The combined effect of handgrip strength and obesity phenotype on the risk of stroke in Chinese middle-aged and elderly: A cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effect of handgrip strength (HGS) and obesity phenotype on the risk of stroke in Chinese middle-aged and elderly people. METHODS: The data was used from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Middle-aged and older adults who participated in surveys between 2011 and 2018 were included in the study. They were divided into 4 different types of obesity phenotypes based on obesity and metabolic status: metabolically healthy non-overweight/obesity (MHNO), metabolically healthy overweight/obesity (MHO), metabolically abnormal non-overweight/obesity (MANO), and metabolically abnormal overweight/obesity (MAO). The HGS level was divided into low and high groups according to the median values. Cox proportional risk regression model was used to analyze the joint effect of HGS and obesity phenotype on the risk of stroke among participants. RESULTS: A total of 7904 participants aged 58.89±9.08 years were included in this study. After adjusting for potential confounders, high HGS&MHO (HR=1.86, 95 % CI=1.12-3.09), high HGS&MANO (HR=2.01, 95 %CI=1.42-2.86), high HGS&MAO (HR=2.01, 95 % CI=1.37-2.93), low HGS&MHNO (HR=1.57, 95 % CI=1.00-2.46), low HGS&MHO (HR=2.09, 95 % CI=1.29-3.38), low HGS&MANO (HR=2.02, 95 % CI=1.35-3.03), and low HGS&MAO (HR=2.48, 95 % CI=1.72-3.58) group had significantly higher risks of stroke than the high HGS&MHNO group. CONCLUSION: The coexistence of metabolically unhealthy and low HGS can synergistically increase the risk of stroke in Chinese middle-aged and elderly people.

The podoplanin-CLEC-2 interaction promotes platelet-mediated melanoma pulmonary metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Podoplanin (PDPN) expressed on tumour cells interacts with platelet C-type lectin-like receptor 2 (CLEC-2). This study aimed to investigate the role of the PDPN-platelet CLEC-2 interaction in melanoma pulmonary metastasis. METHODS: Murine melanoma B16-F0 cells, which have two populations that express podoplanin, were sorted by FACS with anti-podoplanin staining to obtain purified PDPN + and PDPN- B16-F0 cells. C57BL/6J mice transplanted with CLEC-2-deficient bone marrow cells were used for in vivo experiments. RESULTS: The in vivo data showed that the number of metastatic lung nodules in WT mice injected with PDPN + cells was significantly higher than that in WT mice injected with PDPN- cells and in WT or CLEC-2 KO mice injected with PDPN- cells. In addition, our results revealed that the platelet Syk-dependent signalling pathway contributed to platelet aggregation and melanoma metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that the PDPN-CLEC-2 interaction promotes experimental pulmonary metastasis in a mouse melanoma model. Tumour cell-induced platelet aggregation mediated by the interaction between PDPN and CLEC-2 is a key factor in melanoma pulmonary metastasis.

Liquid metal-embraced photoactive films for artificial photosynthesis.

The practical applications of solar-driven water splitting pivot on significant advances that enable scalable production of robust photoactive films. Here, we propose a proof-of-concept for fabricating robust photoactive films by a particle-implanting technique (PiP) which embeds semiconductor photoabsorbers in the liquid metal. The strong semiconductor/metal interaction enables resulting films efficient collection of photogenerated charges and superior photoactivity. A photoanode of liquid-metal embraced BiVO4 can stably operate over 120 h and retain ~ 70% of activity when scaled from 1 to 64 cm2. Furthermore, a Z-scheme photocatalyst film of liquid-metal embraced BiVO4 and Rh-doped SrTiO3 particles can drive overall water splitting under visible light, delivering an activity 2.9 times higher than that of the control film with gold support and a 110 h stability. These results demonstrate the advantages of the PiP technique in constructing robust and efficient photoactive films for artificial photosynthesis.

A nutrient-wide association study for the risk of cardiovascular disease in the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Evidence on the association between dietary nutrient-wide intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is inconclusive. Therefore, we systematically assessed the association between dietary intake of 29 nutrients and CVD risk using a nutrient-wide association study. Data were obtained from 7878 Chinese adults participating in the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) wave 2004-2015. We estimated the association of 29 nutrients with CVD risk. Significant findings were replicated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Four nutrients (selenium, vitamin A, carotenoids, and total protein) were significantly associated with CVD risk in the CHNS. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for nutrient intake in the third tertile compared to the first tertile were 0.68 (0.51-0.90), 0.70 (0.54-0.91), 0.64 (0.50-0.83), and 0.54 (0.38-0.77), respectively. In the NHANES replication, selenium maintained a similar direction and strength of association, while the other nutrients were not replicated successfully. Our results provide support for a negative association between selenium intake and CVD risk, while the association of vitamin A, carotenoids and protein with CVD warrants further studies to confirm.

Association between serum uric acid/high density lipoprotein cholesterol and diabetic retinopathy in diabetic and pre-diabetic people / 中华健康管理学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the relationship between the blood uric acid/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (UHR) and diabetes retinopathy (DR) in diabetic and pre-diabetic population.Methods:A cross-sectional study. The data from a health survey from 2010 to 2011 on chronic diseases and risk factors in Changping District in Beijing was used in this study. Total of 2 507 pre-diabetic and diabetic patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were screened out in this study, included 1 212 men and 1 295 women. The patients were divided into DR group and non-DR (NDR) group according to whether DR was present or not. Independent sample t-test, chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were used for case-control study to investigate whether there was independent correlation between UHR and DR. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to evaluate the diagnostic value of UHR for DR. Results:There were gender differences in the relationship between uric acid related indicators and DR, no significant correlation was found in women. In males, the age, duration of diabetes,fasting blood glucose (FPG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA 1c), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), triglyceride (TG), serum uric acid, UHR levels and the proportion of diabetes and hypertension history in DR group were all significantly higher than those in NDR group (all P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that SUR ( OR=1.054, 95%CI: 1.004-1.106, P=0.033) and UHR ( OR=1.391, 95%CI: 1.061-1.823, P=0.017) were the relative risk factors of DR. After adjusting for age, registered residence, education level, smoking, drinking, physical exercise, waist circumference, hypertension history, SBP, DBP, total cholesterol and other risk factors, UHR was still associated to DR [ OR ( 95%CI): 1.438 (1.084-1.908), P=0.012]. The area under the ROC curve of UHR was 0.610 ( 95%CI: 0.514-0.707, P=0.030). When the cut-off value of UHR for predicting DR was 0.24, the sensitivity and specificity were the highest, which was 78.8% and 58.7%, respectively. Conclusion:UHR is significantly correlated with the risk of DR in men with pre-diabetes and diabetes, but not in women. The risk of DR increases with the elevated level of UHR. UHR is helpful to diagnose DR and screen people with DR risk.

Establishment and application of path-based management mode of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists in chemotherapy patients / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To establish the path-based management mode of 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 receptor antagonist （5- HT3RA） in chemotherapy patients， and to improve the rationality of medication in chemotherapy patients. METHODS 5-HT3RA standardized drug use control rules were formulated， with the help of medical intelligence and decision support （MINDS） system， path-based management was carried out for chemotherapy patients using 5-HT3RA in the form of whole-process information capture and prescription pre-review， and whole-process intervention was implemented on medication indications， usage and dosage， course of treatment， etc. The intervention effect was analyzed by comparing the changes in the use of 5-HT3RA without indication， unreasonable usage and dosage， repeated medication， unreasonable course of treatment， and per capita drug cost before and after the implementation of path-based management. RESULTS A total of 9 181 patients were included. After the implementation of path- based management， the proportion of unindicated drugs decreased by 0.48%， and the rate of unreasonable single dosage， unreasonable frequency， repeated medication， unreasonable treatment course （5-HT3RA still used 3 days after chemotherapy） decreased by 10.48%， 0.65%， 1.33% and 0.34%； per capita cost of 5-HT3RA decreased by 13.72 yuan； there were statistical significance （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS 5-HT3RA path-based management mode effectively improves the rationality of medication and provides a new idea for rational clinical drug use.

Clinical characteristics of cardiomyopathy with coronary artery disease in children / 中国小儿急救医学

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics of cardiomyopathy with coronary artery disease in children and explore the application value of multi-slice spiral CT coronary angiography(MSCTA) in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiomyopathy in children.Methods:Patients diagnosed with cardiomyopathy who were hospitalized in the Department of Cardiology at Beijing Children′s Hospital from January 2016 to December 2022 and had complete cardiac imaging data were selected as the study subjects.The demographic characteristics, general clinical and cardiac imaging data of the patients were collected for systematic retrospective analysis.Results:Among 93 patients included in this study, dilated cardiomyopathy was the most common(34.4%, 32/93). MSCTA detected 17 cases(18.3%, 17/93) of high coronary opening, ten cases (10.8%, 10/93) of myocardial bridge, and nine cases (9.7%, 9/93) of coronary disease were detected by echocardiography.Compared with echocardiography, MSCTA had a higher detection rate of abnormal coronary artery origin and myocardial bridge, and the difference was statistically significant( P<0.05). Conclusion:Children′s cardiomyopathy can be complicated with coronary artery disease.MSCTA has great application value in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.

Clinical analysis of 208 children with congenital coronary artery origin abnormalities / 中国小儿急救医学

Objective:To describe the clinical features and prognosis of congenital anomalous origin of coronary artery(AOCA) in children to increase our understanding of the disease.Methods:This retrospective study included children diagnosed with AOCA using computed tomography coronary angiography(CTCA) admitted to the Department of Cardiology, Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University, from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2019.The clinical presentations, laboratory results, imaging analyses, treatments, and prognoses of these patients were analyzed.Results:A total of 208 children, including 105 boys and 103 girls, we evaluated the ages(9.03±4.18)years old with AOCA.Of these, 157 cases(75.5%) presented with cardiac symptoms, such as chest tightness, palpitations, dizziness, syncope, fatigue, and decreased endurance.Three cases(1.4%) had atypical symptoms of paroxysmal crying, dyspnoea and cyanosis, and 48 cases(23.1%) were asymptomatic.Levels of serological markers of myocardial injury were elevated in 59 cases(28.4%), and 140 cases(67.3%) had predominant ST-T abnormalities on electrocardiograms.Transthoracic echocardiography identified 27 cases (13%) with cardiac enlargement and ten cases(4.8%) with left ventricular systolic dysfunction.There were 126 cases(60.6%) with the anomalous origin of the left coronary artery revealed by CTCA, 50 cases(24.0%) with the anomalous origin of the right coronary artery and 32 cases(15.4%) with bilateral coronary arteries of anomalous origin.Five children underwent surgical treatment, and the remaining 203 children were treated conservatively with drugs.The whole group was successfully treated, and no death case was recorded during the follow-up period.Conclusion:AOCA may cause different degrees of myocardial ischemia.Diverse clinical presentations and diagnostic limitations of transthoracic echocardiography often lead to missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis.In contrast, CTCA has high diagnostic accuracy and can be used to identify the location and course of the coronary ostia.Hence, the management of AOCA should be tailored on a case-to-case basis, taking into consideration of the specific type of coronary origin, with surgical intervention being warranted if necessary.

Radiofrequency ablation for infants with incessant ventricular tachycardia and heart failure / 中国小儿急救医学

Objective:To investigate the effect of radiofrequency ablation on infants with incessant ventricular tachycardia(IIVT) and heart failure.Methods:Twenty-eight infants with IIVT combined with heart failure admitted to Beijing Children′s Hospital of Capital Medical University from January 2006 to December 2021 were selected, including 16 boys and 12 girls; 26 cases were treated with radiofrequency ablation.The characteristics of IIVT and heart failure and the results of radiofrequency ablation were analyzed.Results:The average age of the first diagnosis of 28 infants was 13.9 months old, and all of them had heart failure.Eleven infants had cardiogenic shock, three infants had cardiogenic syncope, two infants had respiratory failure for respiratory support, and one infant died.Color Doppler echocardiography showed that the left ventricular diameter increased and/or left ventricular systolic function decreased.Anti-heart failure treatment was effective in 27 cases(96.4%), electrical cardioversion in five cases, effective in three cases, and anti-arrhythmic drugs were effective in 17 cases(60.7%). Twenty-six cases(92.9%, 26/28) were treated with radiofrequency ablation, with immediate success in 23 cases(88.5%, 23/26) and effective in three cases(11.5%, 3/26). During the follow-up period for 3 to 36 months, cardiac function returned to normal in 25 cases(96.2%, 25/26) and recurred in three cases(11.5%, 3/26 cases), which were cured after radiofrequency ablation again.Temporary complications of atrioventricular block occurred in one case(3.8%, 1/26). In 26 cases of surgical children, 15 cases were measured by X-ray two-dimensional mapping and 11 cases were measured by three-dimensional mapping.The cumulative X-ray exposure was 87.0(51.5, 151.5) mGy and 1.2(0, 15.9) mGy, respectively, and the dose area product was 39.8(19.2, 427.8) μGy/m 2 and 2.8(0, 44.3) μGy/m 2.The cumulative X ray exposure and the dose area product were significantly reduced under the three-dimensional mapping method( P<0.001). Conclusion:The infants with IIVT combined with heart failure are prone to serious complications, and the effects of cardioversion and anti-arrhythmic drugs are limited.Radiofrequency ablation should be performed as soon as possible after heart failure is controlled.The application of three-dimensional mapping technology in surgery can significantly reduce ionizing radiation.

Drug therapy and efficacy of heart failure caused by supraventricular tachycardia in infants / 中国小儿急救医学

Objective:To investigate the effect of drug therapy on heart failure caused by supraventricular tachycardia(SVT) in infants.Methods:Fifty-five infants with heart failure caused by SVT, including 24 boys and 31 girls, were treated at Beijing Children′s Hospital of Capital Medical University from January 2014 to December 2021.The drug treatment effects of heart failure caused by SVT were analyzed.Results:The average age of 55 infants at the first diagnosis was 5.8 months(1-11 months). All of them had heart failure, including three cases of atrial flutter, 23 cases of atrial tachycardia(13 cases of disordered atrial tachycardia and ten cases of monomorphic atrial tachycardia), and 29 cases of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.Ultrasonic cardiogram showed that the left ventricular diameter increased and/or left ventricular systolic function decreased.Anti-heart failure therapy was effective in 55 cases(100.0%). Anti-arrhythmic drug therapy: atrial flutter and atrial tachycardia were mainly treated by controlling ventricular rate, digitalis combined with metoprolol was effective in 21 cases(80.8%, 21/26), digitalis alone was effective in four cases(15.4%, 4/26), and sotalol was effective in one case(3.8%, 1/26); paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia was mainly treated with sinus rhythm conversion.The success rates of conversion were: ATP 20.7%(6/29), ATP combined with digitalis 26.1%(6/23), propafenone combined with digitalis 42.9%(3/7), amiodarone combined with digitalis 60.0%(3/5), and sotalol 92.9%(12/13). During follow-up period for 1 to 12 months, heart failure symptoms of all 55 cases(100.0%) improved, and ultrasonic cardiogram of 53 cases(96.3%)returned to normal.Conclusion:Anti-heart failure and anti-arrhythmic drugs for infants with heart failure caused by SVT need to be selected individually.Atrial tachycardia, especially disordered atrial tachycardia, is sensitive to digitalis.Sotalol can be used to treat refractory SVT.

Analysis and comparison of major plant databases in China and ASEAN countries / 国际中医中药杂志

At present, countries around the world are paying greater attention to the protection of medicinal plants and traditional medicinal knowledge resources, and are looking for various ways to protect medicinal plants. Many countries have established their own databases to save the medicinal plant information resources. This paper focuses on the introduction of medicinal plant databases in six countries including Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore, and compares their basic information. It is difficult to achieve integration and sharing among these databases. It brings certain difficulties to the use of researchers in related fields. It is suggested that the construction of a multinational common medicinal plant database should be included in the "Belt and Road Initiative" to systematically organize massive information, enhance exchanges between countries on traditional medicinal plants, and achieve medicinal plant information sharing, and the establishment of a shared database will reduce optimization and maintenance to a certain extent or renewal work, laying the foundation for the protection, development and sustainable use of traditional medicinal plant resources.

Application of fluorescence in situ hybridization technique to verify the clonalities of non-clonal cytogenetic abnormalities identified in Myelodysplastic syndrome / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To assess the value of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique for the verification of the clonalities of non-clonal cytogenetic abnormalities (n-CCA) identified by conventional chromosome banding analysis (CBA) in patients with Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).@*METHODS@#Clinical data and results of karyotyping and FISH assays for 91 patients of MDS with n-CCA identified by CBA were retrospectively analyzed. In total 94 non-clonal +8, 5q-, -7/7q- or 20q- were detected by CBA, among which 43 (45.7%) were verified to be clonal abnormalities by FISH.@*RESULTS@#The detection rates for +8, 5q-, -7/7q- and 20q- by FISH were 47.6% (30/63), 25% (2/8), 41.7% (5/12), 40% (2/5) and 66.7% (4/6), respectively, with the positive cells accounting for 4% to 90% of all counted cells, with a median value of 7%. The 91 patients were divided into three groups including ≥ 20, 10 ~< 20 and < 10 based on the numbers of metaphase cells in CBA, and the detection rates by FISH for the three groups were 43.7% (31/71), 33.3% (3/9) and 63.6% (7/11), respectively, which showed no statistically difference (P > 0.05). Continuous CBA and FISH surveys were conducted for 26 patients who received supportive treatment, and the results revealed that 91.7% (11/12) of FISH-verified positive abnormalities had persisted, whereas 92.9% (13/14) of the n-CCA verified as negative by FISH was transient.@*CONCLUSION@#Nearly half of the CBA identified n-CCA have been verified as clonal aberrations by FISH, and the FISH detection rate showed no correlation with the number of metaphase cells. FISH test is strongly recommended for verifying the clonalities of n-CCA detected by CBA, and continuous cytogenetic survey of the patients with MDS is necessary.

Analysis of 15 cases of bronchial-pulmonary artery fistula / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics of bronchial-pulmonary artery fistula and evaluate the effect of interventional closure of bronchial-pulmonary artery fistula. Methods: A retrospective case study was conducted. Fifteen children with hemoptysis who were diagnosed with bronchial-pulmonary artery fistula in Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2018 to March 2022 were selected. Their clinical symptoms and chest-enhanced CT findings were recorded. The children who failed to improve after anti-infection and hemostasis treatment were treated with transcatheter embolization through microparticles under digital subtraction angiography (DSA). The efficacy and post-operation recurrence were evaluated. Results: There were 15 children, including 9 males and 6 females, aged 9.8 (3.7, 12.1) years, weighing 35 (16, 55) kg. There was hemoptysis of varying degrees before surgery. Only 2 children had decreased hemoglobin. Chest enhanced CT showed that their bronchial arteries were thickened and tortuous, including 11 cases of single vessel disease and 4 cases of multivessel disease; 11 children had varying degrees of pneumonia and 4 children had atelectasis. Except for one case effectively treated with medical therapy, the remaining 14 cases were all treated with transcatheter interventional closure with embolic microparticles, among whom 12 had their fistula completely blocked with a single operation and the other 2 children underwent multiple operations because of too many fistulas. One child had extensive bronchial-pulmonary artery fistula which failed to be blocked completely even after multiple operations. Among the remaining 13 children, only 2 patients whose fistula was considered to be completely closed had recurrence presenting with hemoptysis at 3 months and 2 years after the operation, and no hemoptysis was found after the second closure. All children were discharged without chest pain, spinal cord paraplegia, or other serious complications. Fourteen children were followed up for 1.4 (0.9,2.9) years, among whom one still has intermittent mild hemoptysis due to incomplete closure and the rest had a satisfactory outcome. Conclusions: Hemoptysis is the first symptom of bronchial-pulmonary artery fistula. For children with failed medical treatment, transcatheter closure with an embolic pellet is effective, safe and feasible, with a low recurrence rate.

A study of airborne pollen monitoring and its connection with allergic rhinitis visits in Taiyuan over the summer and autumn seasons / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To explore the distribution of airborne pollen in summer and autumn in Taiyuan, analyze the correlation between pollen characteristics, meteorological factors and allergic sensitization, and provide for the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases in this. Methods:The gravity sedimentation method was used to investigate the types, quantities and dispersion patterns of airborne pollen in Taiyuan City from July 21, 2022 to October 20, 2022. he meteorological and patient information was collected during the same period SPSS 26.0 software. Results:①A total of 17 118 pollen grains were collected, and identified as 14 families, 10 genera, and 4 species. The peak period for pollen dispersal in summer and autumn in Taiyuan City from late August to early September. airborne pollen Artemisia（66.62%）, Cannabis/Humulus（17.79%）, Sophora japonica（8.18%）, Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae（2.83%）, Gramineae（2.11%）. ②The concentration of airborne pollen in Taiyuan City positively correlated with the average temperature（5-20℃） and maximum temperature（11-30℃） within a certain range（r=0.547, 0.315, P<0.05）. ③The content of airborne pollen in Taiyuan City positively correlated with the number of visits and allergen positive rate of patients with allergic rhinitis（AR） in our hospital（r=0.702, 0.747, P<0.05）. Conclusion:The peak period for airborne pollen dispersal during the summer and autumn seasons in Taiyuan City from late August to early September. The dominant pollen is Artemisia, Cannabis/Humulus, Sophora japonica, Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae, Gramineae, and the absolute advantage pollen is Artemisia. Meteorological factors pollen content. Within a certain range, temperature the diffusion and transportation of pollen. The number of pollen grains the number of visits, which can serve as an environmental warning indicator for AR patients to take preventive, thereby reducing the risk of allergies.

Cytotoxic sesquiterpene aryl esters from Armillaria gallica 012m / 中草药·英文版

OBJECTIVE@#To study the chemical constituents of the EtOAc extract of Armillaria gallica 012m.@*METHODS@#The chemical constituents of the EtOAc extract of A. gallica 012m were isolated and purified by various column chromatography and their structures were elucidated on the basis of the 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic and HRESIMS data. Cytotoxicity of all isolates against A549, HCT-116, M231 and W256 human tumor cells was determined by the MTT method.@*RESULTS@#A new sesquiterpene aryl ester, armimelleolide C ( 1), and eight known ones including armillarivin ( 2), melleolide F ( 3), 6'-chloromelleolide F ( 4), melleolide ( 5), melleolide K ( 6), melledonol ( 7), 13-hydroxydihydromelleolide ( 8), and armillane ( 9), were isolated from the EtOAc extract of A. gallica 012m. All isolates showed potential cytotoxic activities against at least one of the human cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from (3.17 ± 0.54) to (17.57 ± 0.47) μmol/L. Compound 1 showed significant inhibitory activity against M231 with an IC50 value of (7.54 ± 0.24) μmol/L compared with paclitaxel as the positive control. Compounds 2, 3, and 7, 9 showed obvious inhibitory activity against HCT-116 and were better than that of the positive control.@*CONCLUSION@#The chemical constituents including a new sesquiterpene aryl ester armimelleolide C ( 1) from the EtOAc extract of A. gallica 012m have a variety of structures and potential antitumor activities.

Composite Sophora Colon-Soluble Capsule Ameliorates DSS-Induced Ulcerative Colitis in Mice via Gut Microbiota-Derived Butyric Acid and NCR+ ILC3 / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of composite Sophora colon-soluble Capsule (CSCC) on gut microbiota-mediated short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production and downstream group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) mice model.@*METHODS@#The main components of CSCC were analyzed by hybrid ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography ion mobility spectromety quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-IM-QTOF/MS). Twenty-four male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=6) by using a computer algorithm-generated random digital, including control, DSS model, mesalazine, and CSCC groups. A DSS-induced colitis mice model was established to determine the effects of CSCC by recording colonic weight, colonic length, index of colonic weight, and histological colonic score. The variations in ILC3s were assessed by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. The results of gut microbiota and SCFAs were acquired by 16s rDNA and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The expression levels of NCR+ ILC3-, CCR6+ Nkp46- (Lti) ILC3-, and ILCreg-specific markers were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively.@*RESULTS@#The main components of CSCC were matrine, ammothamnine, Sophora flavescens neoalcohol J, and Sophora oxytol U. After 7 days of treatment, CSCC significantly alleviated colitis by promoting the reproduction of intestinal probiotics manifested as upregulation of the abundance of Bacteroidetes species and specifically the Bacteroidales_S24-7 genus (P<0.05). Among the SCFAs, the content of butyric acid increased the most after CSCC treatment. Meanwhile, compared with the model group, Lti ILC3s and its biomarkers were significantly downregulated and NCR+ ILC3s were significantly elevated in the CSCC group (P<0.01). Further experiments revealed that ILC3s were differentiated from Lti ILC3s to NCR+ ILC3s, resulting in interleukin-22 production which regulates gut epithelial barrier function.@*CONCLUSION@#CSCC may exert a therapeutic effect on UC by improving the gut microbiota, promoting metabolite butyric acid production, and managing the ratio between NCR+ ILC3s and Lti ILC3s.

Acteoside promotes autophagy and apoptosis of hepatoma cells by regulating JNK signaling pathway / 中国中药杂志

This study explored the molecular mechanism of acteoside against hepatoma 22(H22) tumor in mice through c-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK) signaling pathway. H22 cells were subcutaneously inoculated in 50 male BALB/c mice, and then the model mice were classified into model group, low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose acteoside groups, and cisplatin group. The administration lasted 2 weeks for each group(5 consecutive days/week). The general conditions of mice in each group, such as mental status, diet intake, water intake, activity, and fur were observed. The body weight, tumor volume, tumor weight, and tumor-inhibiting rate were compared before and after administration. Morphological changes of liver cancer tissues were observed based on hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining, and the expression of phosphorylated(p)-JNK, JNK, B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2), Beclin-1, and light chain 3(LC3) in each tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. qRT-PCR was performed to detect the mRNA expression of JNK, Bcl-2, Beclin-1, and LC3. The general conditions of mice in model and low-dose acteoside groups were poor, while the general conditions of mice in the remaining three groups were improved. The body weight of mice in medium-dose acteoside group, high-dose acteoside group, and cisplatin group was smaller than that in model group(P<0.01). The tumor volume in model group was insignificantly different from that in low-dose acteoside group, and the volume in cisplatin group showed no significant difference from that in high-dose acteoside group. Tumor volume and weight in medium-dose and high-dose acteoside groups and cisplatin group were lower than those in the model group(P<0.001). The tumor-inhibiting rates were 10.72%, 40.32%, 53.79%, and 56.44% in the low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose acteoside groups and cisplatin group, respectively. HE staining showed gradual decrease in the count of hepatoma cells and increasing sign of cell necrosis in the acteoside and cisplatin groups, and the necrosis was particularly obvious in the high-dose acteoside group and cisplatin group. Immunohistochemical results suggested that the expression of Beclin-1, LC3, p-JNK, and JNK was up-regulated in acteoside and cisplatin groups(P<0.05). The results of immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and qRT-PCR indicated that the expression of Bcl-2 was down-regulated in the medium-dose and high-dose acteoside groups and cisplatin group(P<0.01). Western blot showed that the expression of Beclin-1, LC3, and p-JNK was up-regulated in acteoside and cisplatin groups(P<0.01), and there was no difference in the expression of JNK among groups. qRT-PCR results showed that the levels of Beclin-1 and LC3 mRNA were up-regulated in the acteoside and cisplatin groups(P<0.05), and the level of JNK mRNA was up-regulated in medium-dose and high-dose acteoside groups and cisplatin group(P<0.001). Acteoside promotes apoptosis and autophagy of H22 cells in mice hepatoma cells by up-regulating the JNK signaling pathway, thus inhibiting tumor growth.

Exploring the determinants of influenza A/H7N9 control intervention efficacy in China: Disentangling the effect of the '1110' policy and poultry vaccination.

The influenza A virus of the H7N9 subtype (FLUAV H7N9) emerged in Eastern China provinces in 2013 causing illness in both poultry and humans. Most reported FLUAV H7N9 human cases were related to those associated with the live poultry market chain. From 2013 to 2017, there were five epidemic waves of human infections, and from the end of 2016, the number of human cases increased sharply. To control FLUAV H7N9 in the market chain, the so-called '1110' policy at live poultry markets and a national vaccination programme were implemented. The relative efficacy of these two measures on the number of poultry and human infections has not been quantified and compared. To explore their efficacy, a cross-sectional study was conducted in six provinces of China, and the vaccination and surveillance data of H7N9 were analysed. Our survey data showed that poultry vendors were not widely aware of and did not accept the '1110' policy. For subjective and objective factors, some measures of the '1110' policy were not implemented in live bird markets (LBMs). However, the national vaccination programme achieved good immune effects and sharply decreased poultry FLUAV H7N9 infections. The detection rates of FLUAV H7N9 in LBMs and farms gradually decreased since the vaccination programme was implemented. Our analysis also indicated that human infections were closely related to poultry virus carriage rates; therefore, controlling FLUAV H7N9 circulation in poultry was an effective measure to control FLUAV H7N9 infections in humans. Although LBMs play a significant role in human infections, the management measures may not be implemented efficiently; hence, we need to conduct more investigations before developing related policies.

Regulation of serum microRNA expression by acupuncture in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To screen for differentially expressed serum microRNAs (miRNAs) in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) compared with healthy participants and explore the mechanism of acupuncture in the treatment of IBS-D based on miRNAs. METHODS: IBS-D patients that met the Rome III diagnostic criteria and age- and sex-matched healthy participants were enrolled between April 2017 and December 2017. Serum miRNA levels were initially determined using a TaqMan low-density array (TLDA) in pooled samples. Markedly altered miRNAs in IBS-D patients were subsequently validated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) on individual samples. All IBS-D patients accepted the acupuncture therapy for 6 weeks. The disease severity was assessed using the IBS symptom severity scale (IBS-SSS) questionnaire before and after treatment. After acupuncture, the patients' serum was re-analyzed for altered expression of the miRNAs by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: TLDA and qRT-PCR analysis revealed six upregulated miRNAs (miR-1305, miR-575, miR-149-5p, miR-190a-5p, miR-135a-5p, and miR-148a-3p; P < 0.05) and two downregulated miRNAs (miR-194-5p, miR-127-5p; P < 0.05) in IBS-D patients compared with healthy controls. Post acupuncture treatment, total IBS-SSS scores, severity of abdominal pain, duration of abdominal pain, severity of abdominal distention, dissatisfaction with bowel habits and disruption in quality of life decreased significantly (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the upregulated miR-148a-3p levels in IBS-D patients also decreased significantly after acupuncture (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The over-expression or reduced expression of several miRNAs may contribute to IBS-D pathogenesis. Acupuncture might downregulate miR-148a-3p through multiple pathways to alleviate or relieve IBS-D symptoms. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR-IOR-17010860 (Chinese Clinical Trials Registry).

Analysis on the effect of medical resource reallocation in the relocation project of a tertiary hospital / 中华医院管理杂志

Objective:To analyze the impact created by the reallocation of a tertiary hospital on the neurosurgery inpatients volume in the functional core area of Beijing as the capital city, for reference to improve the healthcare resource reallocation policy.Methods:The data were obtained from the data sheet of discharged patients and the monthly report of medical statistics in Beijing. The study analyzed the average monthly neurosurgery inpatients volume, surgical beds and bed utilization rate of secondary or higher level hospitals from the core area, a tertiary hospital(hospital A), and as well as three tertiary hospitals(hospitals B, C and D)within 5 kilometers of Hospital A original location before and after the reallocation of Hospitls A. Periods of November 2017 to August 2018 and November 2018 to August 2019 respectively serve as the time frame before and after the relocation of Hospital A.Results:After the reallocation, the average monthly total inpatients volume, inpatients volume from other places, and local inpatients volume of neurosurgery at secondary or higher level hospitals in the core area decreased from 2 238, 1 610 and 628 to 1 526, 996 and 530 respectively. The inpatients volume changes were all statistically different( P<0.001). The number of neurosurgery inpatients in Hospital A and Hospital B increased from 983 and 659 to 1 316 and 934 respectively, as well as the number of neurosurgery inpatients in Hospital C and Hospital D did not change much. After the relocation of Hospital A, the number of surgical beds in secondary or higher level hospitals in the core area was reduced from 5 213 to 4 782, while that of Hospital A increased from 557 to 750, while the other three tertiary hospitals remained unchanged. The changes of bed utilization rate of the 4 hosptials were all less than 7.00%. Conclusions:After the reallocation Hospital A, the neurosurgery inpatient volume in the core area decreased, which was mainly contributed by the decrease of patients from other places, suggesting a positive outcome by the reallocation of healthcare resources in Beijing. On the other hand, it is necessary to study the influence of alternative medical resources on the reallocation effect.