicotinamide as the coformers by solid grinding method. The co-crystal structures were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared spectroscopy (IR) techniques. Crystallinity and surface morphological characteristics of these prepared co-crystals were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Dissolution rate tests demonstrated that both of the new co-crystals showed significant improvement in sodium lauryl sulfate -sodium acetate buffer solution (PH=4.5) at 15min and 20min. This study enriched the types of EZT co-crystals and identified that pharmaceutical co-crystal engineering technique play an important role in the dissolution rate enhancement of ezetimibe.

Inhibition of Parkinsonian tremor with cutaneous afferent evoked by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.

BACKGROUND: Recent study suggests that tremor signals are transmitted by way of multi-synaptic corticospinal pathway. Neurophysiological studies have also demonstrated that cutaneous afferents exert potent inhibition to descending motor commands by way of spinal interneurons. We hypothesize in this study that cutaneous afferents could also affect the transmission of tremor signals, thus, inhibit tremor in patients with PD. METHODS: We tested this hypothesis by activating cutaneous afferents in the dorsal hand skin innervated by superficial radial nerve using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Eight patients with PD having tremor dominant symptom were recruited to participate in this study using a consistent experimental protocol for tremor inhibition. Resting tremor and electromyogram (EMG) of muscles in the upper extremity of these subjects with PD were recorded, while surface stimulation was applied to the dorsal skin of the hand. Fifteen seconds of data were recorded for 5 s prior to, during and post stimulation. Power spectrum densities (PSDs) of tremor and EMG signals were computed for each data segment. The peak values of PSDs in three data segments were compared to detect evidence of tremor inhibition. RESULTS: At stimulation intensity from 1.5 to 1.75 times of radiating sensation threshold, apparent suppressions of tremor at wrist, forearm and upper arm and in the EMGs were observed immediately at the onset of stimulation. After termination of stimulation, tremor and rhythmic EMG bursts reemerged gradually. Statistical analysis of peak spectral amplitudes showed a significant difference in joint tremors and EMGs during and prior to stimulation in all 8 subjects with PD. The average percentage of suppression was 61.56% in tremor across all joints of all subjects, and 47.97% in EMG of all muscles. The suppression appeared to occur mainly in distal joints and muscles. There was a slight, but inconsistent effect on tremor frequency in the 8 patients with PD tested. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide direct evidence that tremor in the upper extremity of patients with PD can be inhibited to a large extent with evoked cutaneous reflexes via surface stimulation of the dorsal hand skin area innervated by the superficial radial nerve.

Three surgical planes identified in laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision for right-sided colon cancer.

BACKGROUND: Complete mesocolic excision provides a correct anatomical plane for colon cancer surgery. However, manifestation of the surgical plane during laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision versus in computed tomography images remains to be examined. METHODS: Patients who underwent laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision for right-sided colon cancer underwent an abdominal computed tomography scan. The spatial relationship of the intraoperative surgical planes were examined, and then computed tomography reconstruction methods were applied. The resulting images were analyzed. RESULTS: In 44 right-sided colon cancer patients, the surgical plane for laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision was found to be composed of three surgical planes that were identified by computed tomography imaging with cross-sectional multiplanar reconstruction, maximum intensity projection, and volume reconstruction. For the operations performed, the mean bleeding volume was 73±32.3 ml and the mean number of harvested lymph nodes was 22±9.7. The follow-up period ranged from 6-40 months (mean 21.2), and only two patients had distant metastases. CONCLUSIONS: The laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision surgical plane for right-sided colon cancer is composed of three surgical planes. When these surgical planes were identified, laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision was a safe and effective procedure for the resection of colon cancer.

Contribution of inter-muscular synchronization in the modulation of tremor intensity in Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: Involuntary central oscillations at single and double tremor frequencies drive the peripheral neuromechanical system of muscles and joints to cause tremor in Parkinson's disease (PD). The central signal of double tremor frequency was found to correlate more directly to individual muscle EMGs (Timmermann et al. 2003). This study is aimed at investigating what central components of oscillation contribute to inter-muscular synchronization in a group of upper extremity muscles during tremor in PD patients. METHODS: 11 idiopathic, tremor dominant PD subjects participated in this study. Joint kinematics during tremor in the upper extremity was recorded along with EMGs of six upper arm muscles using a novel experimental apparatus. The apparatus provided support for the upper extremity on a horizontal surface with reduced friction, so that resting tremor in the arm can be recorded with a MotionMonitor II system. In each subject, the frequencies of rhythmic firings in upper arm muscles were determined using spectral analysis. Paired and pool-averaged coherence analyses of EMGs for the group of muscles were performed to correlate the level of inter-muscular synchronization to tremor amplitudes at shoulder and elbow. The phase shift between synchronized antagonistic muscle pairs was calculated to aid coherence analysis in the muscle pool. RESULTS: Recorded EMG revealed that rhythmic firings were present in most recorded muscles, which were either synchronized to form phase-locked bursting cycles at a subject specific frequency, or unsynchronized with a random phase distribution. Paired coherence showed a stronger synchronization among a subset of recorded arm muscles at tremor frequency than that at double tremor frequency. Furthermore, the number of synchronized muscles in the arm was positively correlated to tremor amplitudes at elbow and shoulder. Pool-averaged coherence at tremor frequency also showed a better correlation with the amplitude of resting tremor than that of double tremor frequency, indicating that the neuromechanical coupling in peripheral neuromuscular system was stronger at tremor frequency. CONCLUSIONS: Both paired and pool-averaged coherences are more consistent indexes to correlate to tremor intensity in a group of upper extremity muscles of PD patients. The central drive at tremor frequency contributes mainly to synchronize peripheral muscles in the modulation of tremor intensity.

Alisertib Induces Cell Cycle Arrest, Apoptosis, Autophagy and Suppresses EMT in HT29 and Caco-2 Cells.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide with substantial mortality and morbidity. Alisertib (ALS) is a selective Aurora kinase A (AURKA) inhibitor with unclear effect and molecular interactome on CRC. This study aimed to evaluate the molecular interactome and anticancer effect of ALS and explore the underlying mechanisms in HT29 and Caco-2 cells. ALS markedly arrested cells in G2/M phase in both cell lines, accompanied by remarkable alterations in the expression level of key cell cycle regulators. ALS induced apoptosis in HT29 and Caco-2 cells through mitochondrial and death receptor pathways. ALS also induced autophagy in HT29 and Caco-2 cells, with the suppression of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), but activation of 5' AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathways. There was a differential modulating effect of ALS on p38 MAPK signaling pathway in both cell lines. Moreover, induction or inhibition of autophagy modulated basal and ALS-induced apoptosis in both cell lines. ALS potently suppressed epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HT29 and Caco-2 cells. Collectively, it suggests that induction of cell cycle arrest, promotion of apoptosis and autophagy, and suppression of EMT involving mitochondrial, death receptor, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, p38 MAPK, and AMPK signaling pathways contribute to the cancer cell killing effect of ALS on CRC cells.

An Experimental Protocol for Evaluating Pulse Width Modulation Ranges of Evoked Tactile Sensory Feedback in Amputees.

The objective of this study is to develop an experimental protocol to define the range of modulation for different sensory modalities elicited by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in amputees with evoked tactile sensation (ETS). Modulation ranges of sensory modalities, such as vibration, buzz, tingling etc., are essential for designing a coding strategy for incoming sensory information from prosthetic hands for each amputee. Here, the modulation ranges of different modalities in pulse width at fixed stimulus frequencies were evaluated. Four healthy subjects and three transradial amputee subjects were recruited to participate in this preliminary test. A single skin site in healthy subjects and five finger areas of the projected finger map (PFM) on the stump skin in amputee subjects were stimulated for evaluation. Then, a finger identification test was conducted to show the feasibility of this sensory coding strategy in one amputee subject. The sensitivity of different sensory modalities was also measured to quantify the minimum pulse width change that subject could distinguish. Results showed that vibration and buzz sensations had wider modulation ranges in pulse width for both healthy and amputee subjects at 20Hz and 50Hz of stimulation, respectively. The average accuracy of finger identification was 91.66% in the amputee subject. The minimum pulse width changes distinguishable for both vibration and buzz sensation were below 20 (us). Results indicated that the protocol of evaluating pulse width modulation ranges for different sensory modalities was effective, and the coding strategy could provide accurate finger-specific sensory information for amputees with ETS.Clinical Relevance- This protocol establishes a guideline for customizing the coding strategy of evoked tactile sensory feedback for each amputee.

Effect and mechanism of 6-gingerol on neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and cognitive behavior in neonatal mice / 解剖学报

[Abstract] Objective To investigate the effect of 6-gingerol treatment on cognitive behavior after hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIE) in neonatal mice, and to explore the protective mechanism of 6-gingerol on HIE brain injury in neonatal mice by observing the effects on neuronal survival and neural stem cell proliferation. Methods The right common carotid artery was ligated in Kunming mice (78) on the 7th day after birth and HIE model was established after 90 minutes of hypoxic treatment. 6-gingerol was injected intraperitoneally. The cognitive behavior was detected by Morris water maze test; 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was used to observe the changes of brain injury; The changes of synaptic structure and number were obseved by transmission electron microscopy; HE staining, Nissl staining and dihydroethidium(DHE) staining were used to observe the pathomorphological changes of hippocampus in each group; The proliferation of neural stem cells and the expression of related transcription factors were detected by immunofluorescence and Real-time PCR; The changes of Akt signal pathway were detected by Western blotting. Results 6-gingerol treatment could improve the long-term learning and memory ability, reduce the brain injury and brain edema of neonatal mice after HIE, and improve synaptic plasticity of mice after HIE. In the 6-gingerol treatment group, the disorder of hippocampal cells in the diseased side of HIE was improved, the number of necrotic cells decreased, the proliferation ability of hippocampal neural stem cells and the expression levels of nestin and sex determining region box transcription factor 2 (Sox2) related transcription factors increased significantly, and the level of phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) increased. Conclusion It is found that 6-gingerol can improve the learning and memory ability of HIE mice in adulthood and reduce brain tissue injury after HIE. 6-gingerol may play a role in inhibiting the production of reactive oxygen species(ROS), reducing neuronal injury and upregulating the expression of Akt signal pathway, promoting the proliferation of hippocampal neural stem cells, so as to provide potential drugs for the treatment of neonatal HIE.

Neural Correlation between Evoked Tactile Sensation and Central Activities in the Somatosensory Cortex.

Evoked tactile sensation (ETS) is induced with stimulation of areas in the projected finger map (PFM) in the stump skin of forearm amputees. The aim of the present study is to further explore the neural correlation of the ETS with central activities in the somatosensory cortex (SI). Two forearm amputees were recruited to participate in this study. The neuroimaging technique of Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was employed to reveal the activities in the somatosensory cortex (SI), while the thumb and little finger areas in the PFM and the thumb and little finger of the contralateral hand were stimulated with a bi-phasic current pulse train. In one subject, local anesthesia was applied to the skin areas of the thumb and little finger of the PFM to examine the effects of blocking peripheral nerve transmission on the central activities in SI. Results obtained in the two subjects indicated that stimulation of the thumb and little finger areas in the PFM of amputated side produced the similar neural activities in the somatosensory cortex as those of stimulating the thumb and little finger of the contralateral hand, both of which were consistent with the homunculus organization of the SI cortex. The intensity of SI cortical activities was proportional to the intensity of the amplitude of peripheral stimulation. In particular, local anesthesia reduced the intensity of central activities in SI as revealed by the MEG response, as well as the sensitivity of ETS as reported by the subject. This neural correlation appears to suggest that the finger areas in the PFM in the stump skin are neuroanatomically connected to the finger areas of the somatosensory cortex. Thus, electrical stimulation of the PFM can induce natural sensation as that of normal fingers. This establishes the neural basis of natural sensory feedback from the prosthetic hand to the forearm amputee with finger-to-finger specificity.

Application of mind map combined with blended teaching in the teaching of medicinal botany / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To investigate the value of mind map combined with blended teaching in improving the teaching quality of medicinal botany. Methods:A total of 102 students studying the course of medicinal botany were enrolled as subjects. The 51 students in the class of 2020 were enrolled as control group and received conventional teaching, and the 51 students in the class of 2021 were enrolled as observation group and received mind map combined with blended teaching. The two groups were assessed in terms of examination scores, critical thinking ability scores, self-learning ability scores, and student feedback on teaching quality. SPSS 22.0 was used for the t-test and the chi-square test. Results:Compared with the control group, the observation group had significantly higher examination scores ( t=3.01 and 3.14, P=0.003 and 0.002). After practice, both groups had increases in the scores of critical thinking ability and self-learning ability, and the observation group had significantly higher scores than the control group ( t=11.22 and 2.69, P<0.001 and P=0.008). Compared with the control group, the observation group had a better student feedback on teaching quality than the control group ( t=6.79, 7.83, 7.26, 7.43, and 8.54, P=0.009, 0.005, 0.007, 0.006, and 0.003). Conclusion:The combination of mind map and blended teaching can improve the examination scores of students and their critical thinking ability and self-learning ability, and students believe that this teaching model can help to improve teaching quality.

The interaction between 5-HTT gene rs6354 polymorphism and family factors on the adaptability of Mongolian school-age children / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To explore the effects of rs6354 polymorphism of 5-HTT gene and family factors on the adaptability of Mongolian school-age children.Methods:The adaptability of 453 primary school students was assessed based on the middle childhood temperament questionnaire(MCTQ). The polymorphism of 5-HTT gene rs6354 was determined by improved multiple ligase detection reaction(iMLDR) technology. SPSS18.0 statistical software was used for data processing and analysis.Results:(1) The adaptability scores of children with GG/GT and TT genotype at rs6354 locus of 5-HTT gene were(2.88±0.73) and(3.03±0.76). (2) Univariate analysis showed that the adaptability scores of Mongolian school-age children were significantly different among different education levels of their parents (father F=2.580, P=0.037; mother F=3.245, P=0.012). (3) Multiple regression analysis showed that mother's educational level( B=-0.079, P=0.010) and rs6354 polymorphism( B=0.165, P=0.041) were inflencing factors of the adaptability score of Mongolian school-age children. (4) Logistic regression analysis showed that father's education level was a significant impact factor of the adaptive level of Mongolian school-age children( B=0.453, P<0.05, OR=1.573, 95% CI=1.023-2.417). Conclusion:rs6354 polymorphism is weakly correlated with children's adaptability, and the education level of parents, especially fathers, may be an important factor affecting the adaptability of Mongolian school-age children.

The experimental study on intraperitoneal injection of targeted degradable nanoparticles 177Lu-FA-DOTA-PEG-PLGA in the treatment of ovarian cancer peritoneal metastases and ascites / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To observe the distribution of 177Lu-FA-DOTA-PEG-PLGA nanoparticles in vivo, and evaluate the therapeutic effect of nanoparticles intraperitoneal injection on ovarian cancer peritoneal metastases and ascites. Methods:Nanoparticles were prepared and injected into human ovarian cancer xenograft nude mice model by tail vein. Micro-SPECT/CT imaging was performed at different times (4, 24, 72 h and 7 d) after injection to observe the distribution of nanoparticles in vivo. Nude mouse models of intraperitoneal metastases of human ovarian cancer were randomly divided into negative control group (normal saline), chemotherapy group (cisplatin 3 mg/kg, twice a week) and nanoparticle group (18.5 MBq), with 4 mice in each group. After 7 days, intraperitoneal tumor growth was evaluated by in vivo fluorescence imaging. The relative tumor inhibition rate was counted. Tumor cell apoptosis rate was detected by TUNEL method, and the proliferation activity tumor Ki67 was detected by immunohistochemical method. The ascites volume of each group was compared after treatment. Results:Micro-SPECT/CT imaging showed the radioactive uptake of the transplanted tumor, and the 24 h tumor muscle uptake ratio (T/M) was the highest, about 2.81±0.49. Intravital fluorescence imaging showed that, after intraperitoneal administration, the fluorescence intensity of abdominal tumor in particle group, chemotherapy group and control group was (1.45±0.19)×10 10, (2.21±0.36)×10 10 and (2.63±0.79)×10 10( F=6.09, P=0.029), respectively. The relative tumor growth inhibition (TGI) of the particle group and the chemotherapy group were 35.6% and 18.6%, respectively. The tumor cell apoptosis rates in particle group and chemotherapy group were higher than those in control group ( F=9.96, P=0.009). Ki67 indexes in particle group and chemotherapy group were lower than those in control group ( F=9.93, P=0.013). The ascites volume in particle group and chemotherapy group were both smaller than those in control group ( F=13.43, P=0.006). Conclusions:177Lu-FA-DOTA-PEG-PLGA nanoparticles can be used for the targeted imaging of ovarian cancer. After intraperitoneal injection, nanoparticles show local retention, degradation and absorption and thus inhibit the growth of peritoneal metastases and ascites of ovarian cancer, which provides a new idea for the diagnosis and treatment of advanced ovarian cancer with peritoneal metastasis.

Neural computational modeling reveals a major role of corticospinal gating of central oscillations in the generation of essential tremor.

Essential tremor, also referred to as familial tremor, is an autosomal dominant genetic disease and the most common movement disorder. It typically involves a postural and motor tremor of the hands, head or other part of the body. Essential tremor is driven by a central oscillation signal in the brain. However, the corticospinal mechanisms involved in the generation of essential tremor are unclear. Therefore, in this study, we used a neural computational model that includes both monosynaptic and multisynaptic corticospinal pathways interacting with a propriospinal neuronal network. A virtual arm model is driven by the central oscillation signal to simulate tremor activity behavior. Cortical descending commands are classified as alpha or gamma through monosynaptic or multisynaptic corticospinal pathways, which converge respectively on alpha or gamma motoneurons in the spinal cord. Several scenarios are evaluated based on the central oscillation signal passing down to the spinal motoneurons via each descending pathway. The simulated behaviors are compared with clinical essential tremor characteristics to identify the corticospinal pathways responsible for transmitting the central oscillation signal. A propriospinal neuron with strong cortical inhibition performs a gating function in the generation of essential tremor. Our results indicate that the propriospinal neuronal network is essential for relaying the central oscillation signal and the production of essential tremor.

METTL27 is a prognostic biomarker of colon cancer and associated with immune invasion / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the expression and gene function of methyltransferase-like protein 27 (METTL27) in colon cancer, its association with immune infiltration and its prognostic significance.@*METHODS@#We analyzed the expression levels of METTL27 in 33 cancers using R language and identified METTL27 as a differential gene in colon cancer. The related signaling pathways of METTL27 were analyzed by gene functional annotation and enrichment. SsGSEA algorithm was used to analyze immune infiltration, and logistic analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between METTL27 expression and clinicopathological features of the patients. Kaplan-meier analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed to construct a nomogram for evaluating the correlation between METTL27 expression and clinical prognosis. The expression level of METTL27 was further verified in colorectal cancer cell lines and 16 clinical specimens of colorectal cancer tissues using qPCR and Western blotting.@*RESULTS@#METTL27 was highly expressed in 21 cancers, and its expression was significantly higher in colon cancer than in adjacent tissues (P < 0.001). METTL27-related genes were identified by differential analysis, and functional annotation revealed that METTL27 was significantly enriched in transmembrane transport and lipid metabolism, and 5 related signaling pathways were identified by GSEA. METTL27 expression was negatively correlated with different T helper cells and central memory T cells (P < 0.001). The patients with a high METTL27 mRNA expression had a poor survival outcome. Cox regression analysis showed that METTL27 expression was an independent prognostic factor of the overall survival. The expression level of METTL27 was significantly higher in the colorectal cancer cell line than in normal cells (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#METTL27 is overexpressed in colon cancer and is associated with a poor prognosis of the patients. A high expression of METTL27 showed is associated less T cell immune infiltration, suggesting the potential of METTL27 as a prognostic marker of colon cancer.

Effect of formyl peptide receptor 2 in recurrent spontaneous abortion through p38 MAPK pathway / 解剖学报

Objective To explore the express of formyl peptide receptor 2(FPR2) in villi of recurrent spontaneous abortion ( RSA) , the effect on proliferation, migration and invasion of trophoblast, and the mechanism to clarify the effect of FPR2 on trophoblast function and explore its role and mechanism in recurrent spontaneous abortion. Methods Clinical villus specimens of 30 nonnal and 30 RSA patients were collected. Immunohistochemical staining, Real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the location and expression of FPR2 in villi of patients with RSA and nonnal pregnant women. CRISPR/Cas-9 technique was used to knock down FPR2 in HTR-8/SVneo cells, CCK-8 assay, wound healing and Transwell assays were used to detennine the ability of cell viability, migration and invasion. Immunofluorescent staining and Western blotting were used to analyze the changes of phosphorylated p38 MAPK ( p-p38 MAPK)/p38 MAPK protein expression after applying with p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 alone or in combination. Results The expression of FPR2 in villi of patients with RSA increased. FPR2 knock-down improved the biological functions of HTR-8/Svneo cells such as proliferation, migration and invasion significantly. The expression of p-p38 MAPK was up-regulated significantly by FPR2 knock-down, and the ability enhancement of migration and invasion of trophoblasts was reversed partially by SB203580 which inhibits p38 MAPK pathway. FPR2 knock-down caused the change of p38 MAPK signaling pathway related to proteins. Conclusion FPR2 is highly expressed in trophoblasts of RSA patients, and inhibits the migration and invasion of trophoblasts through p38 MAPK signaling pathway, which ma)' play an important role in RSA.

Film analysis algorithm of isocenter error based on Hough transform for the CyberKnife system / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:A new algorithm based on Hough transform (HT) was proposed to improve the accuracy and stability of the film image analysis of Automatic Quality Assurance (AQA) test, and to explore the influence of the resolution of film image on the test results.Methods:Nine pairs of films were obtained for AQA modules in this study. Firstly, the median filter was used to preprocess the grayed-out film image to remove noise interference. Then, a global threshold was utilized to binarize the image. The images were edge-detected and the film edge line was extracted by Hough transform. The film image was transformed to the correct position. Finally, the edge of the field shadow circle and the shadow circle of the tungsten ball were extracted by the edge detection method and Hough transform. The radial error was finally obtained by analyzing the concentricity.Results:There was no significant difference in the accuracy between the test results yielded by the HT method and the AQA software ( P>0.05). The difference in the standard deviation of the test results was statistically significant ( P=0.027), indicating that the algorithm increased the stability while ensuring the accuracy of film analysis. Increasing the resolution of film scanning failed to significantly improve the accuracy and stability of film analysis in both two methods. Conclusions:The algorithm used in this study can eliminate the human error caused by film scanning placement while ensuring the accuracy of film analysis, providing a more stable way for the AQA test of the CyberKnife system.

PCNA Confers the Conversion of Hepatitis B Virus Relaxed Circular DNA to Covalently Closed Circular DNA by Its DNA Binding Domain / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a primary cause for liver cancer. And the main challenge of curing hepatitis B is the elimination of the stable covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) of the viral genome. The formation of HBV cccDNA requires the filling of single-stranded region and the ligation of nicks in relaxed circular DNA (rcDNA) strands. Previously, our group reported that proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was involved in the formation of HBV cccDNA. However, the underlying mechanism of the conversion of HBV rcDNA to cccDNA is poorly understood. In the present study, we aim to explore the mechanism by which PCNA contributes to the conversion of HBV rcDNA to cccDNA. Our data showed that PCNA was involved in the process of HBV rcDNA repair. The knockout of PCNA by the CRISPR/Cas9 system remarkably blocked the conversion of HBV rcDNA to cccDNA, while the ectopic expression of PCNA could effectively rescue the event (P<0. 001). Knockout of PCNA significantly slowed down the conversion kinetics of HBV rcDNA to cccDNA (P<0. 01). Mechanically, the DNA binding domain of PCNA was required for the process of HBV rcDNA repair to cccDNA (P<0. 01). Thus, we conclude that PCNA confers the conversion of HBV rcDNA to cccDNA by its DNA binding domain. Clinically, PCNA might serve as a novel target for antiviral therapy.

Biphasic Regulation of Lipid Metabolism: A Meta-Analysis of Icodextrin in Peritoneal Dialysis.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this systematic meta-analysis was to study the impact of icodextrin (ICO) on lipid profiles. METHODS: MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Chinese Biomedical Literature, and the Cochrane Library and Reference lists were searched (last search September 2014) in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. RESULTS: Searches identified 13 eligible trials with a total of 850 patients. The differentials of total cholesterol (TC) and free fatty acid (FFA) in the ICO group were greater than those in the GLU group. Metaregression analysis showed that TC levels positively correlated with its baseline levels. In the subgroup of patients with dialysis duration more than 6 months, TC and TG in the ICO group were less. In pooled data from cross-sectional studies, differential of TG in the ICO group was less. In the subgroup of patients with diabetes (Martikainen et al., 2005, Sniderman et al., 2014, and Takatori et al., 2011), differential of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in the ICO group was less. There was no significant effect on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), or lipoprotein(a). CONCLUSIONS: ICO may be beneficial to lipid metabolism, especially for its biphasic regulation of plasma TC levels.

Twist1 is a potential prognostic marker for colorectal cancer and associated with chemoresistance.

Twist1 is a highly conserved basic helix-loophelix transcription factor, and has been shown to play an important role in carcinogenesis of many tumors including colorectal cancer (CRC). Here we aimed to investigate the role of Twist1 in the clinical significance and chemoresistance in CRC. In this study, we examined the correlation between Twist1 expression and clinicopathological characteristics using immunohistochemistry in patients with CRC. The molecular mechanisms of Twist1 expression and its effects on chemosensitivity to 5-Fluorouracil and oxaliplatin were also explored by MTT assay, colony forming assay, flow cytometry assay. The results indicate that Twist1 is overexpressed in cancer tissue, and its positive expression are related to histological grade (P=0.004), T-stage (P=0.033), N-stage (P=0.000), M-stage (P=0.040), TNM stage (P=0.002) and recurrence (P=0.023). Moreover, positive Twist1 expression is correlated with poor overall survival in CRC patients (P<0.0001), and is a significant independent prognostic indicator. In addition, we show that knockdown of Twist1 inhibits proliferation, and increased the percentage of apoptotic cells of CRC cell lines. Our findings suggest that Twist1 promotes proliferation and chemoresistance of CRC cells. Twist1 may be a potential prognostic marker and a molecular target for therapies.

Relationship between mutation characteristics of SCN1A gene in Dravet syndrome and its clinical phenotype and drug efficacy / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective@#To explore the relationship between different mutation characteristics and clinical phenotype of children with Dravet syndrome (DS) with SCN1A gene mutation, and to summarize the drug efficacy.@*Methods@#The clinical data of children diagnosed as DS from the Department of Pediatrics Neurology, the Third Affi-liated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2014 to May 2018 were collected.The peripheral blood DNA of the children was detected by adopting next generation sequencing for epilepsy-related gene-panel, while the parents′ were screened by using Sanger sequencing for family verification.Multiple ligation-dependent probe amplification technology was used to detect large fragment variation of SCN1A gene if the mutations of the children were negative.The Gesell scale and cavity Wechsler intelligence scale for children(C-WISC) were used to evaluate the intelligence of children.@*Results@#A total of 50 cases of DS were collected, 38 cases of them were positive for SCN1A mutation, and the mutation rate was 76.0%(38/50 cases), of which, the missense mutation[50.0%(19/38 cases)] and frameshift mutation[28.9%(11/38 cases)] were dominant.The average onset age of 50 patients was 6 months, of which onset of seizures was triggered by fever(temperature>37.5 ℃) in 68.0%(34/50 cases)of children, the history of seizures in hot baths was found in 60.0%(30/50 cases) of children, status epilepticus was found in 74.0%(37/50 cases), cluster-like episodes was found in 80.0%(40/50 cases), ≥2 seizure types was found in 92.0%(46/50 cases). Mental retarda-tion was found in most of the children, of which 30.0% (15/50 cases) were mild mental retardation, 38.0% (19/50 cases) were moderate mental retardation, 14.0% (7/50 cases)were severe intelligence retardation.Interictal abnormalities of electroencephalogram(EEG) before 1 year old was found in 24.0%(12/50 cases), and the average age of EEG abnormalities was 30.12 months old; the top three drug efficacy rates were 70.0% (28/40 cases) of Topiramate, 48.0% (24/50 cases) of Sodium Valproate, 45.7% (16/35 cases) Clonazepam or Clobazam.The time of onset of myoclonus and atypical absence of the truncation mutation group was earlier than that of the missense mutation group(14.75 months vs.21.20 months; 16.82 months vs.26.00 months), and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). The proportion of clustered episodes in the truncation mutation group was higher than that in the missense mutation group [94.7%(18/19 cases)vs.63.2%(12/19 cases)], and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). There was no significant correlation between the SCN1A gene mutation (type and position) and age of onset, type of seizure, proportion of convulsion persistence, the mental development or abnormal proportion of EEG and seizure frequency before 1 year old(all P>0.05).@*Conclusions@#The SCN1A gene mutation rate is high in children with DS, and the SCN1A gene mutation characteristics has a certain correlation with DS clinical phenotype.Topiramate is the most effective drug among children with DS.

Relationship between mutation characteristics of SCN1A gene in Dravet syndrome and its clinical phenotype and drug efficacy / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To explore the relationship between different mutation characteristics and clinical phenotype of children with Dravet syndrome (DS) with SCN1A gene mutation,and to summarize the drug efficacy.Methods The clinical data of children diagnosed as DS from the Department of Pediatrics Neurology,the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2014 to May 2018 were collected.The peripheral blood DNA of the children was detected by adopting next generation sequencing for epilepsy-related gene-panel,while the parents' were screened by using Sanger sequencing for family verification.Multiple ligation-dependent probe amplification technology was used to detect large fragment variation of SCN1A gene if the mutations of the children were negative.The Gesell scale and cavity Wechsler intelligence scale for children(C-WISC) were used to evaluate the intelligence of children.Results A total of 50 cases of DS were collected,38 cases of them were positive for SCN1A mutation,and the mutation rate was 76.0％ (38/50 cases),of which,the missense mutation[50.0％ (19/38 cases)] and frameshift mutation[28.9％ (11/38 cases)] were dominant.The average onset age of 50 patients was 6 months,of which onset of seizures was triggered by fever(temperature ＞ 37.5 ℃) in 68.0％ (34/50 cases)of children,the history of seizures in hot baths was found in 60.0％ (30/50 cases) of children,status epilepticus was found in 74.0％ (37/50 cases),cluster-like episodes was found in 80.0％ (40/50 cases),≥2 seizure types was found in 92.0％ (46/50 cases).Mental retardation was found in most of the children,of which 30.0％ (15/50 cases) were mild mental retardation,38.0％ (19/50 cases) were moderate mental retardation,14.0％ (7/50 cases)were severe intelligence retardation.Interictal abnormalities of electroencephalogram(EEG) before 1 year old was found in 24.0％ (12/50 cases),and the average age of EEG abnormalities was 30.12 months old;the top three drug efficacy rates were 70.0％ (28/40 cases) of Topiramate,48.0％ (24/50 cases) of Sodium Valproate,45.7％ (16/35 cases) Clonazepam or Clobazam.The time of onset of myoclonus and atypical absence of the truncation mutation group was earlier than that of the missense mutation group(14.75 months vs.21.20 months;16.82 months vs.26.00 months),and the difference was statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).The proportion of clustered episodes in the truncation mutation group was higher than that in the missense mutation group [94.7％ (18/19 cases)vs.63.2％ (12/19 cases)],and the difference was statistically significant (P ＜0.05).There was no significant correlation between the SCN1A gene mutation (type and position) and age of onset,type of seizure,proportion of convulsion persistence,the mental development or abnormal proportion of EEG and seizure frequency before 1 year old(all P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions The SCN1A gene mutation rate is high in children with DS,and the SCN1A gene mutation characteristics has a certain correlation with DS clinical phenotype.Topiramate is the most effective drug among children with DS.