Exploring the causal link between circulating cytokines and sarcopenia traits: A Mendelian randomization analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous observational studies have linked circulating cytokines to sarcopenia, but their causal relationship remains unclear. This study employed Mendelian Randomization (MR) to investigate the causal links between circulating cytokines and sarcopenia-related traits using genetic data. METHODS: A two-sample bidirectional MR analysis was conducted using data from individuals of European ancestry, utilizing genome-wide association studies (GWAS) statistics. The study selected instrumental single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with circulating cytokines and applied multiple MR methods, including inverse variance weighted (IVW), Weighted Median, MR-Egger, Weighted Mode, Simple Mode, and MR-PRESSO. The traits analyzed were appendicular lean mass (ALM) and grip strength. Heterogeneity, robustness, and consistency of results were assessed using Cochran's Q statistic, MR-Egger regression, and "leave-one-out" sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: The IVM-MR analysis showed a casual association between genetically predicted circulating levels of interleukin-16 and both ALM and grip strength (ALM: OR = 0.990, 95% CI: 0.980-1.000, p = .049; grip strength: OR = 0.971, 95% CI: 0.948-0.995, p = .020). Additionally, interferon-gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10), interleukin-1-beta (IL-1ß), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were correlated with ALM and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-12 (IL-12), and interleukin-5 (IL-5) with grip strength. Comparable results were confirmed via the MR-Egger, Weighted Median, Weighted Mode, and Simple Mode methods. Sensitivity analysis showed no horizontal pleiotropy to bias the causal estimates. CONCLUSION: The results suggest a significant causal effect of inflammatory cytokines on sarcopenia, offering new avenues for therapeutic target development. However, the study's focus on a European ancestry cohort limits its generalizability to other populations. Future research should aim to include diverse ethnic groups to validate and broaden these findings, thereby enhancing our understanding of sarcopenia's mechanisms in a global context.

Inhibitory effect and mechanism of total flavonoids from Melicope pteleifolia on transplanted tumor of colorectal cancer in nude mice / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To study the inhibitory effect and mechanism of total flavonoids from Melicope pteleifolia （TF-MPL） on transplanted tumor of colorectal cancer in nude mice. METHODS The transplanted tumor model of colorectal cancer was induced by injecting 0.2 mL colorectal cancer cell LoVo subcutaneously via the right armpit of nude mice. After successful modeling， nude mice were randomly divided into model group， 5-fluorouracil group （positive control， 10 mg/kg）， TF-MPL high- dose and low-dose groups （25， 12.5 mg/kg）； a normal group （normal saline containing 0.3% carboxymethyl cellulose sodium） without modeling was additionally set up， with 6 mice in each group. Each group was intraperitoneally injected with the corresponding drug solution/solvent for 21 consecutive days. The inhibitory rate of the transplanted tumor， liver and spleen index， and the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in serum were detected after the last medication； the morphological changes of tumor tissue were observed； immunohistochemical staining was used to detect protein expressions of Toll- like receptor 4 （TLR4） and nuclear factor-κB subunit p65 （NF-κB p65） in tumor tissue of nude mice. Western blot assay was used to detect protein expressions of TLR4， myeloid differentiation factor 88 （MyD88）， TNF receptor-associated factor 6 （TRAF6）， interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 （IRAK-1）， NF-κB p65 and caspase-3 in tumor tissue of nude mice. RESULTS Compared with the model group， TF-MPL high-dose group showed a significant decrease in tumor weight （inhibitory rate of 36.91%）， liver and spleen index， serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 and protein expressions of TLR4， MyD88， TRAF6，IRAK-1 and NF- κB p65 （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； the expression of caspase-3 protein was increased significantly （P＜0.05）， and more tumor cell shrinkage and deformation， nuclear pyknosis and fragmentation were observed. CONCLUSIONS TF-MPL can significantly inhibit the growth of transplanted tumor of colorectal cancer in nude mice， the mechanism of which may be associated with reducing inflammatory response， inhibiting TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway， and promoting apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells.

Identification and Expression Pattern of Salvia miltiorrhiza Terpenoid Synthase Gene Family / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveBioinformatics methods were used to systematically identify the Salvia miltiorrhiza terpenoid synthase （SmTPS） gene family members and predict their functions from the perspective of the genome. MethodThe genome and transcriptome data of S. miltiorrhiza， Arabidopsis thaliana， and tomato were obtained from the national genomics data center （NGDC）， national center for biotechnology information （NCBI）， the Arabidopsis information resource （TAIR）， and tomato functional genomics database （TFGD）， and the whole genome identification and bioinformatics analysis of the SmTPS gene family member were carried out with the help of Perl language programming， Tbtools， and other bioinformatics tools. ResultA total of 52 TPS gene family members were identified， and they were distributed on eight chromosomes of S. miltiorrhiza. Their coding amino acid number was 207-822 aa. The isoelectric points were 4.76-9.16. The molecular mass was 24.11-94.81 kDa， and all members are hydrophilic proteins. Gene structure analysis showed that there were significant differences in the number of introns among different subfamilies. The number of introns in 72.6% of TPS-a， b， and g subfamilies was 6， and that in 88.9% of TPS-c and e/f subfamilies was more than 10. Protein motifs were conserved among TPS subfamilies. The analysis of promoter cis-acting elements showed that all promoters of the SmTPSs contained a large number of light-responsive elements， and most of them had hormone-responsive elements. Gene expression analysis showed that SmTPS gene family members exhibited tissue-specific expression， and 24 of them responded to exogenous methyl jasmonate. ConclusionBased on the published S. miltiorrhiza genome， 52 SmTPS gene family members were identified， and their functions were predicted based on the phylogenetic analysis and expression patterns. This paper provides reference information for the further biosynthesis pathway and regulatory mechanism analysis of terpenoids in S. miltiorrhiza.

Supplementingand activating blood circulation method to treat vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia with posterior circulatory watershed infarction: a case report of two patients.

Vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia (VBD), a rare posterior circulation vascular variant disease, is an important risk factor for many acute cerebrovascular diseases. An insufficient understanding of VBD often leads to misdiagnose. Two cases of VBD that were initially diagnosed as posterior circulation watershed infarction are reported here. Absence of common causes of stroke including hypoperfusion, blood system diseases, carotid and aortic dissection, and eosinophil elevation, the symptoms of the 2 patients met the diagnostic criteria of VBD. Both patients displayed symptoms that were in line with the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome pattern of "deficiency and blood stasis". Accordingly, they were comprehensively treated with Supplementingand activating blood circulation method. The clinical manifestations of the 2 patients were remarkably improved and no recurrence of watershed infarction was found in a 1-year follow-up. A detailed medical history and laboratory examination are capable of improving diagnostic accuracy of VBD. TCM treatment based on syndrome identification might be a promising candidate for VBD management.

Morphological and molecular analyses reveal two new species of Microcera (Nectriaceae, Hypocreales) associated with scale insects on walnut in China.

The fungal genus Microcera consists of species mostly occurring as parasites of scale insects, but are also commonly isolated from soil or lichens. In the present study, we surveyed the diversity and assess the taxonomy of entomopathogenic fungi in Sichuan Province, China. Two new species of Microcera, viz. M.chrysomphaludis and M.pseudaulacaspidis, were isolated from scale insects colonising walnut (Juglansregia). Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference analyses of ITS, LSU, tef1-α, rpb1, rpb2, acl1, act, tub2, cmdA and his3 sequence data provide evidence for the validity of the two species and their placement in Nectriaceae (Hypocreales). Microcerapseudaulacaspidis primarily differs from similar species by having more septate and smaller cylindrical macroconidia, as well as DNA sequence data. Meanwhile, Microcerachrysomphaludis has elliptical, one-septate ascospores with acute ends and cylindrical, slightly curved with 4-6 septate macroconidia up to 78 µm long. Morphological descriptions with illustrations of the novel species and DNA-based phylogeny generated from analyses of multigene dataset are also provided to better understand species relationships.

Gut microbial profile of treatment-naive patients with primary biliary cholangitis.

Background and aims: The pathogenesis of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is associated with alterations of gut microbiota. We compared the gut microbiota of PBC patients and healthy controls from Zhejiang Province and assessed the use of these data for the diagnosis of PBC. Methods: First, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to characterize the gut microbiota of treatment-naive PBC patients (n=25) and matched healthy controls (n=25). Then, the value of gut microbiota composition for the diagnosis of PBC and assessment of PBC severity was determined. Results: The gut microbiota of PBC patients had lower diversity based on three different metrics of alpha-diversity (ace, Chao1, and observed features) and fewer overall genera (all p<0.01). PBC patients had significant enrichment of four genera and significant depletion of eight genera. We identified six amplicon sequence variants (Serratia, Oscillospirales, Ruminococcaceae, Faecalibacterium, Sutterellaceae, and Coprococcus) as optimal biomarkers to distinguish PBC patients from controls based on receiver operating characteristic analysis (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.824). PBC patients who were anti-gp210-positive had lower levels of Oscillospiraceae than those who were anti-gp210-negative. KEGG functional annotation suggested the major changes in the gut microbiota of PBC patients were related to lipid metabolism and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Conclusion: We characterized the gut microbiota of treatment-naive PBC patients and healthy controls from Zhejiang Province. The PBC patients had significant alterations in their gut microbiota, suggesting that gut microbiota composition could be useful as a non-invasive tool for the diagnosis of PBC.

Plant serine/arginine-rich proteins: versatile players in RNA processing.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins participate in RNA processing by interacting with precursor mRNAs or other splicing factors to maintain plant growth and stress responses. Alternative splicing is an important mechanism involved in mRNA processing and regulation of gene expression at the posttranscriptional level, which is the main reason for the diversity of genes and proteins. The process of alternative splicing requires the participation of many specific splicing factors. The SR protein family is a splicing factor in eukaryotes. The vast majority of SR proteins' existence is an essential survival factor. Through its RS domain and other unique domains, SR proteins can interact with specific sequences of precursor mRNA or other splicing factors and cooperate to complete the correct selection of splicing sites or promote the formation of spliceosomes. They play essential roles in the composition and alternative splicing of precursor mRNAs, providing pivotal functions to maintain growth and stress responses in animals and plants. Although SR proteins have been identified in plants for three decades, their evolutionary trajectory, molecular function, and regulatory network remain largely unknown compared to their animal counterparts. This article reviews the current understanding of this gene family in eukaryotes and proposes potential key research priorities for future functional studies.

Efficacy of press needle on immune function and quality of life in female breast cancer patients after radical mastectomy: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Radical mastectomy may lead to suppression of cellular immune function in patients with malignant tumors, and affect the quality of life (QOL) of patients. Immune suppression is a common cause of complications and adverse reactions in adjuvant therapy after radical mastectomy of breast cancer. Currently, there are few proven effective treatments for immune suppression. Therefore, it's necessary to develop a new treatment method. Press needle is widely used in clinical practice. However, there have been relatively few studies that evaluate the effects of press needle on postoperative immune function. The aim of the present study is to assess the effects of press needle on immune function and QOL in female breast cancer patients undergoing radical mastectomy. This study will be a single-center, randomized and single-blinded trial. Totally 78 eligible patients will be randomized in a ratio of 1:1 to the press needle group or the sham press needle group. During the treatment phase, patients will undergo five times weekly of verum press needle or sham press needle for 2 weeks. The primary outcome measures will be the peripheral blood levels of CD8+, CD4+, CD3+, and CD4+/CD8+ T cells. The secondary outcome measures will be the changes of patients' QOL, evaluated by the Karnofsky Performance Scale score and the EORTC core quality of life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). Furthermore, 5-year survival rate and recurrence rate will be evaluated. Safety and adverse events will be assessed at each visit. The results of this on-going study will provide clinical evidence for the effects and safety of press needle on immune function and QOL in patients after breast cancer resection compared with sham press needle. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000040100. Registered on 21 November 2020.

Global Analysis of Dark- and Heat-Regulated Alternative Splicing in Arabidopsis.

Alternative splicing (AS) is one of the major post-transcriptional regulation mechanisms that contributes to plant responses to various environmental perturbations. Darkness and heat are two common abiotic factors affecting plant growth, yet the involvement and regulation of AS in the plant responses to these signals remain insufficiently examined. In this study, we subjected Arabidopsis seedlings to 6 h of darkness or heat stress and analyzed their transcriptome through short-read RNA sequencing. We revealed that both treatments altered the transcription and AS of a subset of genes yet with different mechanisms. Dark-regulated AS events were found enriched in photosynthesis and light signaling pathways, while heat-regulated AS events were enriched in responses to abiotic stresses but not in heat-responsive genes, which responded primarily through transcriptional regulation. The AS of splicing-related genes (SRGs) was susceptible to both treatments; while dark treatment mostly regulated the AS of these genes, heat had a strong effect on both their transcription and AS. PCR analysis showed that the AS of the Serine/Arginine-rich family gene SR30 was reversely regulated by dark and heat, and heat induced the upregulation of multiple minor SR30 isoforms with intron retention. Our results suggest that AS participates in plant responses to these two abiotic signals and reveal the regulation of splicing regulators during these processes.

Nile tilapia DNA sensor STING is involved in the IFN-ß and AP-1 signaling pathways in the immune response dependent on DDX41.

Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) plays important roles in innate immunology. In this study, we isolated the STING gene in Nile tilapia, termed OnSTING. Using quantitative RT-PCR, we explored the expression patterns of the OnSTING gene. Using dual-luciferase reporter assays, we revealed the effect of STING overexpression on nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), IFN and AP activation in HEK 293 cells. Using coimmunoprecipitation, the interaction of STING and TRIF was studied. The effect of OnSTING overexpression on the antibacterial activity in tilapia was investigated. The results showed that upon stimulation with Streptococcus agalactiae, the OnSTING transcript was upregulated in all the tested tissues. OnSTING mRNA levels were very stable from 2.5 to 8.5 dpf. Moreover, OnSTING, OnIFN and IRF3 expression was induced by LPS, Poly (I:C), S. agalactiae WC1535 and DCPS in Nile tilapia macrophages. Overexpression of OnSTING and OnDDX41 increased NF-κB activation in HEK293T cells and slightly increased IFN-ß activation but had no effect on AP-1 activation. OnSTING interacted with OnDDX41 and OnTBK1. However, OnSTING did not interact with TRIF. OnSTING overexpression in vivo decreased the sensitivity of tilapia to S. agalactiae infection. These results are helpful for clarifying the innate immune response against bacterial infection in Nile tilapia.

A cross-sectional study on the prevalence and risk factors of chronic kidney disease in health examination adults / 中华健康管理学杂志

Objective:To investigate the prevalence and related factors of chronic kidney disease (CKD).Methods:A total of 42 223 subjects who received annual physical examination from January to December 2019 were selected as the research objects, a cross-sectional study was conducted. They were divided into CKD patients and healthy control groups. The basic information of the subjects was collected by questionnaire, including age, sex, marital status, education level, smoking history, drinking history, physical exercise and previous disease history, etc. The height, weight, waist circumference and blood pressure of the subjects were measured through physical examination, and laboratory indicators including fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood uric acid, creatinine and urine routine were collected. The influencing factors of CKD were analyzed by logistic regression.Results:A total of 42 223 subjects were included in the study. The prevalence of CKD was 5.62%, with 7.77% in males and 3.39% in females. The prevalence of CKD increased with age. The prevalence of CKD was the highest in ≥80 years old (25.84%), followed by 70-79 years old (13.08%), the prevalence of CKD in males was higher than that in females in all age groups. Most of the detected CKD patients were in the early stage (stage 1-2), and the total prevalence of early CKD was 5.13%, and the total prevalence of stage 3-5 was 0.49%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age 70-79 years old ( OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.17-2.27),≥80 years old ( OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 2.61-5.91), male ( OR: 1.55, 95% CI: 2.61-5.91), high diastolic blood pressure ( OR: 1.014, 95% CI: 1.007-1.021), high fasting blood glucose level ( OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.17-1.27), SUA ( OR: 1.001, 95% CI: 1.000-1.002), hypertension ( OR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.23-1.68), coronary heart disease ( OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.10-1.69) and stroke ( OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.09-2.43) were independent risk factors for CKD (all P<0.05); Physical activity 15-30 min/day ( OR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.71-0.93),>60 min/day ( OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.70-0.96) was a protective factor for the prevalence of CKD (all P<0.05) Conclusion:The prevalence of CKD in the health check-up population is low, and most of them are in the early stage of the disease. The prevalence of CKD is related to male, old age, physical exercise, elevated diastolic blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, elevated blood uric acid, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and stroke.

Factors influencing the occurrence of parastomal hernia after preventive ileostomy for colorectal cancer / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To explore the risk factors related to the formation of parastomal hernia (PSH) in patients with colorectal cancer after preventive ileostomy, provide Evidence-based medicine basis for prevention and treatment, and reduce the incidence of incision hernia (SSIH) at the stoma.Methods:The clinical data of 214 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical resection of colorectal cancer combined with preventive loop ileostomy in the General Surgery Department of the Linyi People′s Hospital from January 2019 to May 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The incidence of PSH was statistically analyzed, and the risk factors of PSH were analyzed by binary logistic regression.Results:There were 177 cases of PSH in 214 patients, with an incidence rate of 82.71%. There were 5 cases of SSIH (2.34%). The results of single factor analysis showed that there were significant differences in body mass index (BMI), postoperative diversion time and the proportion of stoma through rectus abdominis muscle between the PSH group and the non PSH group (all P<0.05); The results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that BMI, postoperative diversion time, rectus abdominis muscle stoma, incision infection and liquefaction were important influencing factors for the formation of PSH after preventive loop ileostomy for colorectal cancer (all P<0.05). Conclusions:BMI, postoperative diversion time, rectus abdominis muscle stoma, incision infection and liquefaction are important influencing factors for the formation of PSH after preventive ileostomy. Intervention measures can be targeted to reduce the incidence of SSIH by reducing the risk of PSH.

Comparison and reflection on training methods of Chinese and American pathologists: taking Duke University as an example / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Taking the Department of Pathology of Duke University as an example, this paper compares and analyzes the training mode of pathology residents in China and the United States. It is found that the organization and management system and supervision and assessment system of residency training in China have been improved, but it is still necessary to strengthen the in-depth implementation of humanistic education and training subjects for residents. Pathologist training should be based on "elite education" as the guiding ideology, to cultivate high-quality, high-level outstanding clinical pathology personnel as the specific goal, to build a solid foundation of clinical medicine.

Construction and reflection of mixed evaluation system of physiology / 中华医学教育探索杂志

The mixed evaluation system uses the network platform as a carrier to construct a dynamic evaluation model that spans time and space between online and offline, between individuals and teams. Mixed evaluation system of physiology was performed for two years, and the process evaluation and the summative evaluation in the mixed evaluation system showed a good correlation, and the students' learning ability and learning effect showed consistency with the evaluation results. Practice has proved that the mixed evaluation system not only optimizes the traditional evaluation system, but also fully expands the five principles of formative evaluation; however, while reflecting the advantages of the network platform, it also exposes the defects of insufficient supervision of the network platform. Thus, we should further improve the mixed evaluation system of physiology.

Effect of family management intervention on disease management ability of parents and family function with coronary artery lesions in Kawasaki disease / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To investigate the intervention effects and influencing factors of family management intervention on parents' disease management ability, family function of children with coronary artery lesions in Kawasaki disease.Methods:This was a quasi experimental study. Conveniently, 88 parents of children with Kawasaki disease coronary artery lesions from the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from March 2020 to June 2021 were selected for the study, and they were divided into the control group and the intervention group according to the order of the first consultation with 44 cases in each group. In the control group, conventional care and health education were used, while in the intervention group, a 6-month family management intervention was implemented on the basis of the control group. Family Management Measure (FaMM), Family Assessment Device (FAD) were used to assess the parents' disease management ability, family function before and after the intervention, respectively.Results:A total of 88 study subjects completed the pre-intervention survey in this study, and a total of 79 study subjects were surveyed when they returned to the hospital for review at the end of 6 months of intervention, including 40 in the intervention group and 39 in the control group, with a missed rate of 10.23% (9/88). There was no significant difference in the score of FAD, FaMM, Kawasaki disease knowledge questionnaire before the intervention between the two groups ( P>0.05). The scores of FAD in the intervention group was (21.58 ± 4.60) points, which was lower than that in the control group (24.62 ± 5.28) points, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=2.73, P <0.05). The scores of FaMM in the intervention group was (46.83 ± 6.02) points, which was higher than that in the control group (42.72 ± 6.09) points, and the differences was statistically significant ( t=-3.01, P <0.05). The age of the child, and whether the child was an only child were the influencing factors of the difference in disease management ability, and the difference in the family function of the parents of the child, respectively (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Family management intervention can improve the disease management ability of the parents of children with coronary artery lesion, improve family function. In the future, targeted interventions can be conducted according to different ages of children, and different family members' composition in order to obtain better intervention effects.

Efficacy and safety of linear accelerator-based fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for small volume brain metastases / 国际肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) based on linear accelerator for small volume brain metastases.Methods:A total of 21 patients with small volume brain metastases who received FSRT from August 2020 to June 2022 were enrolled as subjects, including 45 lesions. Small-volume brain metastases were defined as ≤3 cm in diameter and ≤6 cm 3 in volume, and the dose/fractionation scheme was 27-30 Gy/3 F or 30-40 Gy/5 F. Three months after radiotherpy, the efficacy of FSRT in small brain metastases and the incidence of radiation brain injury were evaluated, and the incidence of radiation brain injury in subgroup analysis was performed according to the diameter, volume, dose/fractionation scheme, biological effective dose (BED) 10, and location of lesions. Results:Twenty-four lesions (53.33%, 24/45) were evaluated as complete response, another 13 lesions (28.89%, 13/45) were evaluated as partial response, and in the remaining 8 lesions (17.78%, 8/45) were evaluated as stable disease. The local control rate was 100% (45/45), the objective remission rate was 82.22% (37/45), and the intracranial distant progression rate was 23.81% (5/21). During the treatment and follow-up, there were 7 lesions (15.56%, 7/45) of radiation-induced brain injury, and the incidence of symptomatic radiation-induced brain injury was 11.11% (5/45). Subgroup analysis showed that the incidence of radiation brain injury in the group with a lesion diameter of 2-3 cm was higher than that with a lesion diameter of <2 cm group, with a statistically significant difference [80.00% (4/5) vs. 7.50% (3/40), χ2=12.69, P<0.001]; the incidence rate of radiation brain injury in the group with lesion volume of 4-6 cm 3 was higher than that with lesion volume of <4 cm 3 group, with a statistically significant difference [57.14% (4/7) vs. 7.89% (3/38), χ2=7.49, P=0.006]. There was no significant difference in the incidence of radiation brain injury between the dose/fractionation scheme of lesions 27-30 Gy/3 F and 30-40 Gy/5 F [9.52% (2/21) vs. 20.83% (5/24), χ2=0.40, P=0.527]. There was no significant difference in the incidence of radiation brain injury between the BED 10<60 Gy and ≥60 Gy [28.57% (2/7) vs. 13.16% (5/38), χ2=0.22, P=0.641]. There was no significant difference in the incidence of radiation brain injury between the lesions in the same lobe and the single or multiple lesions in different lobes [28.57% (4/14) vs. 9.68% (3/31), χ2=1.38, P=0.240) . Conclusion:FSRT based on linear accelerator is effective for small volume brain metastases. Brain metastases with the diameter <2 cm or volume <4 cm 3 are associated with a lower incidence of radiation brain injury than that of lesions with the diameter of 2-3 cm or volume of 4-6 cm 3.

Expression Profile and Clinical Significance of Cytokines and Chemokines in Patients with Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the cytokine/chemokine profile in patients with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), and assess the prognostic value of survival.@*METHODS@#Serum levels of thirty-eight cytokines/chemokines were measured by multiple cytokine assay kit in EBV-related HLH patients, EBV-infected patients, and controls. The expression profile of cytokines/chemokines was compared among groups. The changes of cytokine/chemokine expression in active and remission stage of EBV-related HLH patients were also compared, and the prognostic values for survival were evaluated.@*RESULTS@#Serum levels of interferon-α2 (IFN-α2), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-7 in EBV-related HLH patients were 33.67(23.23-68.78) pg/ml, (74.95±25.53) pg/ml, and 35.35(19.50-63.55) pg/ml, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in EBV-infected patients［IFN-α2: 16.07(9.87-29.63); IL-6: 55.91±20.29; IL-7: 20.40(13.35-31.40)］ and controls ［IFN-α2: 11.02(4.67-21.25); IL-6:42.64±13.41; IL-7: 16.95(14.95-33.78)］(all P<0.05). Serum levels of IL-8, IL-9, and marcophage-derived chemokine (MDC) in EBV-related HLH patients were 11.00(7.50-15.27) pg/ml, 81.30(40.79-111.0) pg/ml, and (512.6±128.7) pg/ml, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in controls ［IL-8: 6.80(5.56-8.38); IL-9: 41.30(29.82-67.91); MDC: 384.1±156.6］(all P<0.05), but there was no remarkable differences compared with EBV-infected patients (P>0.05). Serum IFN-α2, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, and MDC in survival and death groups of EBV-related HLH patients were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve with area under curve of 0.781, 0.778, 0.633, 0.805, 0.562, and 0.657, respectively (P=0.019, 0.021, 0.269, 0.015, 0.607, and 0.190). IFN-α2, IL-6, and IL-8 had good predictive effect on survival. Serum level of IFN-α2, IL-6, and MDC of EBV-related HLH patients in remission stage were significantly lower than those in active stage (P<0.05), while IL-7, IL-8, and IL-9 were not different (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#IFN-α2, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, and MDC may take part in the pathogenesis of EBV-related HLH.

The rules of acupoint selection of acupuncture and moxibustion for scrofula in ancient times / 中国针灸

Based on data mining technology, the rules of acupoint selection of acupuncture-moxibustion for scrofula in ancient times were analyzed. The relevant articles of acupuncture and moxibustion for scrofula were searched in the Chinese Medical Code, and the original article, acupoint name, acupoint characteristic, and acupoint meridian tropism, etc. were screened and extracted. The Microsoft Excel 2019 was used to establish a acupoint prescription database, and the frequency of acupoints as well as their meridian tropism and characteristics were analyzed. The SPSS21.0 was applied to perform cluster analysis of acupuncture prescriptions; the SPSS Modeler 18.0 was used to perform the association rules analysis of the neck and the chest-armpit acupoints, respectively. As a result, 314 acupuncture prescriptions were extracted, including 236 single-acupoint prescriptions and 78 multiple-acupoints prescriptions (53 for neck and 25 for chest-armpit). A total of 54 acupoints were involved, with a total frequency of 530. The top 3 commonly-used acupoints were Tianjing (TE 10), Zulinqi (GB 41) and Taichong (LR 3); the most commonly-used meridians were hand shaoyang meridian, foot shaoyang meridian, hand yangming meridian and foot yangming meridian; the most commonly-used special acupoints were he-sea points and shu-stream points. The cluster analysis obtained 6 clusters, and the association rule analysis obtained that the core prescriptions of the neck were Quchi (LI 11), Jianyu (LI 15), Tianjing (TE 10) and Jianjing (GB 21), while the core prescriptions of the chest-armpit were Daling (PC 7), Yanglingquan (GB 34), Danzhong (CV 17), Jianjing (GB 21), Waiguan (TE 5), Zhigou (TE 6), Yuanye (GB 22) and Zhangmen (LR 13). The core prescriptions obtained from association rule analysis by difference areas were basically consistent with those by cluster analysis of total prescriptions.

The protective effect of hesperidin on cardiac and renal tissue damage in DOCA/Salt hypertensive rats / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the protective effect of hesperidin (HES) on cardiorenal damage induced by DOCA/Salt hypertension and the underlying mechanisms. Methods Eighteen male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group (Ctrl), model group (DOCA/Salt), and DOCA/Salt with hesperidin group (DOCA/Salt + HES). HES was administered for four weeks. Blood pressure, serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen were measured. The pathological changes in heart and kidney were examined by HE, Masson and Sirius red staining. The expression of α-SMA, collagen I and TGF-β were detected by Western blot. The mRNA levels of Nlrp3, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and NOXs were measured using qRT-PCR. Results Compared with the model group, HES administration significantly attenuated the occurrence of DOCA/Salt hypertension, improved renal function indicators of hypertensive rats, reduced renal and cardiac fibrosis, deduced the expression of α-SMA, collagen I and TGF-β, inhibited the expression of Nlrp3, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, and decreased the expression of NOXs in renal and cardiac tissues. Conclusions HES can delay the occurrence of hypertension and protect against hypertension-induced renal and cardiac tissue damage, which may be related to the reduction of inflammatory reaction and oxidative stress by HES.