Detoxification of cancerogenic compounds by lactic acid bacteria strains.

Carcinogens in food are an important issue that threat people's health right now. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains as well-known probiotics have shown numerous perspectives in being used as a good food additive to confront cancerogenic compounds in recent years. Some LAB strains can remove cancerogenic compounds from medium environment via direct physical binding and avoid re-pollution of poisonous secondary metabolites which are generated from degradation of cancerogenic compounds. This article presents a whole overview of the physical-binding of LAB strains to such common cancerogenic compounds existed in food and feed environments as mycotoxins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heterocyclic amines (HAs) and pthalic acid esters (PAEs).In most cases, summaries of these published researches show that the binding of LAB strains to cancerogenic compounds is a physical process. Binding sites generally take place in cell wall, and peptidoglycan from LAB cells is the chief binding site. The adsorption of lactic acid bacteria to cancerogenic compounds is strain-specific. Specially, the strains from the two genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium show a better potential in binding cancerogenic compounds. Moreover, we firstly used molecular dynamic computer model as a highly potential tool to simulate the binding behavior of peptidoglycan from Lactobacillus acidophilus to DBP, one of pthalic acid esters with genetic toxicity. It was seen that the theoretical data were quite consistent with the experimental results in terms of the ability of this bacterium to bind DBP. Also, the toxicity reduction of cancerogenic compounds by LAB strains could be achieved either in gastrointestinal model or animal tests and clinical researches as well. In conclusion, carefully selected LAB strains should be a good solution as one of safety strategies to reduce potential risk of cancerogenic compounds from food-based products.

Screening lactic acid bacteria strains with ability to bind di-n-butyl phthalate via Turbiscan technique.

Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant that poses a risk to humans. Previous work indicates that the ability of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to bind phthalic acid esters is strain-specific. As cell suspensions of LAB strains in aqueous solution are likely to be colloidal dispersions, this study provided a technique to efficiently screen LAB strains that bind DBP via Turbiscan, which has been widely used to measure the stability of emulsions or colloidal dispersions. Eleven LAB strains belonging to Lactobacillus plantarum, Lb. pentosus, Lb. paralimentarius, Lb. helveticus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lb. acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, and Bifidobacterium bifidum species were used in this study, and seven of them were selected to test in an earlier stage of exploring the process for finding a screening method; others were used for a validation test. It was observed that the various values of the 10 h Turbiscan Stability Index (TSI) of the cell suspension from each strain, at the equilibrium time of dispersed particles according to the peak thickness of cell-suspensions as measured by Turbiscan, had significant negative correlations with the DBP-binding percentage of LAB strains. Higher TSI values are correlated with lower binding of bacteria strains to DBP with a correlation coefficient of 0.8292. Cell surface hydrocarbons of LAB strains and their adherence were observed to correlate with DBP-binding percentages and may lead to the different states of aggregation or equilibrium of bacterial cell-suspensions, and the aggregation of bacterial cells resulted in fewer binding sites in the cell wall for DBP. Finally, four LAB strains were randomly selected to verify the feasibility of the method. In all, the findings demonstrate that TSI might be used as a tool to quickly screen strains that bind DBP. The present work could be extended to the removal of other toxic compounds, when screening of high-efficiency strains is required.

A Case of Successful Treatment of Infective Endocarditis Complicated with Intracranial Hemorrhage, and Literature Review.

The risks of neurological deteriorations during open heart surgery under heparinization in patients with infective endocarditis complicated by intracranial hemorrhage remain unknown. The optimal timing for heart surgery is still a point of conflict. We report a case in which a young man who had suffered from infective endocarditis complicated with intracranial hemorrhage successfully received mitral valve replacement on day 9 after the onset of intracranial hemorrhage.

A novel and sensitive method for the detection of enrofloxacin in food using time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay.

A time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TRFIA) technique is developed to detect enrofloxacin (ENR) contamination in food. By using ENR-ovalbumin, anti-ENR antibodies and europium-labeled goat anti-rabbit antibodies, we establish an indirect and competitive method for ENR-TRFIA. The sensitivity of the method is high, with a detection limit of 0.01 ng/mL. The tests show that the technique's sensitivity is 1 µg/kg in eel, pork and chicken, and 1 µg/L in honey. The detection range attained is 0.01-100 ng/mL and within the detection range the intra- and inter-batch coefficients of variation of the ENR-TRFIA method are 2.4% and 9.2%, respectively. The data obtained from eel samples by TRFIA and enzyme-linked immunoassay are in good agreement. The assay did not cross-react with other quinolones, which commonly exist in food. The study suggests that ENR-TRFIA is a simple, sensitive and economic method of screening large quantities of samples, and has good prospects for application.

Comparing 3-hour pH monitoring in esophagus with 24-hour pH monitoring to diagnose GERD.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Ambulatory pH monitoring is an invasive method and it would bring some discomfort for patients to wear the probe for prolonged periods. A short time pH monitoring may be more acceptable with high compliance. Our aim is to determine whether analyzing a 3-hour (prandial and postprandial) period from an ambulatory 24-hour pH monitoring in esophagus would be as sensitive as the routine test. METHODOLOGY: Patients had been called for esophageal manometry and ambulatory 24-hour pH monitoring. 3-hour data were analyzed from the standard ambulatory 24-hour pH recording. GERD was confirmed if pH was less than 4.0 for more than 4% of 24 hours, the data were then reanalyzed by determining the percent time of pH < 4.0 during a 3-hour period. Kappa test and Mc-nemar test were used in the study. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-one patients met the entrance criterion. The 3-hour test had a sensitivity of 86% when compared to the 24-hour test and a specificity of 84%. Kappa test and Mc-nemar test verified the two monitor periods were considerable consistency. CONCLUSION: 3-hour analysis is sensitive and specific test for demonstrating GERD. By using this test, patients can suffer less discomfort and appear enhanced compliance.

Research progress in epidemic trend of infectious diarrhea / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Infectious diarrhea is a gastrointestinal infectious disease caused by a wide range of pathogens and found throughout the world. It is one of the most important public health problems in the world and the second leading cause of death among children under five years of age. The pathogens of infectious diarrhea include viral diarrhea pathogens, bacterial diarrhea pathogens, and parasites. Viruses are the most frequent pathogens, mainly including norovirus, rotavirus, astrovirus and sapovirus. The most frequently identified organisms causing bacterial diarrhea are diarrheagenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Campylobacter. This paper provides an overview of the epidemiological trends and changes in the pathogen spectrum of infectious diarrhea for better understanding the distribution and epidemiological features of infectious diarrhea in China, and hopes to provide reference for developing prevention and control strategies and reducing the disease burden.

Progress in the application of swept-source optical coherence tomography in corneal imaging / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Advances in imaging technology have revolutionized the field of ophthalmology, changing the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of ophthalmic diseases. Swept-source optical coherence tomography(SS-OCT)is a non-contact high-resolution imaging technology. It further improves imaging depth and scanning speed, adds new algorithms and features. The application of SS-OCT enables the three-dimensional evaluation of corneal structures, offering curvature and height maps for both the anterior and posterior surfaces of the cornea, as well as precise corneal thickness mapping. These invaluable tools aid ophthalmologists in effectively screening and diagnosing various corneal lesions such as keratoconus, corneal dystrophy, and degeneration. Moreover, the enhanced speed, accuracy, and sensitivity provided by SS-OCT measurements facilitate improved surgical planning and postoperative monitoring for patients undergoing refractive surgery or keratoplasty. This article reviews the development of SS-OCT technology and its potential clinical utility in corneal diseases and surgical application, in order to support more possible future research and clinical treatment.

Effect of HtrA serine peptidase 3 gene on choroidal neovascularization and M2 macrophage polarization / 眼科新进展

Objective To investigate the effect of the HtrA serine peptidase 3(HTRA3)gene on choroidal neovascu-larization(CNV)and M2 macrophage polarization.Methods Fasting venous blood was collected from 30 patients with wet age-related macular degeneration(wAMD group)and 30 healthy subjects(normal group).The serum HTRA3 messen-ger ribonucleic acid(mRNA)level was detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR).RF/6A cells were randomly divided into the control group,NC-sh group and HTRA3-sh group.Lentiviral vectors of NC-shRNA and HTRA3-shRNA were transfected into RF/6A cells in the NC-sh group and HTRA3-sh group by Lipo-fectamine2000.HTRA3 transfection was detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot.Then,the RF/6A cells were randomly di-vided into the N group,H group,H+NC-sh group and H+HTRA3-sh group.After cell transfection,RF/6A cells in the N group were cultured in a RPMI 1640 complete medium at a normoxia state,and cells in other groups were cultured in a RP-MI 1640 medium with 200 mmol·L-1 CoCl2 at a hypoxia state.Tubule formation was measured by Matrigel.The C57BL/6J mice were divided into the control group,CNV group,CNV+NC-sh group and CNV+HTRA3-sh group,with 12 mice in each group.Mice in the control group were unmodeled mice,and mice in the other groups were laser-induced CNV model mice.NC-shRNA and HTRA3-shRNA lentiviral vectors with a titer of 1 × 1011 TU·mL-1 were administered to mice in the CNV+NC-sh group and CNV+HTRA3-sh group via intravitreal injection.Mice in the control group and CNV group were in-jected with phosphate buffered saline.After 7 days of treatment,the mice were examined by fundus fluorescein angiogra-phy,and the eyeballs received hematoxylin & eosin staining.The mRNA levels of HTRA3,chitinase-like protein 3(Ym-1),arginase 1(Arg-1),inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS),cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2)and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)in RF/6A cells or choroidal tissues were detected by qRT-PCR.The protein expression levels of HTRA3,VEGF and nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB)p65 in RF/6A cells or choroidal tissues were detected by Western blot.Re-sults Compared with the normal group,serum HTRA3 mRNA level of patients in the wAMD group increased(t=11.804,P＜0.001).Compared with the control group and NC-sh group,the expressions of HTRA3 mRNA and protein in RF/6A cells in the HTRA3-sh group decreased(all P＜0.05).Compared with the N group,the number of closed lumen and the mRNA and protein expressions of HTRA3 and VEGF in RF/6A cells in the H group increased(all P＜0.05).Compared with the H+NC-sh group,the number of closed lumen and the mRNA and protein expressions of HTRA3 and VEGF decreased in RF/6A cells in the H+HTRA3-sh group(all P＜0.05).Compared with the control group,the mRNA and protein expression levels of HTRA3 increased,the relative fluorescence intensity of CNV increased,the mRNA levels of Ym-1 and Arg-1 in-creased,the iNOS and COX-2 mRNA levels decreased,and the NF-κB p65 protein expression level increased in mice of the CNV group(all P＜0.05).Compared with the CNV+NC-sh group,the mRNA and protein expression levels of HTRA3 de-creased,the relative fluorescence intensity of CNV decreased,the mRNA levels of Ym-1 and Arg-1 decreased,the mRNA levels of iNOS and COX-2 increased,and the NF-κB p65 protein expression level decreased in mice of the CNV+HTRA3-sh group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Down-regulation of HTRA3 can inhibit the formation of CNV and the polarization of M2 macrophages.HTRA3 may be an important potential target for the prevention and treatment of wAMD.

Study on epidemiological prevalence and serological marker characteristics of hepatitis E infection / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective:This study aims to explore the prevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in patients and the screening value of serological indicators for HEV infection patients.Methods:Retrospective analysis was conducted on 97 440 cases of anti-HEV IgM and IgG simultaneously tested in two Beijing hospitals from January 1, 2018 to August 31, 2023. Among them, there were 61 005 males and 36 435 females, with an average age of 51.65±13.05 years old. According to the positivity of anti HEV specific antibodies, they were divided into anti-HEV IgM positive group (3 588 cases), anti-HEV IgG positive group (18 083 cases), and anti-HEV antibody negative group (78 892 cases). Results of HEV RNA, liver function, AFP, PIVKA-Ⅱ and PT were collected, and their basic clinical information were recorded. The prevalence of HEV infection in patients, as well as the relationship between the positivity of anti-HEV specific antibodies and the patient′s age group, HEV RNA, and clinical characteristics were analyzed.Results:Among 97 440 patients who tested anti-HEV IgM and IgG simultaneously, the positivity rate of anti-HEV IgM was 3.68% (3 588/97 440), and was 18.56% for anti-HEV IgG (18 083/97 440). The overall positivity rates of anti-HEV IgM in two Beijing hospitals from 2018 to 2023 were 2.51%, 2.53%, 3.02%, 4.59%, 5.72%, and 4.26% ( χ2=1 401.73, P<0.001), while the positivity rates of anti-HEV IgG were 12.56%, 12.32%, 12.85%, 22.65%, 27.42%, and 26.66% ( χ2=1 058.29, P<0.001). These rates showed a gradual increase until 2023 when a decline was observed. The positivity rates of anti-HEV IgM (2.28%, 3.60%, 4.47%) ( χ2=89.62, P<0.001) and IgG (4.71%, 17.86%, 25.94%) ( χ2=2 017.32, P<0.001) increased with age in patients who aged 1-30, >30-60, and over 60 years old. The age and ALB values of patients in the anti-HEV IgM positive group were lower than the IgG-positive group, while the proportion of males, TBIL, ALT, AFP and PT values were higher than the IgG-positive group, and the differences were statistically significance ( P<0.05). Furthermore, patients in both the anti-HEV IgM and IgG positive groups had higher age, male proportion, TBIL, ALT, AFP, PIVKA-Ⅱ, and PT values than the anti-HEV negative group. Additionally, both groups had lower ALB values than the anti-HEV negative group, all of which were statistically significant ( P<0.05). 2 162 HEV infected patients were grouped based on HEV RNA positivity. The proportion of anti-HEV IgM single positive, IgG single positive, IgM+IgG double positive, and antibody negative patients in the HEV RNA positive group were 5.42% (18/332), 3.62% (12/332), 90.36% (300/332), and 0.60% (2/332), respectively. Among them, the proportion of anti-HEV IgM+IgG double positive patients in the HEV RNA positive group was higher than that in the HEV RNA negative group ( χ2=302.87, P<0.001), while the proportion of anti-HEV IgG single positive ( χ2=174.36, P<0.001) and anti-HEV antibody negative patients ( χ2=59.28, P<0.001) were lower than that in the HEV RNA negative group, both of which were statistically significant ( P<0.001). In addition, the positive rates of HEV RNA in anti-HEV IgM positive, IgG positive, and antibody negative patients were 29.23% (318/1 088), 17.59% (312/1 774), and 0.65% (2/306), respectively. Conclusion:The HEV infection rate among patients declined in 2023. HEV infection is age-related, with older individuals being more susceptible. Abnormal liver function and jaundice were commonly observed during HEV infection. It is crucial to note that the absence of anti-HEV specific antibodies cannot rule out HEV infection; therefore, additional testing for HEV RNA and/or HEV Ag is necessary for accurate diagnosis.

Correlation Between Gene Polymorphism and Breast Cancer Incidence and Prognosis for Patients with Diabetes / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To analyze the effects of fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene, IL-6, and HSP-60 gene polymorphism on the incidence rate and prognosis of breast cancer (BCa) for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Results A total of 1551 patients with BCa were included in the experimental group and 1605 women of the same age who participated in physical examination were included in the control group. The clinical data of the 3156 participants were collected through the baseline data questionnaire, and the genotypes of FTO, IL-6, and HSP-60 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) were determined through blood sample detection. The predictive value of the three SNPs for the incidence risk of BCa for T2DM patients was evaluated. The OS of 1168 patients with BCa was obtained through follow-up, and the effects of the three SNPs and T2DM on OS of BCa patients were evaluated. Results The three loci were FTO rs3751812, IL-6 rs1800796, and HSP-60 rs2605039. The BCa incidence rate for T2DM women with wild homozygous SNP genotype was significantly higher than that for non-T2DM women (FTO: χ2=3.530, P=0.013; IL-6: χ2=6.288, P=0.029; HSP-60: χ2=4.926, P=0.005). The three wild homozygous genotypes were independent risk factors that influenced the incidence rate of BCa (all P < 0.05). Patients with HSP-60 rs2605039 (GT+TT) genotype had better OS (P=0.031). Conclusion FTO, IL-6, and HSP-60 gene polymorphisms have certain value in BCa prediction for T2DM patients. Patients with BCa and HSP-60 rs2605039 GT+TT genotype have high OS.

Comparison of the efficacy of open reduction Kirschner wire internal fixation and closed reduction Herbert screw internal fixation in the treatment of fresh unstable scaphoid fracture / 临床外科杂志

Objective To explore and compare the efficacy of open reduction Kirschner-wire internal fixation and closed reduction Herbert screw internal fixation in the treatment of fresh unstable scaphoid lumbar fracture.Methods 72 patients with fresh unstable scaphoid lumbar fracture admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to January 2022 were selected and randomly divided into the experimental group(36 cases,open reduction Kirschberg wire internal fixation)and the control group(36 cases,closed reduction Herbert screw internal fixation).The operation time,fracture healing time,healing rate at 12 weeks,complication rate,scaphoid osteonecrosis rate,wrist functional recovery 6 months and 1 year after surgery were observed and compared within 2 groups,including wrist range of motion,improved Mayo wrist function score,pain index using visual analog scale(VAS).Results There were no significant differences in operation time,fracture healing time,healing rate and complication rate in 2 groups(P＞0.05).6 months after surgery,the wrist motion of ulnar deviation,radial deviation,dorsalis extension and palmaris flexion in 2 groups were significantly improved compared with before surgery(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in wrist motion in 2 groups after surgery(P＞0.05).Compared with 6 months after surgery,Mayo score of experimental group was significantly improved at 12 months after surgery(95.36± 3.34)vs.(78.52±5.62)(P＜0.05),and VAS was significantly decreased(1.04±2.24)vs.(3.25± 1.62)(P＜0.05),but there was no significant difference in Mayo score and VAS between 2 groups(P＞0.05).Conclusions Compared with closed reduction and Herbert screw internal fixation,open reduction and Kirschner wire internal fixation can also achieve satisfactory results.However,the operation cost and difficulty of Kirschner wire internal fixation are relatively low.

Advances in the application of yeast surface display technology / 生物工程学报

Yeast surface display (YSD) is a technology that fuses the exogenous target protein gene sequence with a specific vector gene sequence, followed by introduction into yeast cells. Subsequently, the target protein is expressed and localized on the yeast cell surface by using the intracellular protein transport mechanism of yeast cells, whereas the most widely used YSD system is the α-agglutinin expression system. Yeast cells possess the eukaryotic post-translational modification mechanism, which helps the target protein fold correctly. This mechanism could be used to display various eukaryotic proteins, including antibodies, receptors, enzymes, and antigenic peptides. YSD has become a powerful protein engineering tool in biotechnology and biomedicine, and has been used to improve a broad range of protein properties including affinity, specificity, enzymatic function, and stability. This review summarized recent advances in the application of YSD technology from the aspects of library construction and screening, antibody engineering, protein engineering, enzyme engineering and vaccine development.

Study on the Emotional Status and Rights Protection of Participants in Drug Clinical Trials during Epidemic Prevention and Control / 中国医学伦理学

【Objective:】 To analyze the emotional status and follow-up status of the participants in the drug clinical trials in a hospital during the epidemic prevention and control, with a view to maximizing the protection of participants’ rights and interests under special circumstances. 【Methods:】 The general information, depression screening scale (PHQ-9), anxiety screening scale (GAD-7) and subject compliance assessment scale were completed online by participants with gold data questionnaire. At the same time, the status of drug clinical trials under study and the follow-up status of participants under study were collected from November 1, 2021 to December 8, 2021 and from December 9, 2021 to January 24, 2022. Excel software and SPSS18.0 software were used for data statistics and analysis. 【Results:】 During the epidemic prevention and control, there were 20 drug clinical trial projects under way in the hospital. From December 9, 2021 to January 24, 2022, the planned number of visits was 161, and the actual number of visits to the hospital was 84 (52.2%). Plus 24 participants who mailed drugs, the overall visit rate was 67.1%, among which the visit rates of oral drugs, non-oral drugs, and oral drugs combined with non-oral drugs were 79.3%, 71.9%, and 41.0% respectively. From November 1, 2021 to December 8, 2021, the planned number of visits was 166, the actual number of visits to the hospital was 157 (94.6%), and the number of telephone visits accounted for 1.8% of the total planned number of visits. The number of participants who did not take the drug and those who delayed taking the drug were both 0. The total compliance of participants was as high as 80.0%. A total of 40 valid questionnaires were retrieved, and the detection rates of depression and anxiety were 42.5% and 30.0% respectively. 【Conclusion:】 The epidemic prevention and control has a large short-term impact on the follow-up of the participants under study. The formulation of relevant follow-up measures and the conduction of classification management can not only improve the emotions of the participants to a certain extent, but also protect the rights and interests of participants, providing suggestions for the follow-up of participants under emergencies in the future.

Value of serum chitinase-3-like protein 1 in predicting the risk of decompensation events in patients with liver cirrhosis / 临床肝胆病杂志

Objective To investigate the value of serum chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) in predicting the risk of decompensation events in patients with liver cirrhosis, since prediction of decompensation events and adoption of active preventive measures are the key to improving the survival time of patients with liver cirrhosis. Methods A case-control study was conducted for 305 patients with liver cirrhosis who were diagnosed and treated in Tianjin Second People's Hospital from January 2019 to May 2021, among whom there were 200 patients with compensated liver cirrhosis and 105 patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis at baseline. According to whether decompensation events occurred within 1 year, the 305 patients with liver cirrhosis were divided into decompensation group with 79 patients and non-decompensation group with 226 patients; according to whether decompensation events occurred for the first time within 1 year, the 200 patients with compensated liver cirrhosis were divided into first-time decompensation group with 43 patients and non-first-time decompensation group with 157 patients. The independent samples t -test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups, and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test or the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The binary logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between each variable and decompensation events; the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) were used to investigate the value of each variable in predicting decompensation events, and the maximum value of Youden index was used to determine the optimal cut-off value. Results The patients who experienced decompensation events within 1 year had a significantly higher baseline serum level of CHI3L1 than those who did not experience such events [243.00 (136.00-372.00) ng/mL vs 117.50 (67.75-205.25) ng/mL, U =4720.500, P < 0.001], and the patients who experienced decompensation events for the first time within 1 year had a significantly higher baseline serum level of CHI3L1 than those who did not experience such events [227.98 (110.00-314.00) ng/mL vs 90.00 (58.00-168.50) ng/mL, U =1 681.500, P < 0.001]. Patients with cirrhosis with higher baseline CHI3L1 levels had an increased risk of decompensation events within 1 year ( OR =1.004, 95% CI : 1.002-1.006, P < 0.001); Patients with compensated cirrhosis with higher baseline serum CHI3L1 levels had an increased risk of first decompensated event within 1 year ( OR =1.006, 95% CI : 1.003-1.008, P < 0.001). The baseline serum level of CHI3L1 had an AUC of 0.751 in predicting the risk of first-time decompensation events, with a sensitivity of 90.7% and a specificity of 55.4% at the optimal cut-off value of 95.5 ng/mL. The predictive model based on the combination of serum CHI3L1 level and Child-Pugh class had an AUC of 0.809, with a sensitivity of 72.1% and a specificity of 77.1% at the maximum value of Youden index. Conclusion Serum CHI3L1 level can be used as an effective predictive factor for the risk of first-time decompensation events in patients with compensated liver cirrhosis, and its combination with Child-Pugh class shows a higher predictive value.

Isoliquiritigenin inhibits mouse S180 tumors with a new mechanism that regulates autophagy by GSK-3ß/TNF-α pathway.

In this study, the pharmacokinetic properties and stability of isoliquiritigenin (ILQ) in microsomes were evaluated. The data showed ILQ administrated by i.h had high absorption degree (absolute bioavailability> 90%), and strong elimination ability (average t1/2≈ 67 min). ILQ in rat tissues could reach peak at 0.25 h, and be detected in almost all tissues. In vitro, stability of ILQ in four species liver microsomes were rat > beagle dog > monkey > human > mouse. On the basis of pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles, mechanism of ILQ against S180 was explored. ILQ could not inhibit S180 growth directly in vitro. However, ILQ extremely prohibited S180 tumor volume in vivo. And when TNF-α in NK cells was knocked down by siRNA, ILQ had no inhibiting effect on S180 tumor. ILQ enhanced TNF-α expression in NK cells by FCM detection. Autophagy-associated proteins LC3-II, Beclin-1, ATG-7 were elevated in S180 cells co-cultured with ILQ treating NK cells. When TNF-α was knocked down by siRNA, ILQ could not induce autophagy in S180 tumors. In the NK cells of osteosarcoma patients, TNF-α was negatively correlated with GSK-3ß by ELISA detection. ILQ could inhibit GSK-3ß expression and further increased p65 and c-Rel expression in NK cells. When GSK-3ß was knocked down by siRNA, ILQ did not affect p65 and c-Rel expression. ILQ directly inhibited GSK-3ß and then activated the NF-κB pathway to enhance TNF-α expression in NK cells, which could induce autophagy in sarcomas. The present study supplied a new mechanism for ILQ against tumors.

An iterative weighted method based on YALL1 for cone-beam X-ray luminescence optical tomography imaging: A phantom experimental study.

Cone-beam X-ray luminescence optical tomography (CB-XLOT) plays an important role in in vivo small animal imaging study, which can non-invasively image the three-dimensional (3-D) distribution of x-ray-excitable nanophosphors deeply embedded in imaged object. However, CB-XLOT suffers from a low spatial resolution due to the ill-posed nature of optical reconstruction. To alleviate the ill-posedness of reconstruction and improve the imaging performance of XLOT, in this paper, we propose an iterative weighted L1 minimization method which is achieved by incorporating YALL1 (Your algorithm for L1 norm problems). The physical phantom experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed method, where a custom-made cone-beam XLOT system was used as the imaging platform. The experimental results indicate that by applying the proposed iterative weighted strategy to YALL1 method, the reconstruction performance of XLOT can be improved when compared with the conventional YALL1 method.

Study on genes for cross-resistance to isoniazid and ethionamidein Mycobacterium tuberculosis / 预防医学

Objective@#To examine the association between the cross-resistance to ethionamide (Eto) and isoniazid (INH) and mutations of drug resistant genes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), so as to provide the evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment for multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis.@*Methods@#Totally 126 MTB clinical isolates were selected, including 88 MDR-MTB clinical isolates and 38 INH- and rifampicin (RFP)-sensitive isolates. The resistance to INH and Eto was tested in MTB clinical isolates using the drug susceptibility test, and the mutations in the spacer region of INH and Eto resistance-related katG, inhA, ethA, mshA, ndh, spacer region of oxyR-ahpC and inhA promoter were detected using PCR assay. The phenotypic resistance served as a gold standard, and the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of gene mutation tests were calculated for detection of MTB clinical isolates cross-resistant to INH and Eto.@*Results@#Of the 126 MTB clinical isolates, there were 37 isolates cross-resistant to INH and Eto (29.37%), 51 isolates with resistance to INH and susceptibility to Eto (40.48%), 4 isolates with susceptibility to INH and resistance to Eto (3.17%) and 34 isolates with susceptibility to INH and Eto (26.98%). Among the 41 Eto-resistant MTB clinical isolates, there were 37 isolates with resistance to INH (90.24%). There were 64 MTB clinical isolates detected with katG mutations (50.79%), 4 isolates with mutation in the spacer region of oxyR-ahpC (3.17%), 2 isolates with inhA mutations (1.59%), and these isolates were all resistant to INH. There were 11 MTB clinical isolates detected with mutation in the inhA promoter (8.73%) and one isolate with ndh mutation, and all these isolates were cross-resistant to INH and Eto. There were 23 MTB clinical isolates detected with ethA mutations (18.25%) and 40 isolates with mshA mutations (31.75%), in which Eto-susceptible and -resistant isolates were detected. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of inhA promoter tests for detection of cross-resistance to INH and Eto were 29.73% (95%CI: 16.44%-47.17%), 100.00% (95%CI: 87.36%-100.00%) and 63.38% (95%CI: 51.76%-73.63%) in MTB clinical isolates.@*Conclusions@#The prevalence of INH resistance is high in Eto-resistant MTB clinical isolates. Mutation in the inhA promoter region correlates with the cross-resistance to INH and Eto in MTB clinical isolates, and detection of mutation in the inhA promoter may be feasible to detect the cross-resistance to INH and Eto in MTB clinical isolates.

Brazilin downregulates the expression of protein regulator of cytokinesis 1 in bladder cancer T24 cell and BIU87 cell and inhibits the cell proliferation / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To investigate the inhibitory effect of brazilin on bladder cancer cells and its mechanism.Methods:Chemically synthesized brazilin was synthesized by chemical synthesis. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method was used to detect the inhibitory effect of synthetic brazilin on bladder cancer cells T24 and BIU87. Proteomic technique was used to detect the effect of brazilin on the level of protein in both cells. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot methods were used to verify the effects of brazilin on the expression of protein regulator of cytokinesis 1 (PRC1) of both cells at gene and protein level.Results:MTT method showed that brazilin significantly inhibited the proliferation of bladder cancer cells T24 and BIU87, and its half inhibitory concentration ( IC50) of T24 cell and BIU87 cell was 9.9 μg/ml and 5.1 μg/ml,respectively. Proteomic results showed that brazilin could regulate the protein expression of PRC1 in both cells, which was verified by qRT-PCR and Western blot. Conclusion:Brazilin suppresses bladder cancer cell growth possibly by downregulating PRC1.

Molecular basis and clinical prospect of the miR-34 family for the treatment of gastric cancer / 国际肿瘤学杂志

The miR-34 family plays an important role in gastric cancer, and the inactivation or reduced expression of the miR-34 family is detected in gastric cancer cell lines and gastric cancer tissues compared with normal gastric mucosa tissues, indicating it is associated with the occurrence and development of gastric cancer. Studies have shown that miR-34 plays a key role in inhibiting gastric cancer progression by regulating IGF2BP3, survivin, Bcl-2 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related pathway, indicating that miR-34 is an important target for gastric cancer treatment. In terms of clinical treatment, miR-34 has not only been proved to have radiochemotherapy sensitization, but also achieved good curative effect in tumor clinical trials. With the emergence of miR-34 vectors targeting gastric cancer, it is possible to use it for gastric cancer treatment. Deep understanding of the molecular basis and clinical efficacy of miR-34 for gastric cancer treatment can help to evaluate the potential of the miR-34 family as a new therapeutic target for gastric cancer.

Correlation between body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness decline in physical examination population of different genders / 中华健康管理学杂志

Objective:To analyze the correlation between the body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) decline in physical examination population of different genders.Methods:Clinical data of the cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and body composition analysis of 439 people who received physical examination in the Medical Examination Center of Peking University Third Hospital from May 2021 to September 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The general data, physical examination, biochemical parameters, body composition and CPET results were collected. The subjects were divided into normal group and decline group according to the percentage of peak oxygen uptake (VO 2peak) levels ≥ 85% or<85%. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to investigate the influencing factors of CRF decline in subjects of different genders. Results:Among men, total cholesterol and triglyceride in the decline group were significantly higher than those in the normal group [(5.097±0.890) vs (4.865±0.856) mmol/L, (1.778±1.200) vs (1.485±0.709) mmol/L], and the blood homocysteine (Hcy) and skeletal muscle index were significantly lower than those in the normal group [13.00 (11.30, 15.90) vs 13.80 (12.05, 17.10) μmol/L, (7.89±0.65) vs (8.08±0.64) kg/m 2] (all P<0.05). Among women, skeletal muscle index in the decline group was significantly lower than that in the normal group [(6.21±0.52) vs (6.53±0.56)kg/m 2], and percent body fat was significantly higher than that in the normal group [(32.83±4.92)% vs (31.21±4.55)%] (all P<0.05). The elevation of triglyceride level ( OR=1.487, 95% CI: 1.042-2.121) and visceral fat area ( OR=1.032, 95% CI: 1.014-1.051) were positively correlated with the decline of CRF in man, the decrease of skeletal muscle index ( OR=0.215, 95% CI: 0.106-0.435) and the increase of percent body fat ( OR=1.149, 95% CI: 1.060-1.245) were positively correlated with the decrease of CRF in women (all P<0.05). Conclusions:There is a correlation between body composition and CRF decline in physical examination population of different genders. Men should control visceral fat more effectively, and women should pay attention to increase muscle mass while reducing body fat, in order to improve CRF.