Vitamin D and Cognitive Performance in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional and Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background: Cognitive decline is a prevalent health problem in older adults, and effective treatments remain to be produced. Serum vitamin D, a commonly used biochemical marker, is widely recognized as an indicator of various diseases. Existing research has not fully elucidated the relationship between vitamin D and cognitive function. The aim of this study is to investigate the real relationship between vitamin D and cognitive function and to identify indicators that have a strong predictive effect on cognitive decline. Methods: At first, we used the dataset of the genome-wide association studies studying vitamin D and cognitive performance to conduct Mendelian randomization analysis. Subsequently, we employed linear regression and smooth curve fitting methods to assess the relationship using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. Finally, we investigated other predictive features of cognitive performance utilizing a machine learning model. Results: We found that a 1-unit increase in vitamin D is associated with a 6.51% reduction (P < .001) in the risk of cognitive decline. The correlation between vitamin D and cognitive performance is nonlinear, with the inflection point at 79.9 nmol/L (left: ß = 0.043, P < .001; right: ß = -0.007, P = .420). In machine learning, the top 5 predictors are vitamin D, weight, height, age, and body mass index. Conclusion: There is a causal relationship between vitamin D and cognitive performance. 79.9 nmol/L could be the optimal dose for vitamin D supplementation in the elderly. Further consideration of other factors in vitamin D interventions is necessary.

Current and future trends of acupuncture as an adjuvant therapy in cancer: A bibliometric and visual analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture, as one of the representatives of complementary therapies, is often used as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of cancer and related complications with beneficial results. METHODS: We selected the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database as the data source and searched to obtain relevant literatures on the application of acupuncture in cancer treatment. The relevant literature was analyzed using CiteSpace (version 6.1.R6) and VOSviewer (version 1.6.20). RESULTS: A total of 592 publications were included, with an overall upward trend in the number of publications. There were 135 countries or institutions involved, with China as the most published country. There were 1888 related institutions, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center was the institution with the most publications. A total of 3067 authors were involved, and there were obvious collaborations between authors. There were 190 related journals, and J Clin Oncol was the most cited journal. The most frequently occurring keywords were breast cancer and management, but also other related topics such as quality of life, chemotherapy, and complementary. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture is gaining increasing attention as an adjunctive therapy in cancer treatment programs. Currently, relevant research focuses on acupuncture to alleviate cancer-induced comorbid symptoms, such as pain and insomnia. Future research is gradually shifting toward spiritual care, Colorectal Cancer Surgery, and systematic review.

Interleukin-21 receptor signaling promotes metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis-driven hepatocellular carcinoma by inducing immunosuppressive IgA+ B cells.

BACKGROUND: Dysregulation of immune surveillance is tightly linked to the development of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH)-driven hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we aimed to determine the role of interleukin-21 receptor (IL-21R) in MASH-driven HCC. METHODS: The clinical significance of IL-21R was assessed in human HCC specimens using immunohistochemistry staining. Furthermore, the expression of IL-21R in mice was assessed in the STAM model. Thereafter, two different MASH-driven HCC mouse models were applied between IL-21R-deficient mice and wild type controls to explore the role of IL-21R in MASH-driven HCC. To further elucidate the potential mechanisms by which IL-21R affected MASH-driven HCC, whole transcriptome sequencing, flow cytometry and adoptive lymphocyte transfer were performed. Finally, flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunofluorescent staining, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay and western blotting were conducted to explore the mechanism by which IL-21R induced IgA+ B cells. RESULTS: HCC patients with high IL-21R expression exhibited poor relapse-free survival, advanced TNM stage and severe steatosis. Additionally, IL-21R was demonstrated to be upregulated in mouse liver tumors. Particularly, ablation of IL-21R impeded MASH-driven hepatocarcinogenesis with dramatically reduction of lipid accumulation. Moreover, cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocyte activation was enhanced in the absence of IL-21R due to the reduction of immunosuppressive IgA+ B cells. Mechanistically, the IL-21R-STAT1-c-Jun/c-Fos regulatory axis was activated in MASH-driven HCC and thus promoted the transcription of Igha, resulting in the induction of IgA+ B cells. CONCLUSIONS: IL-21R plays a cancer-promoting role by inducing IgA+ B cells in MASH-driven hepatocarcinogenesis. Targeting IL-21R signaling represents a potential therapeutic strategy for cancer therapy.

Blockade of CD93 in pleural mesothelial cells fuels anti-lung tumor immune responses.

Background: CD93 reportedly facilitates tumor angiogenesis. However, whether CD93 regulates antitumor immunity remains undeciphered. Methods: Lung tumor tissues, malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) were obtained from lung cancer patients. Blood was obtained from healthy volunteers and lung cancer patients with anti-PD-1 therapy. Furthermore, p53fl/flLSL-KrasG12D, Ccr7-/-, Cd93-/- mice and CD11c-DTR mice were generated. Specifically, EM, NTA and western blotting were utilized to identify Tumor extracellular vesicles (TEVs). EV labeling, detection of EV uptake in vitro and in vivo, degradation of EV proteins and RNAs were performed to detect the role of TEVs in tumor progression. Pleural mesothelial cells (pMCs) were isolated to investigate related signaling pathways. Recombinant proteins and antibodies were generated to test which antibody was the most effective one to increase CCL21a in p-pMCs. RNA-Seq, MiRNA array, luciferase reporter assay, endothelial tube formation assay, protein labeling and detection, transfection of siRNAs and the miRNA mimic and inhibitor, chemotaxis assay, immunohistochemical staining, flow cytometry, Real-time PCR, and ELISA experiments were performed. Results: We show that CD93 of pMCs reduced lung tumor migration of dendritic cells by preventing pMCs from secreting CCL21, thereby suppressing systemic anti-lung tumor T-cell responses. TEV-derived miR-5110 promotes CCL21 secretion by downregulating pMC CD93, whereas C1q, increasing in tumor individuals, suppresses CD93-mediated CCL21 secretion. CD93-blocking antibodies (anti-CD93) inhibit lung tumor growth better than VEGF receptor-blocking antibodies because anti-CD93 inhibit tumor angiogenesis and promote CCL21 secretion from pMCs. Anti-CD93 also overcome lung tumor resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy. Furthermore, lung cancer patients with higher serum EV-derived miR-5193 (human miR-5110 homolog) are more sensitive to anti-PD-1 therapy, while patients with higher serum C1q are less sensitive, consistent with their regulatory functions on CD93. Conclusions: Our study identifies a crucial role of CD93 in controlling anti-lung tumor immunity and suggests a promising approach for lung tumor therapy.

Clinical study of the combined use of dexmedetomidine and remifentanil in patients with coronary heart disease undergoing 3D laparoscopic surgery with EEG bispectral index monitoring.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to investigate the safety and clinical outcomes associated with the combined administration of dexmedetomidine (Dex) and remifentanil (Rem) in patients with coronary heart disease undergoing three-dimensional (3D) laparoscopic surgery, with concurrent monitoring of the electroencephalography (EEG) bispectral index. METHODS: This study is of a retrospective nature and involved a total of 60 patients with coronary heart disease who underwent 3D laparoscopic surgery at our hospital between June 2020 and September 2021. In a double-blind manner, these patients were randomly assigned to two groups: the control group (Group I), which consisted of 30 patients, and the treatment group (Group II) receiving a combination of Dex and Rem, also comprising 30 patients. The study's primary objective was to compare and assess the treatment outcomes in these two patient groups. RESULTS: Patients in Group II who developed postoperative coronary heart disease experienced a significant reduction in blood pressure, heart rate, and electrocardiogram values (P<0.05). Additionally, Group II exhibited lower bispectral index (BIS) and visual analog scale (VAS) values (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: In patients with coronary heart disease undergoing 3D laparoscopic surgery, the intraoperative use of Dex combined with Rem anesthesia offers several advantages. It helps stabilize hemodynamics, reducing the risk of myocardial ischemia, and significantly alleviates postoperative pain, all without increasing the likelihood of adverse postoperative reactions. Furthermore, this approach effectively dampens the intraoperative and postoperative stress response, facilitating enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS). Overall, the clinical impact is positive, safe, and reliable.

A pair of new isoflavonoid enantiomers from Dalbergia benthamii Prain / 药学学报

Thirteen isoflavones were separated and purified from an ethanol extract of the rhizome of Dalbergia benthamii Prain by using silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, recrystallization et al. Their structures were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral analysis such as MS, 1D/2D-NMR as dalbergibenthamin (1), butesuperin A (2), xanthocercin A (3), butesuperin B (4), di-O-methylalpinum isoflavone (5), 2′-deoxgisoaunculutin (6), robustone (7), 4′-hydroxy-5,7-dimethoxy-6-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-isoflavone (8), formononetin (9), 6″-O-rhamnosyldaidzin (10), 3′,4′-di-O-methylene-5-hydroxy-7-methoxy-6-isopentenyl isoflavone (11), derrubone dimethyl enter (12), and derrubone (13). Compound 1 is a pair of new isoflavonoid enantiomers, compound 12 is a new natural product and compounds 1-7 and 10-13 were obtained from D. benthamii Prain for the first time. In vitro cytotoxic activities of the compounds were explored by MTS testing with HL-60, A-549, SMMC-7721, MCF-7 and SW480 cell lines. Results show that compound 8 significantly inhibited cellular proliferation. The IC50 of compound 8 in A-549 and SW480 cells was 16.68 ± 0.19 and 15.21 ± 0.60 μmol·L-1.

Determination of Paraben and Its Metabolite in Sediments by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Triple Quadrupole Tandem Mass Spectrometry / 分析化学

A new method for simultaneous determination of six benzoic acid esters and their metabolite p-hydroxybenzoic acid (p-HB) in sediments was developed.The samples were extracted with methanol and water,and then the extraction was purified by Oasis MCX solid phase column.The separation of targets was conducted by passing through a UPLC?HSS T3 column with a methanol-0.1% acid aqueous solution as the mobile phase under gradient elution.The qualitative analysis of the analytes was measured by Ultra performance liquid chromatography-Triple quadrupole tandem mass under multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM) and the internal standard method was applied for quantitative analysis.The results indicated that seven target substances had a good linear relationship in the range of 0.1-500 μg/L with correlation coefficients above 0.9995 and the detection limits of 0.75-1.23 ng/g.The recoveries ranged from 65.5% to 88.3% and the relative standard deviation was 7.4%-13.6%.This method was suitable for the measurement of benzoic acid esters with the advantages such as simple processing,good selectivity and high sensitivity.

Fingerprint profiling of Macleaya cordata fruits from different regions / 中草药

Objective To establish the fingerprint profiling of fruits of Macleaya cordata and study the method for its quality evaluation. Methods The fingerprint profiling of M. cordata fruits from different regions was established using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) based on the local standard which was the determination method of the content of protopine, allocryptopine, sanguinarine, and chelerythrine from Changsha of Hunan Province in 2009. The principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were performed to explore the correlation among the common fingerprint peaks, origins, and quality of M. cordata fruits. Results Eleven common fingerprint peaks were identified in the fingerprint profiling of chemical constituents of M. cordata fruits from different regions. M. cordata fruits produced from eight areas were classified into two classes by PCA and CA method, and there were five common peaks, including peak 5, 7, 8, 9, and 11 with significant contribution on the regional difference of the fingerprint. Also, common peak 6 was the right peak as the reference peak because of its less variation, appropriate retention time and intensity. Conclusion The fingerprint profiling of chemical constituents of M. cordata fruits established in this study has good precision, repeatability, and stability, which can be used to evaluate the quality of fruits of M. cordata from different producing areas.

Clinical effect of application of PDCA on reducing the incidence of healthcare-associated infection in department of neurosurgery / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To study the effect of application of plan-do-check-act (PDCA) on reducing the incidence of healthcare-associated infection(HAI) in department of neurosurgery.Methods Quality control circle activity group was established,programme of activities was formulated,four stages and ten steps of PDCA were adopted,incidences of H AI in department of neurosurgery before (September-November 2015) and after (May-July 2016) the implementation of PDCA were observed,causes were analyzed based on implementation of hand hygiene,aseptic technique manipulation,and environmental sanitation,countermeasures were found out,and continuous quality improvement was performed for 6 months.Results Comparison between before and after implementation of PDCA was conducted,incidence of HAI in department of nerosurgery decreased from 10.9％ to 5.8％,difference was significant(P＜0.05),control rate was 100％,incidence of HAI dropped by 46.8％;hand hygiene implementation rate increased from 27.2％ to 76.9％,aseptic technique implementation rate increased from 76.0％ to 96.9％,environmental sanitation increased from 51.0 ％ to 90.0 ％,differences before and after implementation were all statistically significant(all P＜0.001).Conclusion Quality control circle activities implemented jointly by multiple departments can reduce the incidence of HAI in department of neurosurgery,rules can be observed,measures can be further improved,it is worthy of clinical application.

The characteristics of mine explosion injury of wading in shoal: A study on an animal model / 解放军医学杂志

Objective To study the characteristics and mechanism of mine blast injury that wading in shoal of different depths through an animal model.Methods Ninety-six healthy adult New Zealand white rabbits weighing 2.19 ± 0.12kg were randomly divided into land group (n=16),limb wading group (n=16,the water depth reaching up the middle of the thighs of rabbits),and chest wading group (n=16,the water depth reaching up the thoracic xiphoid),stress test group (n=30),fake injury group (n=18).Punctiform burster was used to simulate landmine.Electric ignited the simulated mine away,causing landmine explosion injury to rabbits' one-sided hind limbs in upright state.High-speed photography was used to observe the movement of water accompanying the simulated mine explosion.Arterial blood serum markers of myocardial injury (CK-MB,cTnⅠ) and nerve injury (MBP,NSE) were detected before injury,and 3,6 and 12h after injury,and echocardiography,electrocardiography,CT,DSA and other examinations were implemented at the same time.Survival animals were killed 12h after injury for anatomy to record their injuries to the limbs and distant organs.The histopathological examination was done to define the injury characteristics furthen Results Feet and distal tibia were broken,and closed femoral fractures and arterial damage were often found away from the stump in limb wading group.This type of injury was different from the mop-like tearing tissue in the land group.Chest,abdominal organs and the brain,spinal cord injury in wading group were more severe than those in land group.There were higher incidences of chest,abdominal organs and spinal cord injury in chest wading Group.Conclusion The energy transfer of underwater explosion is affected by water depth and limbs or trunk mutually,which is an important mechanism of the complex and serious injuries in the wading group.The wading depth is an important factor affecting severity of the injury.Based on characteristics and unique mechanism of wading explosion,emergency treatment and the principle of early treatment for injury warrant further explored.

Effect of Capsaicin on the Plasma Protein Binding Rate of Simvastatin Determined by Ultrafiltration / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of capsaicin on the binding rates of simvastatin with rats and healthy subjects plasma. METHODS: The plasma protein binding rates of simvastatin in the presence or absence of capsaicin were determined by ultrafiltration combined with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). RESULTS: The binding rates of simvastatin (0.2, 0.5, 1 μg·mL-1) were (97.73±0.24)%, (96.75±2.58)%, and (96.23±0.81)% in rat plasma and (97.05±1.74)%, (97.68±0.65)%, and (97.20±1.00)% in human plasma, respectively. In the presence of capsaicin (1 μg·mL-1), the plasma protein binding rates of simvastatin decreased to (93.97±0.96)%, (92.76±1.89)%, (92.05±0.58)% and (91.71±2.51)%, (91.73±1.88)%, (91.41±2.48)%, while the unbound drug concentration increased by 1.66, 1.23, 1.11 fold and 1.81, 2.56, 2.07 fold, respectively. CONCLUSION: Capsaicin could significantly decrease the plasma protein binding rate of simvastatin and increase its free drug concentration (P<0.01). When the clinical use of simvastatin, attention should be paid to the effect of drugs/ food containing capsaicin on its plasma protein binding rate.