An evaluation of carrier detection for Spinal muscular atrophy using digital PCR assay / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To assess the effectiveness and feasibility of carrier detection for Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) by using digital PCR assay.@*METHODS@#Peripheral blood samples were collected from 214 pregnant women who were routinely screened for SMA carriers, of which 204 were randomly selected samples and 10 were samples with known copy numbers of SMN1 exons 7 and 8. Samples with known copy numbers of SMN1 exons 7 and 8 were randomly mixed into the experiment to validate the performance of the digital PCR assay.@*RESULTS@#The copy numbers of SMN1 exons 7 and 8 and SMN2 exons 7 and 8 in peripheral blood samples were detected by digital PCR assay. The results of SMN1 exons 7 and 8 were compared with those of the quantitative PCR method to assess the reliability and clinical performance of the digital PCR assay. Among the 204 random samples, digital PCR has detected five samples with simultaneous heterozygous deletion of SMN1 exons 7 and 8, three samples with heterozygous deletion of SMN1 exon 8 only, and 196 samples with no deletion of SMN1 exons 7 and 8. Ten samples with known SMN1 exons 7 and 8 copy numbers were detected with the expected values. The digital PCR test results were fully consistent with that of the quantitative PCR.@*CONCLUSION@#The results of digital PCR for the detection of copy number variation of SMN1 exons 7 and 8 were consistent with qPCR. Digital PCR assay was able to clearly distinguish the copy number of the target genes, therefore can be used for SMA carrier screening. Moreover, it can also detect copy number of SMN2 exons 7 and 8, which can provide more information for genetic counseling.

Intervention effect and mechanism of Wuwei baogan pill on mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To investigate the intervention effect and mechanism of Wuwei baogan pill on mice with non- alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD）. METHODS The mice were given high-fat and high-sugar diet for 19 weeks to induce NAFLD model. The model mice were randomly grouped into model group， positive control group （polyene phosphatidylcholine capsules， 23.30 mg/kg）， Wuwei baogan pill low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups （0.11， 0.23， 0.45 g/kg）， with 8 mice in each group； the normal group was additionally set up without modeling. Administration groups were given relevant medicine intragastrically， and model group and normal group were given constant volume of normal saline， once a day， for consecutive 4 weeks. After the last administration， glucose metabolism （including fasting blood glucose， fasting insulin， insulin resistance index）， liver function [liver index， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST），liver tissue pathological score]， lipid metabolism [triglyceride （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， and high- density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）] were measured； the pathological morphology of liver tissue， as well as fibrosis， lipid droplet formation， and glycogen synthesis were observed； the levels of free fatty acid （FFA） in serum and inflammatory factors in liver tissue [tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6） and IL-1β] were detected； the expressions of insulin receptor substrate/phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/ glycogen synthase kinase 3β （IRS/PI3K/AKT/GSK3β） signaling pathway-related protein in liver tissue were investigated. RESULTS After intervention with high-dose Wuwei baogan pill， liver index of NAFLD mice， serum levels of ALT， AST， FFA， TC， TG and LDL-C， the levels of TNF-α， IL-6 and IL-1β in liver tissue， fasting blood glucose， fasting insulin， insulin resistance index， liver tissue pathological score， proportions of fibrotic staining area and lipid droplet staining area all significantly decreased （P＜0.05）； the level of HDL-C， proportion of glycogen staining area， the phosphorylation of IRS1， PI3K， AKT and GSK3β protein increased significantly （P＜0.05）； the degree of liver cell necrosis and steatosis was reduced， and the fibrotic lesions were alleviated. The above indexes of mice were improved in Wuwei baogan pill low-dose and medium-dose groups， but there was no statistically significant difference in some indexes. CONCLUSIONS Wuwei baogan pill can regulate lipid and glucose metabolism disorders in the liver of NAFLD mice， and improve liver injury， the mechanism of which may be associated with the activation of IRS/PI3K/AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway.

Intervention effect and mechanism of Wuwei baogan pill on mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To investigate the intervention effect and mechanism of Wuwei baogan pill on mice with non- alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD）. METHODS The mice were given high-fat and high-sugar diet for 19 weeks to induce NAFLD model. The model mice were randomly grouped into model group， positive control group （polyene phosphatidylcholine capsules， 23.30 mg/kg）， Wuwei baogan pill low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups （0.11， 0.23， 0.45 g/kg）， with 8 mice in each group； the normal group was additionally set up without modeling. Administration groups were given relevant medicine intragastrically， and model group and normal group were given constant volume of normal saline， once a day， for consecutive 4 weeks. After the last administration， glucose metabolism （including fasting blood glucose， fasting insulin， insulin resistance index）， liver function [liver index， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST），liver tissue pathological score]， lipid metabolism [triglyceride （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， and high- density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）] were measured； the pathological morphology of liver tissue， as well as fibrosis， lipid droplet formation， and glycogen synthesis were observed； the levels of free fatty acid （FFA） in serum and inflammatory factors in liver tissue [tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6） and IL-1β] were detected； the expressions of insulin receptor substrate/phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/ glycogen synthase kinase 3β （IRS/PI3K/AKT/GSK3β） signaling pathway-related protein in liver tissue were investigated. RESULTS After intervention with high-dose Wuwei baogan pill， liver index of NAFLD mice， serum levels of ALT， AST， FFA， TC， TG and LDL-C， the levels of TNF-α， IL-6 and IL-1β in liver tissue， fasting blood glucose， fasting insulin， insulin resistance index， liver tissue pathological score， proportions of fibrotic staining area and lipid droplet staining area all significantly decreased （P＜0.05）； the level of HDL-C， proportion of glycogen staining area， the phosphorylation of IRS1， PI3K， AKT and GSK3β protein increased significantly （P＜0.05）； the degree of liver cell necrosis and steatosis was reduced， and the fibrotic lesions were alleviated. The above indexes of mice were improved in Wuwei baogan pill low-dose and medium-dose groups， but there was no statistically significant difference in some indexes. CONCLUSIONS Wuwei baogan pill can regulate lipid and glucose metabolism disorders in the liver of NAFLD mice， and improve liver injury， the mechanism of which may be associated with the activation of IRS/PI3K/AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway.

Exposure to Bisphenol A induces abnormal fetal heart development by promoting ferroptosis.

BACKGROUND: Bisphenol A (BPA), a common endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC), has been revealed to be closely associated with the induction of abnormal heart development, obesity, prediabetes, and other metabolic disorders. However, the underlying mechanism of maternal BPA exposure on fetal heart development abnormalities is not clear. METHODS: To explore the adverse effects of BPA and its potential mechanism on heart development, C57BL/6 J mice and human cardiac AC-16 cells were used to conduct in vivo and in vitro studies. For the in vivo study, mice were exposed to low-dose BPA (40 mg/(kg·bw)) and high-dose BPA (120 mg/(kg·bw)) for 18 d during pregnancy. In vitro study, human cardiac AC-16 cells were exposed to BPA of various concentrations (0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 µM) for 24 h. Cell viability and ferroptosis were evaluated using 2,5-diphenyl-2 H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT), immunofluorescence staining, and western blotting. RESULTS: In BPA-treated mice, the alterations of fetal cardiac structure were observed. Increased NK2 homeobox 5(Nkx2.5) was detected in vivo with the induction of ferroptosis, revealing that BPA induced abnormal fetal heart development. Furthermore, the results showed that SLC7A11 and SLC3A2 decreased in low- and high-dose BPA-treated groups, suggesting that system Xc- mediated BPA-induced abnormal fetal heart development via inhibiting the expression of GPX4. Observing AC-16 cells confirmed that cell viability declined significantly with various concentrations of BPA. Moreover, BPA exposure suppressed GPX4 expression by inhibiting System Xc- (the decrease of SLC3A2 and SLC7A11). Collectively, system Xc- modulating cell ferroptosis might play important in abnormal fetal heart development induced by BPA exposure.

Study on clinical characteristics of PALB2 gene-related breast cancer / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics of breast cancer patients with PALB2 gene mutation.Methods:Data of 2030 female patients with early-stage breast cancer admitted to the Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College from July 2015 to July 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, and the patients were all from Genetic Investigation of Inherited & Familial Tumor Syndrome study cohort (GIFTS study, clinical trial registration number: ChiCTR1900024050). All these patients underwent the panel-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) on all the exons 50 cancer predisposition genes including BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, etc. The patients were divided into the PALB2 gene mutation group and the non-mutation carriers group according to the results of genetic testing. Furthermore, the clinicopathological characteristics were compared between the two groups, and their compliance of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) genetic testing criteria were also evaluated.Results:Among 2 030 patients with breast cancer, 184 patients (9.06%) harbored pathogenic germline variants, including 22 cases (1.08%) with PALB2 gene mutation and 1 666 cases (82.07%) without gene mutation. Patients with PALB2 gene mutation were at younger ages of onset than the non-mutation carriers group [(39±7) years old vs. (43±9) years old, t = -2.40, P = 0.016] and had higher proportion of early-onset breast cancer (age of onset < 35 years old) than the non-mutation carriers group [31.82% (7/22) vs. 14.83% (247/1 666), χ2 = 4.90, P = 0.036]. Patients with PALB2 gene mutation presented more positive family histories of pancreatic cancer than the non-mutation carriers group [9.09% (2/22) vs. 1.44% (24/1 666), χ2 = 8.38, P = 0.044], higher proportion of histological grade Ⅱ [85.00% (17/20) vs. 61.25% (811/1 324), χ2 = 4.70, P = 0.036], more hormone receptor (HR)-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative patients [86.36% (19/22) vs. 63.53% (1 040/1 637), χ2 = 4.90, P = 0.026], and less HR-positive and HER2-positive patients [0 (0) vs. 16.62% (272/1 637), P = 0.037]. Among 22 patients with PALB2 gene mutation, 18 (81.82%) met the NCCN genetic testing criteria for hereditary breast cancer; among 1 666 patients without gene mutation, 1 166 (69.99%) met the NCCN genetic testing criteria for hereditary breast cancer, and the difference was not statistically significant ( χ2 = 1.45, P = 0.347). Conclusions:The Chinese patients with PALB2 gene-related breast cancer have shown distinct clinical characteristics and genetic etiology. However, a more accurate screening criterion for identifying hereditary breast cancer is still needed in clinical practice.

Analysis of the efficacy of non-invasive prenatal testing in the system of prenatal screening and diagnosis / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the efficacy of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in the prenatal screening and its role in the system of prenatal diagnosis.@*METHODS@#A total of 22 649 singleton pregnant women who were registered and finally delivered or had induced labor at Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Capital Medical University were enrolled. The routes of prenatal screening were analyzed to evaluate the efficacy of prenatal screening. Meanwhile, 9268 pregnant women who underwent invasive prenatal diagnosis procedure were enrolled. The indications and results of prenatal diagnosis were analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of prenatal screening.@*RESULTS@#60.24% of singleton pregnant women have opted for Down syndrome screening, and their age was mainly under 35. The proportion of women opted for NIPT was 34.74%, and were mainly between 35 and 39. The overall diagnostic rate of trisomy 21, 18 and 13 trisomy for those with high risk by NIPT was 0.89%, which yielded a positive predictive value of 75.71%. For those with moderate risk by serum screening, 0.30% was predicted with a high risk by NIPT. Among women undergoing prenatal diagnosis, 63.04% and 21.22% had the indication of advanced age or high risk by serum screening, and the positive predictive values were 5.1% and 5.13%, respectively. By contrast, 2.30% of women undergoing prenatal diagnosis had a high risk by NIPT, which yielded a positive predictive value of 54.46%.@*CONCLUSION@#With the change of the age composition of pregnant women and increase in the complexity of pregnancy in China, to build a prenatal screening system based on NIPT will be helpful to improve the efficiency of the current system of prenatal screening and diagnosis.

Molecular design, pharmacology and toxicology optimization of antimicrobial peptide from Hydrophis cyanocinctus, Hc-CATH / 生物工程学报

Based on the cathelicidin family antimicrobial peptide Hc-CATH derived from sea snake, the Hc-16 and Hc-15 of 16 and 15 amino acid residues, were designed. By using CCK8, minimal inhibitory concentration, ELISA and bio-layer interferometry assays, their cytotoxicity, antibacterial activity, anti-inflammatory activity, and LPS neutralization activity was examined. Compared with Hc-15, Hc-16 had lower cytotoxicity and better broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against pathogens including clinically resistant bacteria, with the minimum inhibitory concentration of only 4.69 μg/mL. Hc-16 inhibited the expression of inflammatory cytokines of TNF-α and IL-6 induced by LPS, so as to significantly reduce the inflammatory response induced by infection. In addition, structure-activity relationship studies have shown that the phenylalanine at the C- and N-terminals of Hc-16 played a crucial role in its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity. Altogether, the designed Hc-16 has an excellent prospect to be developed into a novel antibiotic.

Progress of research on clinical use of non-invasive prenatal screening for special groups of pregnant women / 中华医学遗传学杂志

As a prenatal testing for chromosomal abnormalities, non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has been integrated into prenatal healthcare service. NIPT has shown a high sensitivity and specificity for screening fetal trisomies 13, 18 and 21, and has attained excellent clinical results. With the propagation of the NIPT screening, international organizations have issued guidelines and comments for its clinical utility with regular updating. China has also developed guidelines for NIPT in 2016. NIPT guidelines in various countries have provided valuable guidance for its target diseases and suitable patient groups, but there has been few research data on its clinical application for special groups of patients. Based on the guidelines and comments of various professional bodies and published data on the clinical utility of NIPT, in addition with consideration of the conditions in China, clinical utility of NIPT for particular groups of pregnant women, including those with advanced maternal age, obesity, twin pregnancy and fetal ultrasonographic anomalies, are reviewed. The value of genetic counseling for NIPT is also emphasized, which is critical for the clinical application of NIPT.

Safe dose of 650 nm low-power semiconductor laser irradiation in chicken retina / 中华实验眼科杂志

Objective:To observe whether there was a chronic light damage after the irradiation of 650 nm semiconductor laser (power 2 mW) in chicken cone-rich-retina and discuss the safety of this laser for retina.Methods:Sixty 1-month-old chicken reared under natural light were divided into a normal control group, an irradiation 3-min group, an irradiation 6-min group and an irradiation 30-min group by using a random number table and 15 for each group.The chicken eyes were irradiated with 650 nm laser for different duration according to a grouping.Relative retina area was measured with optical coherence tomography (OCT) at 1 month (2-month-old chicken), 3 months (4-month-old chicken) and 6 months (7-month-old chicken) after laser irradiation.Chickens were sacrificed by overdose anesthesia and the histopathology of chiken retina was examined by hematoxylin-eosin staining.The apoptosis of the retinal cells was evaluated by TUNEL staining.Chicken retinal homogenate was prepared, and the content of malondialdehyde and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the retina were detected by TBA method and NBT method, respectively.Western blot was employed to detect the expression of L/M opsin and rhodopsin in the retina.The use and care of the animals complied with Regulations for the Administration of Affair Concerning Experimental Animals by State Science and Technology Commission.Results:In 2-month-old chicken, the molar concentration of malondialdehyde in retina was significantly higher in the irradiation 30-min group compared with the normal control group ( P<0.05). In 4-month-old chicken, the molar concentration of malondialdehyde was statistically higher in the irradiation 6-min group and the irradiation 30-min group in comparison with the normal control group ( P=0.026, 0.003). In 7-month-old chicken, the concentrations of retinal malondialdehyde in the irradiation 3-min group, irradiation 6-min group and irradiation 30-min group were statistically higher than those of the normal control group( P=0.038, 0.032, <0.01). In 7-month-old chicken, the SOD activity and the relative expression of rhodopsin in the retina of the irradiation 30-min group were statistically reduced incomparison with the normal control group (SOD: [140.20±5.99][nmol/s·mg] vs.[160.57±3.13][nmol/s·mg]); Rhodopsin: 0.392±0.065 vs.0.566±0.072) (both at P<0.05). OCT showed that there was no significant difference in relative retinal area within 6 months among the four groups.Histopathological examination showed that the thickness of the retina in each irradiation group was close to the normal control group.TUNEL staining showed that the retinal cells were regularly arranged, and no TUNEL positive staining cells were found in all of the groups. Conclusions:Irradiation of a 650 nm semiconductor laser (2 mW) in chicken's eyes for 6 minutes is safe for retina within 6 months.The lasser irradiation 30 minutes for 6 months results in an increase of free radical content in the retina and a decrease in rhodopsin, suggesting the presence of photo damage.

Treatment experience for full-thickness wound dehiscence with cerebrospinal fluid leakage following posterior primary spine surgery: Three case reports.

RATIONALE: Full-thickness wound dehiscence with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage following posterior spine surgery is a rare but troublesome complication. In the present study, 3 clinical cases associated with this entity are reported. PATIENT CONCERNS: The first case developed incision effusion 5 days after posterior decompression and internal fixation for lumbar spinal stenosis. The second case has the same diagnosis and treatment with the first case. She developed intraoperative CSF leak and incision effusion 7 days after the surgery. The third case developed incision effusion 6 days after posterior single door laminoplasty for cervical spondylosis. DIAGNOSIS: All cases developed CSF leak, incision effusion and finally full-thickness wound dehiscence on the postoperative period. INTERVENTIONS: Bed rest, drainage, vacuum sealing drainage (VSD), and reoperations were applied in all of the patients. Trapezius flap transfer was applied to the third case. One lumbar patient developed deep infection and meningitis; thus, the internal fixation and bone graft were removed. OUTCOMES: All of the patients received wound healing finally and were followed up for >6 months. No incision complications reoccurred, and preoperative symptoms significantly relieved. LESSONS: Several techniques can be adopted to minimize the incidence of complications and proper surgical repair is the most important. Lumbar cistern drainage and VSD are recommended. Some other available options of management will also help.

Exploration of the process of prenatal screening and diagnosis for women with advanced maternal age based on results of 351 cases of fetal chromosomal abnormalities / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the suitable process for prenatal screening and diagnosis for women with advanced maternal age.@*METHODS@#From January 2014 to November 2017, the indications and distributions of prenatal diagnosis for women with advanced maternal age only or accompanying with positive maternal serum test screening and non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), abnormal fetal ultrasound, one harboring chromosomal abnormalities or anomalous reproductive history were analyzed. The rate of fetal chromosomal abnormalities was compared between different groups.@*RESULTS@#The 351 pregnant women with fetal chromosomal abnormalities have included 196 cases with advanced maternal age, 26 with positive maternal serum test, 96 with high-risk by NIPT, 14 with abnormal fetal ultrasound, 15 with one partner harboring chromosomal abnormalities, and 4 with anomalous reproductive history. Assuming that all pregnant women had undergone maternal serum test screening or NIPT without amniocentesis, the detection rate of fetal chromosome abnormality would be 51.0% and 69.2%, respectively. However, should these women have received both tests, the detection rate would be as high as 84.6%. Should those with one partner harboring chromosomal abnormalities undergone maternal serum test screening or NIPT without amniocentesis, the detection rate of fetal chromosomal abnormality would only be 6.7%.@*CONCLUSION@#Should pregnant women with advanced maternal age undergo both maternal serum test and NIPT, the detection rate of fetal chromosomal abnormality will be higher than those receiving only maternal serum test screening or NIPT. Couples with one partner harboring chromosomal abnormalities should undergo prenatal diagnosis by amniocentesis.

Progress in the mechanisms of anticancer peptides / 生物工程学报

In recent years, cancer has become a major concern in relation to human morbidity and mortality. Anticancer peptides (ACPs) are the bioactive peptide with antitumor activity and found in many organisms, including mammals, amphibians, insects, plants and microorganisms. ACPs have been suggested as promising agents for antitumor therapy due to their numerous advantages over traditional chemical agents such as low molecular masses, relatively simple structures, greater tumor selectivity, fewer adverse reactions, ease of absorption, a variety of routes of administration and low risk for inducing multi-drug resistance. Combining with the related research in our group, we summarized the mechanisms of ACPs to provide some directions for research and development of peptide-based anticancer drugs.

Development of a quantitative serum assay of Golgi protein 73 in hepatocellular carcinoma using xMAP technology / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective@#To establish a quantitative assay of serum Golgi protein 73 (GP73) using xMAP technology and evaluate its performance.@*Methods@#Monoclonal antibodies against GP73 were prepared and purified, and antibody pair screening was performed by double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The screened antibodies were used to construct a Luminex liquid chip detection system, and the analysis performance of the detection system was evaluated. The serum levels of GP73 were detected in 90 clinical samples from healthy controls and patients with chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).@*Results@#Five anti-GP73 monoclonal antibodies were prepared and purified, and 5 antibody pairs were successfully screened. The Luminex liquid chip detection system of GP73 was successfully constructed using 8F10D1 and 10B9F11 antibody pairs. The analytical performance evaluation showed that the sensitivity of this system was 0.25 ng/ml and the dynamic range was 0.25-100 ng/ml. No cross reactivity was observed. The intra- and inter-assay variation for GP73 was <8% and <11%, respectively. The recovery was 83%-92%. The linear regression equation was y=1.141x+ 6.436 (r2=0.998 4, P<0.001). The GP73 concentrations in the serum samples of healthy control, CHB group, and HCC group were 42.8 (38.68, 55.90) ng/ml, 61.49 (43.59, 81) ng/ml, and 122.78 (49.36 liter, 264.55) ng/ml, respectively. The levels of GP73 in HCC group were significantly higher than those in CHB group and healthy controls (P<0.05). Moreover, the levels of GP73 in CHB group were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (P<0.05).@*Conclusions@#A liquid chip detection system of GP73 was successfully constructed. It provides a powerful tool for the clinical application of GP73 in the future.

Signaling pathway of early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage / 国际脑血管病杂志

Early brain injury (EBI) refers to the direct damage and secondary pathophysiological changes of brain tissue within 72 h after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.Studies have shown that a variety of signaling pathways are involved in the mechanism of EBI,such as ecoxy chloropropane Kelch sample related protein-1 (Keapl)-nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2)-antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway,Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-κB pathway,phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway.This article reviews the mechanisms of action of different signaling pathways involved in EBI.

Signaling pathway of early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage / 国际脑血管病杂志

Early brain injury (EBI) refers to the direct damage and secondary pathophysiological changes of brain tissue within 72 h after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Studies have shown that a variety of signaling pathways are involved in the mechanism of EBI, such as ecoxy chloropropane Kelch sample related protein-1 (Keap1)-nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2)-antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-κB pathway, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway. This article reviews the mechanisms of action of different signaling pathways involved in EBI.

The clinical discussion on diagnostic and treatment progress of metastatic spinal adrenal pheochromocytoma / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Metastatic spinal adrenal pheochromocytoma is such a rare disease that its diagnosis is complicated and the treatment scheme has not reached a consensus at the international level. We should take the clinical manifestations, accessory examination, pathological diagnosis and gene tests into a full consideration to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and to choose reasonable treatment to improve the prognosis. The aim of this paper was to summarize the clinical characteristics, diagnostic basis, and treatment protocols of this disease, which may help to promote recognition of metastatic spinal adrenal pheochromocytoma.

Flexibility of the coronal lumbosacral region of congenital scoliosis: a three-dimensional finite element analysis / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: In the patients with congenital scoliosis, the spinal motor units exhibit developmental disorders and poor range of motion. It has been found that the compensation ability of coronal lumbosacral region (L4-S1) is associated with the occurrence of non-compensable trunk migration postoperatively.OBJECTIVE: To establish the three-dimensional finite element models of coronal lumbosacral region of normal and patients with congenital scoliosis and to compare the strain, displacement, stress and stiffness under different loading conditions among models.METHODS: One normal subject and two congenital scoliosis patients with different coronal lumbosacral region flexibility were selected, DICOM image datawere obtained by spiral CT scanning at the lumbosacral region, and then imported into MIMICS software, and a three-dimensional model was established according to the gray values of each tissue on CT,followed by simplified by GEOMAGIC, and finally imported into ABAQUS foftware to conduct a mechanic analysis under different loading conditions.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Under different lateral forces, in the three models, the maximum stress mainly distributed on the frontal region of L4 cortical bone, and maximum displacement concentrated on L5. (2) There was no significant change in the stress distribution in the two scoliosis models, but the compensable model showed larger displacement change, and its stiffness was significantly less than that of the non-compensable model, indicating that the compensable model is easy to deform. (3) These findings suggest that three-dimensional finite element model is helpful to perform a biomechanical analysis for coronal lumbosacral region of congenital scoliosis, among which, a compensable model exhibits large displacement, suggesting a good flexibility.

Role of β-arrestin-1 in penehyclidine hydrochloride-induced inhibition of LPS-caused increase in pulmonary microvascular permeability in human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective To evaluate the role of β-arrestin-1 in penehyclidine hydrochloride (PHC)-induced inhibition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-caused increase in pulmonary microvascular permeability in human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVECs).Methods Human PMVECs were seeded in 6-well plates (2 ml/well) or in culture flasks (4 ml/flask) at the density of 1 × 105 cells/ml and divided into 5 groups (n=15 each) using a random number table:empty plasmid transfection group (group C),LPS plus empty plasmid transfection group (LPS group),PHC plus LPS plus empty plasmid transfection group (P+LPS group),LPS plus β-arrestin-1 short hairpin RNA (shRNA) transfection group (LPS+shRNA group) and PHC plus LPS plus β-arrestin-1 shRNA transfection group (P+LPS+shRNA group).In LPS and LPS+shRNA groups,the cells were transfected with empty plasmid 1.5 μg or with plasmid containing 15 nmol/L β-arrestin-1 shRNA,LPS with the final concentration of 0.1 μg/ml was added at 24 h of incubation,and the cells were then incubated for 1 h.In P+LPS and P+LPS+shRNA groups,the cells were transfected with empty plasmid 1.5 μg or with plasmid containing 15 nmol/L β-arrestin-1 shRNA,PHC with the final concentration of 2 μg/ml was added at 24 h of incubation,LPS with the final concentration of 0.1 μg/ml was added at 1 h of incubation,and the cells were then incubated for 1 h.The cell permeability was measured using Transwell chambers.The expression of heat shock protein (HSP27) was detected by immunofluorescence.The expression of β-arrestin-1,p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) and phosphorylated p38MAPK (p-p38MAPK) was detected by Western blot.The ratio of pp38MAPK/p38MAPK was calculated.Results Compared with group C,the cell permeability was significantly increased,the expression of HSP27 was up-regulated,p-p38MAPK/p38MAPK ratio was increased,and the expression of β-arrestin-1 was down-regulated in LPS,LPS + shRNA and P + LPS + shRNA groups (P＜0.05),and no significant change was found in the parameters mentioned above in group P+LPS (P＞ 0.05).Compared with group LPS,the cell permeability was significantly decreased,the expression of HSP27 was down-regulated,p-p38MAPK/p38MAPK ratio was decreased,and the expression of β-arrestin1 was up-regulated in group P +LPS,and p-p38MAPK/p38MAPK ratio was significantly increased (P＜0.05),and no significant change was found in the other parameters in group P+LPS+shRNA (P＞0.05).Compared with group P+LPS,the cell permeability was significantly increased,the expression of HSP27 was up-regulated,p-p38MAPK/p38MAPK ratio was increased,and the expression of β-arrestin-1 was down-regulated in group P+LPS+shRNA (P＜0.05).Conclusion The mechanism by which PHC inhibits LPS-induced increase in pulmonary microvascular permeability is totally related to β-arrestin-1 in human PMVECs.

Role of M3 receptor in the effect of penehyclidine hydrochloride up-regulating β-arrestin-1 expression / 重庆医学

Objective To investigate the role of M3 receptor in the effect of penehyclidine hydrochloride(PHC) upregulating β-arrestin-1 expression in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell(HPMVEC) injury.Methods.M3 shRNA transfected HPMVEC and normal HPMVEC cells were randomly divided into LPS group(A),LPS+pHC group(B),LPS+ M3 shRNA transfection group(C) and PHC+ LPS+ M3 shRNA transfection group(D).The cytoskeleton change was observed by laser scanning confocal.The LDH level in cellular supernate was detected.The VCAM 1 protein expression was examined by immunofluorescence chemistry.β-arrestin-1 protein expression was determined by Western blot and β-arrestin-1mRNA expression was measured by real-time PCR.Results Compared with the group A or C,F-actin cytoskeleton arrangement in the group B or D was neat,the LDH level and VCAM-1 protein expression were decreased,and β-arrestin-1 expression was increased;compared with group A or B,F-actin cytoskeleton arrangement in the group C or D was neat,the LDH level and VCAM-1 protein expression were decreased,while the β-arrestin-1 expression had no obvious change.Conclusion Silence M3 receptor is conducive to reduce LPS-induced HPMVEC injury.But the role of PHC up-regulating β-arrestin-1 expression has no necessary connection with M3 receptor.