Validation of CDC45 as a novel biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of gastric cancer.

Background: Cell division cycle protein 45 (CDC45) has been demonstrated to play vital roles in the progression of various malignancies. However, the clinical significance of CDC45 in gastric cancer (GC) remains unreported. Method: In this study, we employed the TCGA database and the TCGA & GTEx dataset to compare the mRNA expression levels of CDC45 between gastric cancer tissues and adjacent or normal tissues (p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant), which was further validated in multiple datasets including GSE13911, GSE29272, GSE118916, GSE66229, as well as RT-qPCR. Furthermore, we harnessed the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) to evaluate the protein expression of CDC45, which was subsequently verified through immunohistochemistry (IHC). To ascertain the diagnostic utility of CDC45, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) were calculated in TCGA database, and further validated it in TCGA & GTEx and GSE66229 datasets. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to reveal the prognostic importance of CDC45 in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and authenticated through the GSE66229, GSE84433, and GSE84437 datasets. Through cBioPortal, we identified co-expressed genes of CDC45, and pursued enrichment analysis. Additionally, we availed gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to annotate the biological functions of CDC45. Results: Differential expression analysis revealed that CDC45 was significantly upregulated at both the mRNA and protein levels in GC (all p < 0.05). Remarkably, CDC45 emerged as a promising prognostic indicator and a novel diagnostic biomarker for GC. In a comprehensive the drug susceptibility analysis, we found that patients with high expression of CDC45 had high sensitivity to various chemotherapeutic agents, among which 5-fluorouracil, docetaxel, cisplatin, and elesclomol were most evident. Furthermore, our findings suggested a plausible association between CDC45 and immune cell infiltration. Enrichment analysis revealed that CDC45 and its associated genes may play crucial roles in muscle biofunction, whereas GSEA demonstrated significant enrichment of gene sets pertaining to G protein-coupled receptor ligand binding and G alpha (i) signaling events. Conclusion: Our study elucidates that upregulation of CDC45 is intricately associated with immune cell infiltration and holds promising potential as a favorable prognostic marker and a novel diagnostic biomarker for GC.

Astragaloside IV targeting autophagy of T cells improves inflammation of asthma.

Astragaloside IV (AST) has been confirmed to have antiasthmatic effects. However, the underline mechanism is unclear. The study aimed to explore the treatment mechanism of AST based on autophagy of memory T cells. AST treatment significantly decreased the number of T effector cells in asthma mice blood and the nude mice that received AST-treated TCMs had relieved inflammation compared with the untreated group; meanwhile, we found that AST significantly decreased the autophagy level and inhibited OX40/OX40L signal pathway of lymphocytes. The results highlighted that AST regulated autophagy to inhibit differentiation of effector T-cell phenotype.

Perioperative care of nipple-areola complex-sparing mastectomy and one-stage breast reconstruction via endoscopic axillary approach for ductal carcinoma in situ: A case report.

RATIONALE: Breast cancer represents a prevalent malignancy that primarily impacts women, with pronounced consequences on their overarching health. The major therapeutic approach, encompassing surgical procedures, can often culminate in mastectomy, potentially inciting psychological turmoil and disorders. PATIENT CONCERNS: A patient was admitted to our facility on May 5, 2023, precipitated by the discovery of bilateral breast masses during a routine physical examination conducted 3 days before admission. DIAGNOSIS: The breasts were symmetric, with the right nipple inverted and a palpable mass in the upper outer quadrant of the right breast, measuring approximately 5 cm × 4 cm. The mass was firm with indistinct borders, relatively regular morphology, poor mobility, and no tenderness. Outpatient color Doppler ultrasound revealed heterogeneous echogenicity in the right breast, classified as Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) category 0, along with multiple ductal dilatations. The left breast exhibited a hypoechoic area (BI-RADS 3), indicative of proliferative changes. Radiographic mammography confirmed diffuse changes in the right breast (BI-RADS 0) and proliferative signs in the left breast (BI-RADS 2). Biopsy results reveal significant atypical ductal hyperplasia consistent with intermediate-grade ductal carcinoma in situ. This patient was diagnosed as ductal carcinoma in situ of the right breast (cTisN0M0 and Stage 0), accompanied by a left breast mass. INTERVENTIONS: On May 15, 2023, the patient was readmitted for further surgical intervention. Following relevant auxiliary examinations, the patient underwent nipple-areola complex-sparing radical mastectomy for the right breast, sentinel lymph node biopsy in the right axillary area, prosthesis-based breast reconstruction for the right breast, and microrotatotomy of the left breast mass on the left side on May 17. OUTCOMES: The patient made a successful recovery under scrupulous perioperative supervision and was discharged 7 days post-surgery. LESSONS: The axillary approach for endoscopic mammary gland excision and immediate implant reconstruction permits patients to preserve the esthetics of the female form while undergoing conventional medical treatment. This methodology considerably enhances the psychophysical health of the patients, thereby marking it as an advantageous practice worthy of broad dissemination in the medical community.

Genome wide transcriptome analysis provides bases on hepatic lipid metabolism disorder affected by increased dietary grain ratio in fattening lambs.

BACKGROUND: The liver is a principal metabolic organ and has a major role in regulating lipid metabolism. With the development of rapidly fattening livestock in the modern breeding industry, the incidence of hepatic steatosis and accumulation in animals was significantly increased. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for hepatic lipid metabolic disturbances in a high concentrate diet remain unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of increasing concentrate level in a fattening lamb diet on biochemical indices, hepatic triglycerides (TG) concentration, and hepatic transcriptomic profiles. In the present study, 42 weaned lambs (about 3 ± 0.3 months old) were randomly assigned to the GN60 group (60% concentrate of dry matter, GN60, n = 21) or GN70 group (70% concentrate of dry matter, n = 21) for a 3-months feeding trial. RESULTS: No difference was observed in the growth performance or plasma biochemical parameters between the GN60 group and the GN70 group. The hepatic TG concentration was higher in the GN70 group than GN60 group (P < 0.05). Hepatic transcriptomic analysis showed that there were 290 differentially expressed genes identified between GN60 and GN70 groups, with 125 genes up-regulated and 165 genes down-regulated in the GN70 group. The enriched Gene Ontology (GO) items and KEGG pathways and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed that the majority of enriched pathways were related to lipid metabolism. Further analysis revealed that the fatty acid synthesis was up-regulated, while fatty acid transport, oxidation, and TG degradation were down-regulated in the GN70 group when compared with the GN60 group. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that GN70 induced excess lipid deposition in the liver of lambs during the fattening period, with high synthesis rates and low degradation rates of TG. The identified mechanisms may help understand hepatic metabolism in lambs with a high concentrate diet and provide insight into decreasing the risk of liver metabolism disorder in animals.

Lipid metabolism and m6A RNA methylation are altered in lambs supplemented rumen-protected methionine and lysine in a low-protein diet.

BACKGROUND: Methionine or lysine has been reported to influence DNA methylation and fat metabolism, but their combined effects in N6-methyl-adenosine (m6A) RNA methylation remain unclarified. The combined effects of rumen-protected methionine and lysine (RML) in a low-protein (LP) diet on lipid metabolism, m6A RNA methylation, and fatty acid (FA) profiles in the liver and muscle of lambs were investigated. Sixty-three male lambs were divided into three treatment groups, three pens per group and seven lambs per pen. The lambs were fed a 14.5% crude protein (CP) diet (adequate protein [NP]), 12.5% CP diet (LP), and a LP diet plus RML (LP + RML) for 60 d. RESULTS: The results showed that the addition of RML in a LP diet tended to lower the concentrations of plasma leptin (P = 0.07), triglyceride (P = 0.05), and non-esterified FA (P = 0.08). Feeding a LP diet increased the enzyme activity or mRNA expression of lipogenic enzymes and decreased lipolytic enzymes compared with the NP diet. This effect was reversed by supplementation of RML with a LP diet. The inclusion of RML in a LP diet affected the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), n-3 PUFA, and n-6 PUFA in the liver but not in the muscle, which might be linked with altered expression of FA desaturase-1 (FADS1) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). A LP diet supplemented with RML increased (P < 0.05) total m6A levels in the liver and muscle and were accompanied by decreased expression of fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) and alkB homologue 5 (ALKBH5). The mRNA expressions of methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) and methyltransferase-like 14 (METTL14) in the LP + RML diet group were lower than those in the other two groups. Supplementation of RML with a LP diet affected only liver YTH domain family (YTHDF2) proteins (P < 0.05) and muscle YTHDF3 (P = 0.09), which can be explained by limited m6A-binding proteins that were mediated in mRNA fate. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that the inclusion of RML in a LP diet could alter fat deposition through modulations of lipogenesis and lipolysis in the liver and muscle. These changes in fat metabolism may be associated with the modification of m6A RNA methylation. A systematic graph illustrates the mechanism of dietary methionine and lysine influence on lipid metabolism and M6A. The green arrow with triangular heads indicates as activation and brown-wine arrows with flat heads indicates as suppression.

N-Carbamoylglutamate Supplementation on the Digestibility, Rumen Fermentation, Milk Quality, Antioxidant Parameters, and Metabolites of Jersey Cattle in High-Altitude Areas.

This study aimed to assess the impact of the dietary supplementation of N-carbamoylglutamate (NCG) on nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation, milk quality, oxidative stress, and metabolites in the plasma and feces of Jersey cattle under high altitude with the hypoxic condition. A total of 14 healthy lactating Jersey dairy cows with similar body conditions were selected and randomly divided into 2 groups. The control group (CON group, N = 6 replicates) was fed with a conventional complete diet, whereas the experimental group (NCG group, N = 8 replicates) received 20 g/d per head NCG supplementation. The experiment lasted for 60 days, the adaptation period was 12 days, and the formal experiment period was 48 days. Except that the NCG group showed an upward trend in dry matter intake (DMI) (p = 0.09) and the fermentation parameters, the molar proportion of butyric acid tended to decrease (p = 0.08); the two groups had no significant differences (p > 0.05) in nutrients digestibility, plasma immunity, and antioxidant ability. However, compared with the CON group, the milk fat rate and blood oxygen saturation of the NCG group showed an upward trend (p = 0.09). For indexes associated with altitude stress, the contents of thyroxine, transferrin, and endothelin both decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in the NCG group. Meanwhile, heat shock protein (p = 0.07) and aldosterone (p = 0.06) also showed a downward trend. A total of 114 different metabolites were identified from feces and plasma, 42 metabolites were derived from plasma that mainly included 5 kinds of Super Class, and 72 metabolites were derived from feces that mainly included 9 kinds of Super Class. The significantly increased plasma differential metabolites were 2,5-dihydroxybenzoate and salicyluric acid, and the significantly increased fecal differential metabolites were Butenafine (fold change > 2). Pathway analysis showed that after applying NCG as a feed additive, the changes of the Jersey dairy cows mainly focused on amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism. These results indicated that adding NCG to the diet can prevent the hypoxic stress state of lactating Jersey cows in high-altitude areas and has a tendency to improve milk quality.

Effects of different protein sources on nutrient disappearance, rumen fermentation parameters and microbiota in dual-flow continuous culture system.

Scarce high-quality protein feed resources has limited the development of animal husbandry. In this study, we used a dual-flow continuous culture system to evaluate effects of difference dietary protein sources including soybean meal (SBM), cottonseed meal (CSM), and rapeseed meal (RSM), on nutrient disappearance, rumen fermentation, and microbiota of XiongDong black goats. Dietary proteins of either CSM, RSM or SBM had no effect on nutrient disappearance (P > 0.05). CSM or RSM significantly reduced (P < 0.01) the pH and enhanced (P < 0.01) the ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) concentration in fermentation liquid compared to SBM. The short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) contents were greater (P = 0.05) and acetate was lower (P < 0.01) in SBM than those in RSM and CSM, whereas propionate was greater (P < 0.01) in RSM than that in SBM, consequently reducing the acetate to propionate ratio (A/P) in RSM. Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria were detected as the dominant phyla, and the relative abundances of Spirochaetae (P < 0.01) and Chlorobi (P < 0.05) declined in the CSM and RSM groups as compared to those in the SBM group. At the genus level, Prevotella_1 was the dominant genus; as compared to SBM, its relative abundance was greater (P < 0.01) in CSM and RSM. The abundances of Prevotellaceae_Ga6A1 and Christensenellaceae_R7 were lower (P < 0.05) in CSM, whereas Eubacterium_oxidoreducens_group, and Treponema_2 were lower (P < 0.01) in both CSM and RSM, and other genera were not different (P > 0.10). Although the bacterial community changed with different dietary protein sources, the disappearances of nutrients were not affected, suggesting that CSM and RSM could be used by rumen bacteria, as in case with SBM, and are suitable protein sources for ruminant diets.

Offering soybean molasses adsorbed to agricultural by-products improved lactation performance through modulating plasma metabolic enzyme pool of lactating cows.

BACKGROUND: Agricultural by-products, such as corncob powder (CRP), wheat bran (WB), rice husk (RH), defatted bran (DB), and soybean hulls (SH), were widely used as ruminant feed. However, the combination effect of soybean molasses mixed with agricultural by-products on cow lactating performance remains poorly understood. METHODS: In vitro fermentation simulation technique was used to select the high ruminal fermentation performance of agricultural by-products mixed with soybean molasses. The selected mixtures were conducted to further explore the feeding effect on milk performance and blood metabolic enzyme on lactating dairy cows. RESULTS: In in vitro simulation, it was confirmed that SH-SM showed better fermentation performance (including higher maximum gas production, acetate, propionate, and total VFA, but less initial fractional rate of degradation) than other four molasses-adsorbents, while WB-SM had the greatest DM and NDF disappearance and NH3-N and butyrate concentrations among substrates. After the simulation selection, we performed the feed experiment with SH-SM and WB-SM compared to the control. For lactating performance, higher (p < .01) milk fat and total milk solid content were observed in WB-SM, and a tendency improvement of milk protein content (p < .01) was observed in both of the cows fed with WB-SM and SH-SM. Among lactating periods, the blood glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, α-amylase, and lactate dehydrogenase which associated with amino acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism were improved in lactating dairy cows fed with WB-SM and SH-SM. CONCLUSION: Dietary agricultural by-products (like wheat bran and soybean hulls) mixed with soybean molasses enhance the lactating performance of dairy cows by improving the host metabolism process of amino acids and carbohydrates. The mixed strategy for agricultural by-products shows another strong evidence for the resource reuse on dairy industry and reducing the by-product pollution.

Effects of a Short Emotional Management Program on Inpatients with Schizophrenia: A Pilot Study.

The prevalence of schizophrenia is gradually increasing worldwide. Many patients with schizophrenia have a diminished ability to empathize and to detect their own emotions or those of others, deteriorating their social functioning and their quality of life. Nonetheless, emotional management training may improve patients' emotion recognition, emotional expression, and negative symptoms. Developing and applying a short but effective program that reflects the current medical environment, in which hospital stays are ever-diminishing, is warranted. This one-group, pretest-posttest, quasi-experimental pilot study aimed to examine the effects of a short emotional management program (EMP-S) on 17 patients with chronic schizophrenia. Participants were patients hospitalized in the National Center for Mental Health in Korea. After the completion of a twice-a-week, eight-session, four-week long EMP-S, participants showed improvements in emotion recognition, emotional expression, and negative symptoms. Our results suggest the applicability and potential effectiveness of the EMP-S, which takes the length of psychiatric hospital stay and the inpatient environment into consideration. To minimize any barriers to social functioning in the post-discharge lives of inpatients with chronic schizophrenia and enhance their social cognition-by improving their emotion recognition, emotional expression, and negative symptoms-we suggest the periodical administration of this EMP-S to these inpatients.

Calcium Homeostasis and Bone Metabolism in Goats Fed a Low Protein Diet.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of low-protein diets on blood calcium (Ca) level, bone metabolism, and the correlation between bone metabolism and blood calcium in goats. Twenty-four female Xiangdong black goats with similar body weight (19.55 ± 3.55 kg) and age (8.0 ± 0.3 months) were selected and allocated into two groups: control group (CON, 10.77% protein content) and low-protein group (LP, 5.52% protein content). Blood samples were collected on days 1, 4, 7, 16 and 36 before morning feeding to determine the concentration of calcium (Ca), parathyroid hormone (PTH), bone gla protein (BGP), C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTX-1), bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP), and 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3]. Liver samples were collected to determine the expression of bone metabolism-related genes. There was no difference observed between LP and CON in concentration of plasma Ca or any of bone metabolism markers (P > 0.05). In the liver, the mRNA expression of bone gamma carboxyglutamate protein (BGLAP), alkaline phosphatase (ALPL), and mothers against decapentaplegic homolog-1 (SMAD1) were increased (P < 0.05) in LP as compared with CON. The correlation analysis of Ca and bone metabolism markers showed no significant correlation between Ca and bone metabolism. These results suggest that the blood Ca concentration in mature goats may keep at a stable level through nitrogen cycling when the providing protein is not enough.

Complete chloroplast genome of Prunus fruticosa and its implications for the phylogenetic position within Prunus sensulato (Rosaceae).

Prunus fruticosa is a wild species of Prunus distributed across the central Eurasia. Here, we reported the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of P. fruticosa (GenBank accession number: MT916286). The cp genome was 158,217 bp long, with a large single-copy region (LSC) of 86,322 bp and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 19,153 bp separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 26,371 bp. It encodes 129 genes, including 84 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes. We also reconstructed the phylogeny of Prunus sensu lato using maximum likelihood (ML) method, including our data and previously reported cp genomes of related taxa. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that P. fruticosa is closely related with Prunus avium.

Alcohol consumption and gastric cancer risk in Korea: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The International Agency for Research on Cancer defined alcohol beverages and acetaldehyde derived from alcoholic beverages as a Group 1 carcinogen to humans. However, the association between alcohol consumption and gastric cancer risk has been controversial in Korean. We assessed the relationship between alcohol consumption and gastric cancer risk in Korea through a case-control study. SUBJECTS/METHODS: From 2 hospitals, a total of 316 cases with gastric cancer (208 men, 108 women) were selected and matched to 316 controls by sex and age (± 5 years) during the same duration. The current status, frequency, and amount of alcohol consumption for a year three years ago were assessed by trained interviewers. RESULTS: Alcohol consumption status and frequency did not show any significant association with gastric cancer risk. However, high alcohol consumption (≥ 20 g/day for women or ≥ 40 g/day for men) significantly increased the risk of gastric cancer (odds ratio (OR) 1.73; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-2.85). Gastric cancer risk was strongly positively associated with alcohol consumption of ≥ 20 g/day, especially in women (OR 5.62; 95% CI 1.32-23.81). CONCLUSION: The results from this study suggest that excessive alcohol consumption rather than the current status or frequency of alcohol consumption contributes to the increased risk of gastric cancer, especially in women.

Acupuncture Regulates the Balance of CD4+ T Cell Subtypes in Experimental Asthma Mice.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the involvement of different CD4+ T cell subtypes in the anti-asthmatic effects of acupuncture in asthmatic mice. METHODS: BALB/c mice were challenged by ovalbumin (OVA) for the establishment of experimental asthma model. Mice were divided into 4 groups by a random number table including the normal control, asthma model, acupuncture and sham acupuncture groups (14 per group). Acupoints Dazhui (GV 14), bilateral Fengmen (BL 12) and Feishu (BL 13) were selected for manual acupuncture treatment every other day for 4 weeks and Huantiao (GB 30) was selected for sham acupuncture. Airway hyperresponsiveness was examined by Buxco Pulmonary System. Pulmonary histopathology analysis was performed for inflammatory cell infiltration and mucus hypersecretion by haematoxylin eosin staining and periodic acid-Schiffstaining. Inflammatory mediators assays of serum were investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Bio-Plex. CD4+ T cell subpopulations including the expression levels of important factors in T lymphocyte polarization in lung tissue were examined by flow cytometric and Western blot analyses. Related pathways were detected by Western blot assay. RESULTS: Compared with the OVA-induced asthma model group, acupuncture could attenuate airway hyperresponsiveness, inhibit inflammatory cell infiltration and mucus hypersecretion (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Furthermore, acupuncture increased the expressions of T-bet and Foxp3+, the cell numbers of CD4+ interferon gamma (IFN-γ)+ and CD4+ Foxp3+ in lung tissue and the level of Treg type cytokine interleukin (IL)-10 in serum (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Meanwhile, acupuncture reduced the RAR-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt) level, the cell numbers of CD4+ IL-17A+ as well as the levels of IL-5, IL-13 and IL-17A in serum (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In addition, both acupuncture and sham acupuncture could inhibit the phosphorylation of p38 and p44/42 (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture could alleviate allergic airway inflammation by strengthening the activities of Th1 and Treg, thus regulating the balance of CD4+ T cell subtypes in experimental asthmatic mice.

Alcohol consumption and gastric cancer risk in Korea: a case-control study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The International Agency for Research on Cancer defined alcohol beverages and acetaldehyde derived from alcoholic beverages as a Group 1 carcinogen to humans. However, the association between alcohol consumption and gastric cancer risk has been controversial in Korean. We assessed the relationship between alcohol consumption and gastric cancer risk in Korea through a case-control study. SUBJECTS/METHODS: From 2 hospitals, a total of 316 cases with gastric cancer (208 men, 108 women) were selected and matched to 316 controls by sex and age (± 5 years) during the same duration. The current status, frequency, and amount of alcohol consumption for a year three years ago were assessed by trained interviewers. RESULTS: Alcohol consumption status and frequency did not show any significant association with gastric cancer risk. However, high alcohol consumption (≥ 20 g/day for women or ≥ 40 g/day for men) significantly increased the risk of gastric cancer (odds ratio (OR) 1.73; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05–2.85). Gastric cancer risk was strongly positively associated with alcohol consumption of ≥ 20 g/day, especially in women (OR 5.62; 95% CI 1.32–23.81). CONCLUSION: The results from this study suggest that excessive alcohol consumption rather than the current status or frequency of alcohol consumption contributes to the increased risk of gastric cancer, especially in women.

Acupuncture Regulates the Balance of CD4 T Cell Subtypes in Experimental Asthma Mice / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the involvement of different CD4 T cell subtypes in the anti-asthmatic effects of acupuncture in asthmatic mice.@*METHODS@#BALB/c mice were challenged by ovalbumin (OVA) for the establishment of experimental asthma model. Mice were divided into 4 groups by a random number table including the normal control, asthma model, acupuncture and sham acupuncture groups (14 per group). Acupoints Dazhui (GV 14), bilateral Fengmen (BL 12) and Feishu (BL 13) were selected for manual acupuncture treatment every other day for 4 weeks and Huantiao (GB 30) was selected for sham acupuncture. Airway hyperresponsiveness was examined by Buxco Pulmonary System. Pulmonary histopathology analysis was performed for inflammatory cell infiltration and mucus hypersecretion by haematoxylin eosin staining and periodic acid-Schiffstaining. Inflammatory mediators assays of serum were investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Bio-Plex. CD4 T cell subpopulations including the expression levels of important factors in T lymphocyte polarization in lung tissue were examined by flow cytometric and Western blot analyses. Related pathways were detected by Western blot assay.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the OVA-induced asthma model group, acupuncture could attenuate airway hyperresponsiveness, inhibit inflammatory cell infiltration and mucus hypersecretion (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Furthermore, acupuncture increased the expressions of T-bet and Foxp3, the cell numbers of CD4 interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and CD4 Foxp3 in lung tissue and the level of Treg type cytokine interleukin (IL)-10 in serum (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Meanwhile, acupuncture reduced the RAR-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt) level, the cell numbers of CD4 IL-17A as well as the levels of IL-5, IL-13 and IL-17A in serum (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In addition, both acupuncture and sham acupuncture could inhibit the phosphorylation of p38 and p44/42 (P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture could alleviate allergic airway inflammation by strengthening the activities of Th1 and Treg, thus regulating the balance of CD4 T cell subtypes in experimental asthmatic mice.

Effects of the Integrated Stress Management Program on Stress and Depression in Psychiatric Inpatients / 정신간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test the effects on stress and depression by developing and implementing an integrated stress management program for inpatients in the psychiatric closed ward. METHODS: The study was a one-group pretest-posttest design. A total of 36 patients in the closed ward participated in this study. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires to measure hospital stress and depression. Data were analyzed by using t-tests and one-way ANOVA with SPSS/WIN 21.0. RESULTS: Integrated stress management program was designed based on Lazarus and Folkman stress-appraisal-coping model. Total of eight 1-hour sessions were delivered for four weeks in the group. There were significant differences in the inpatient stress scores before and after the intervention. However, the integrated stress management program showed some reduction in depression but did not show signifiant differences statistically. CONCLUSION: Our study findings confirm that the use of the integrated stress management program can reduce stress of the patients, that enable them to stabilize their minds at hospitalization. However, further study is needed to confirm the effects on depression. Thus, it would be beneficial to provide psychiatric nursing intervention tailored to psychiatric patients' symptoms, especially for reducing inpatient stress.

Management of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii epidemic in an intensive care unit using multifaceted intervention strategy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We evaluated the effects of a multifaceted intervention for controlling a carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) epidemic in an intensive care unit (ICU) with no restrictions on carbapenem use. METHODS: This study was conducted in a medical ICU between April 2012 and June 2016. The baseline infection control programs included surveillance cultures, contact precautions, and environmental cleaning. However, increases in the detection of CRAB isolates beginning in May 2013 led to the implementation of a new protocol, consisting of universal glove and gown use with daily chlorhexidine bathing for all patients in combination with baseline programs. The efficacy of the intervention was subjected to interrupted time series (ITS) analysis. RESULTS: The multifaceted intervention led to a decrease in the incidence of CRAB from 17.65 to 0.89 cases per 1,000 patient-days, during the study period (p < 0.001). ITS analysis revealed a significant change in the trend of CRAB incidence (-0.413, p < 0.001). Over this same period, mean monthly use of carbapenems increased from 143.54 ± 95.73 to 204.95 ± 78.43 doses per 1,000 patient-days (p = 0.018). CONCLUSION: Our multifaceted intervention reduced the incidence of CRAB acquisition in an ICU where carbapenem use was not restricted.

Management of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii epidemic in an intensive care unit using multifaceted intervention strategy

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We evaluated the effects of a multifaceted intervention for controlling a carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) epidemic in an intensive care unit (ICU) with no restrictions on carbapenem use. METHODS: This study was conducted in a medical ICU between April 2012 and June 2016. The baseline infection control programs included surveillance cultures, contact precautions, and environmental cleaning. However, increases in the detection of CRAB isolates beginning in May 2013 led to the implementation of a new protocol, consisting of universal glove and gown use with daily chlorhexidine bathing for all patients in combination with baseline programs. The efficacy of the intervention was subjected to interrupted time series (ITS) analysis. RESULTS: The multifaceted intervention led to a decrease in the incidence of CRAB from 17.65 to 0.89 cases per 1,000 patient-days, during the study period (p < 0.001). ITS analysis revealed a significant change in the trend of CRAB incidence (–0.413, p < 0.001). Over this same period, mean monthly use of carbapenems increased from 143.54 ± 95.73 to 204.95 ± 78.43 doses per 1,000 patient-days (p = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: Our multifaceted intervention reduced the incidence of CRAB acquisition in an ICU where carbapenem use was not restricted.

Bifidobacterium Infantis Ameliorates Chemotherapy-Induced Intestinal Mucositis Via Regulating T Cell Immunity in Colorectal Cancer Rats.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Intestinal mucositis (IM) is a commonly encountered side effect in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Bifidobacterium infantis (B. infantis) in attenuating the severity of chemotherapy-induced intestinal mucositis by regulating the T cell subsets in rats with colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: Thirty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were injected dimethyl hydrazine (DMH) subcutaneously for 10 weeks, and then injected SW480 cells in rectal mucosa to create a CRC model, and the rats were randomly divided into three groups: Control group (saline + saline), Chemotherapy group (saline + 5-FU+Oxaliplatin), B. infantis group (B. infantis + 5-FU+Oxaliplatin). IM was evaluated based on diarrhea severity, intestinal villus height, crypt depth, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1ß, TNF-α), T cell subsets (CD4+ IL17A+ cells and CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ Tregs) and related cytokine profiles. RESULTS: The results showed that the B. infantis group demonstrated a higher body weight (BW) and intestinal villus height and a deeper crypt depth compared to the Chemotherapy group. The level of IL-6, IL-1ß and TNF-α which increased by chemotherapy, was lowered by B. infantis administration. Real time reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed B. infantis reduced relative expression of Th17 and Th1 cells related cytokines, and increased relative expression of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ Tregs related cytokines. Furthermore, Flow cytometry analysis showed B. infantis reduced CD4+ IL17A+ cells and increased CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ Tregs in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) compared to the Chemotherapy group. CONCLUSION: B. infantis effectively attenuates chemotherapy-induced intestinal mucositis by decreasing Th1 and Th17 response and increasing CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ Tregs response.

[Establishment of Social Stress Induced Depression-like Animal Model in Mice of C57BL/6 Strain and Behavioral Assessments].

OBJECTIVE: To establish social stress induced depression-like model in mice of C57BL/6 strain, and to assess its reliability using differenf behavioral methods. METHODS: Totally 20 male mice of C57BL/6 strain were divided into the normal group and the stress model group by random digit table,10 in each group. Another 10 CD1 mice were subjected to social stress. Mice in the normal control group received no stress, while those in the model group received social stress for 10 successive days. Behavioral assessment was performed using social interaction test (SIT), the elevated plus-maze (EPM) test, tail suspension test (TST), respectively. Serum cortisol level was detected by ELISA to assess the reliability of the model. RESULTS: In the social interaction test when the social target (CDI mice) was inexistent, mice in the normal control group spent longer time in the social interaction zone and less time in the corner zone (P < 0.05); mice in the model group spent less time in the social interaction zone and more time in the corner zone (P < 0.05). Compared with the normal group when CDI mice existed, mice in the model group spent less time in the social interaction zone and more time in the corner zone (P < 0.05). Compared with the normal control group, the total times for entry into open arms, close arms, and the maze were obviously reduced (P < 0.05), and the proportion of entering open arms was significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in the model group. In TST, the motionless time within the last 4 mm was prolonged in the model group (P < 0.05). The serum cortisol level in the model group was obviously elevated (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Social stress induced depression-like animal model in mice of C57BL/6 straineasquite reliable and possibly suitable to be used in integrative medicine research of combination of disease and syndrome model.