Effect of IL-17 on pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells and connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the role of interleukin (IL)-17 in connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (CTD-PAH) and to investigate its possible mechanism on pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). METHODS: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to compare levels of serum IL-17 in patients with CTD-PAH and healthy controls (HCs). After treatment for 3 months, the serum IL-17 levels were tested in CTD-PAH. ELISA and immunohistochemistry were used to compare levels of serum IL-17 and numbers of pulmonary artery IL-17+ cells, respectively, in a rat model of monocrotaline-induced PAH and untreated rats. Proliferation, migration, and inflammatory factors expression of PASMCs were assessed after stimulation with different concentrations of IL-17 for various time periods. Proteins in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway were examined by western blot. RESULTS: Levels of IL-17 were upregulated in patients with CTD-PAH compared to HCs. After 3 months of treatment, serum IL-17 levels were downregulated with pulmonary artery pressure amelioration. Moreover, serum IL-17 levels and numbers of IL-17+ cells infiltrating lung arterioles were increased in PAH model rats. IL-17 could dose- and time-dependently promote proliferation and migration of PASMCs as well as time-dependently induce IL-6 and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression. The levels of MKK6 increased after IL-17 treatment. Inhibition of MAPK decreased proliferation of PASMCs. CONCLUSION: Levels of IL-17 may increase in CTD-PAH, and IL-17 promotes proliferation, migration, and secretion of IL-6 and ICAM in PASMCs, respectively, which likely involves the p-38 MAPK pathway.

Neu5Gc regulates decidual macrophages leading to abnormal embryo implantation.

Repeated implantation failure (RIF) is one of the most prominent problems in the field of assisted reproduction. Neu5Gc on the surface of decidual macrophages (dMΦ) leads to different activation patterns of dMΦ, which affects embryo implantation and development. Cmah-/- (Neu5Gc-deficient) mice induced to produce anti-Neu5Gc antibodies in vivo were given a special diet rich in Neu5Gc and their fertility was monitored. The long-term diet rich in Neu5Gc induced the decrease of endometrial receptivity of female mice. The pregnancy rate of female mice fed the normal diet was 63.6% (n = 11) and the average number of embryos was 9.571 ± 1.272, while the pregnancy rate of female mice fed the diet rich in Neu5Gc was 36.4% (n = 11) and the average number of embryos in pregnant mice was 5.750 ± 3.304. The intake of Neu5Gc and the production of anti-Neu5Gc antibody led to M1 polarization of endometrial dMΦ and abnormal embryo implantation.

BRAFV600E mutation does not predict lymph node metastases and recurrence in Chinese papillary thyroid microcarcinoma patients.

OBJECT: Previous studies suggest BRAFV600E mutation is a marker for poor prognosis in papillary thyroid cancer, however, its ability to further risk stratify papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) remains controversial. We aimed to explore the association between BRAFV600E mutation and the clinicopathological features and recurrence in Chinese PTMC patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 2094 PTMC patients who underwent surgery and had a valid BRAFV600E mutation test result. Among them, 1292 patients had complete follow-up data. The mutation incidence was determined. Moreover, the clinicopathological characteristics, disease-free survival (DFS), and response to therapy distribution were compared between the mutation and non-mutation groups. RESULTS: BRAFV600E mutation was observed in 90.6 % of all patients and 89.2 % of patients with complete follow-up data. No significant difference was observed in lymph node metastases (LNM) number categories between the mutation and non-mutation groups among all patients (P = 0.329) and 1292 patients (P = 0.408). Neither the 3-year DFS (97.9 % vs. 98.0 %, P = 0.832) nor the response to therapy distribution (P > 0.05) indicated a significant difference between the mutation and non-mutation groups. The 3-year DFS differs among patients having different LNM number categories (99.8 % vs. 98.5 % vs. 77.3 %, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that high-volume (over 5) LNM (Total thyroidectomy (TT): OR = 4.000, 95 % CI 2.390-6.694, P < 0.001; Unilateral thyroidectomy (UT): OR = 4.183, 95 % CI 1.565-11.190, P = 0.004), rather than BRAFV600E mutation (P > 0.05), was an independent risk factor of response to therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that BRAFV600E mutation could not accurately predict LNM or the recurrence of Chinese PTMC patients. Moreover, high-volume LNM is significantly associated with PTMC prognosis.

Analysis of component composition and content determination of six constituents for Xeriga-4 Powder / 中成药

AIM To analyze the component composition of Xeriga-4 Powder,and to determine the contents of phellodendrine,chlorogenic acid,gardenoside,berberine,rutin and curcumin.METHODS The high performance liquid chromatography-Q-exactive orbitrap mass spectrometry(HPLC-Q-Exactive-MS)qualitative analysis was performed on a 35℃thermostatic Agilent ZORBAX SB-Aq column(4.6 mm×150 mm,5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of methanol-0.1%formic acid flowing at 0.35 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and electron spray ionization source was adopted in positive and negative ion scanning.High performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS)quantitative analysis was performed on a 35℃thermostatic Shim-pack GIST-HP C18 column(2.1 mm×100 mm,3 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of methanol-0.1%formic acid flowing at 0.25 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and electron spray ionization source was adopted in positive and negative ion scanning with multiple reaction monitoring mode.RESULTS Total 65 constituents were identified,containing 19 alkaloids,13 organic acids,13 flavonoids,7 curcumins,6 iridoids,4 fatty acids,2 aldehydes,and 1 amino acid.Six constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(r≥0.999 1),whose average recoveries were 96.44%-102.37%with the RSDs of 2.05%-3.74%.CONCLUSION This study can provide a reference for the quality control for Xieriga-4 Powder.

Transcriptome Data and Comparative Medical Analysis of COVID-19 Virus Infection / 实验动物与比较医学

ObjectiveTo provide more basic information of comparative medicine for the study of biological changes and pathogenesis of COVID-19 by systematical sorting and analyzing the transcriptome data.MethodsFollowing a retrieval strategy, using COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 as key words, transcriptome datasets related to COVID-19 from January 2020 to May 2023 were collected from GEO, ArrayExpress and GEN Transcriptome databases. The composition, distribution, and research application of COVID-19 transcriptome data resources were analyzed. Data distribution was visually displayed and correlation analysis was performed. The research applications and limitations of existing COVID-19 transcriptome data were analyzed from the perspectives of clinical medicine and comparative medicine, focusing on clinical-related molecular mechanisms, biomarkers and related immune responses, treatment intervention strategies, etc. The research value and application prospects were discussed.Results A total of 975 sets of COVID-19 transcriptome data were included. Among three databases, datasets from humans accounted for the highest proportion, namely 71.9%, 77.9%, and 90%, respectively. Species other than humans, such as mice, were the main sources of data, with the respiratory and nervous systems having the highest distribution of data. Twenty-seven datasets were associated with clinical significance. Analysis revealed that respiratory tract injury and other related molecular mechanisms were obtained through transcriptome data mining. Biomarkers such as cfDNA could be used as therapeutic targets. The severity of COVID-19 infection was associated with cell changes and disorders represented by M1 macrophages. Comparative medical analysis showed that mice, hamsters, and other animals were susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. Rhesus monkeys and cynomolgus monkeys exhibited infection characteristics highly similar to human. Apart from respiratory symptoms, hamsters also exhibited digestive system symptoms. SARS-CoV-2 can replicate in the respiratory organs of various susceptible animals, the intestines of ferrets and the ears of minks, resulting in interstitial pneumonia, diffuse lung injury and other pathological changes of varying degrees. Based on the differences in immune responses, hamsters can be used for neutralizing antibody reaction research.Conclusion Currently there is a wealth of COVID-19 transcriptome data, but there is a lack of comparative transcriptome research. Transcriptomics can be combined with comparative medicine to further explore the differences in comparative medicine of COVID-19.

Correlation between UGRP1 and apoptosis pathway mediated by Fas in hashimoto thyroiditis / 安徽医科大学学报

Objective To investigate the correlation between uterine globulin associated protein 1(UGRP1)and Fas mediated apoptosis pathway in hashimoto thyroiditis(HT).Methods The expression of UGRP1 in thyroid cells of normal people and HT patients was detected by immunohistochemistry(IHC).FRTL-5 cells were transfect-ed by plasmids in vitro,and control group,UGRP1 group,Fas group were established respectively.Real-time fluo-rescent quantitative reverse transcription PCR(RT-qPCR)was used to detect the expression of Fas and UGRP1 mRNA in each group.Results UGRP1 expression was positive in thyroid cells of HT patients and negative in that of normal people.There were no significant differences between control group and UGRP1 group in Fas gene ex-pression(1.085 0±0.124 9 vs 1.021 0±0.113 9).Compared with the control group,the expression of UGRP1 gene increased significantly in Fas group(P＜0.000 1,5.807 0±0.323 2 vs 0.752 7±0.076 0).Conclusion The high expression of UGRP1 in HT may be related to apoptosis pathway mediated by Fas.

The epidemiology and prediction of brain tumors incidence and mortality in China / 基础医学与临床

Objective To describe the incidence and mortality of brain tumors in China in 2020 and to predict the disease burden up to 2040.Methods The brain tumor incidence and mortality in 2020 were recorded based on the data from International Agency for Cancer Research(IARC),Cancer Today database.The incidence and mortality were standardized by age using Segi's world standard population.The burden of brain tumors in 2040 was predicted with assuming that national rates remained constant in 2020.Results It was estimated there were approximately 79 600 new brain tumors cases and 65 200 deaths in China in 2020.The age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of brain tumors in China were 4.1/100 000 and 3.2/100 000,respectively,which were lower than the United States of America,most of European countries and Australia.The incidence and mortality were higher than Africa,central America,and the Caribbean.From 2020 to 2040,the brain tumors cases and deaths are predicted to have an increase as 32.1%and 41.5%respectively.Conclusions The disease burden of brain tumors was still heavy in China.Further studies are urgently needed to clarify the epidemic trend of tissue typing and risk factors of brain tumors,which may support the development of effective prevention strategies.

Effect of microRNA-30a regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway on aortic coarctation in rats / 解剖学报

Objective To investigate the effects of microRNA(miR)-30a-regulated MAPK pathway on the formation of intercalation,inflammatory factors and vasoconstriction in a rat model of aortic coarctation.Methods Fifty SD rats were selected to establish the rat model of aortic coarctation,and were randomly divided into control group,model group,miR-NC group,miR-30a group and miR-30a inhibitor group,10 rats in each group.Histopathological changes in the aortic tissue and changes in the elastic fibers and collagen fibers of the aortic mesothelium were observed;The expression of miR-30a,systolic blood pressure before and after the intervention and the expression of serum inflammatory factors in each group were measured by PCR,tail artery manometry and ELISA;Matrix metalloproteinase(MMP)-6,MMP-2 protein expression and MAPK pathway were measured by Western blotting in each group.The expression of MMP-6,MMP-2 and MAPK pathway related proteins were measured by Western blotting.Results The miR-30a inhibitor group improved the degree of vessel wall tearing and disorganized internal arterial wall arrangement;The miR-30a group improved vascular remodeling;miR-30a expression was higher in the model group compared with the control group,and lower in the miR-30a group and miR-30a inhibitor group compared with the miR-NC group,P<0.05;Before the intervention,the difference in systolic blood pressure between the groups compared was not statistically significant,P>0.05;Compared with the control group,systolic blood pressure was higher in the model group,higher expression in the miR-30a group and lower expression in the miR-30a inhibitor group compared with the miR-NC group,P<0.05;compared with the control group,tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,interleukin(IL)-6,IL-1β expression was higher in the model group,higher expression in the miR-30a group compared with the miR-NC group,lower expression in the miR-30a inhibitor group,P<0.05;higher expression of TNF-α,MMP-6,MMP-2,Ras,Raf,P38 MAPK,ERK1/2 proteins in the model group compared with the control group,higher expression in the miR-30a group compared with the miR-NC group,lower expression in the miR-30a inhibitor group,P<0.05.Conclusion MiR-30a is involved in the process of aortic coarctation formation,inflammatory response,and regulation of aortic coarctation vascular remodeling,possibly through regulation of the MAPK signaling pathway.

Application effect of accelerated rehabilitation surgical care in patients with early cancer of digestive tract undergoing endoscopic submucosal dissection under the diagnosis-intervention packet / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To evaluate the effect of accelerated rehabilitation surgery (ERAS) under diagnosis-intervention packet (DIP) in patients with early cancer of digestive tract undergoing endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD).Methods:The 64 patients with early cancer of digestive tract treated with ESD in the Gastroenterology Department of the Second People′s Hospital of Jiaozuo were selected by randomized controlled trial and convenient sampling method. According to random number table method, they were divided into routine group and observation group, 32 patients in each group. All patients in the 2 groups paid their medical expenses by DIP method, the routine group was treated with traditional perioperative nursing, and the observation group was treated with ERAS perioperative management mode. The postoperative complication rate, length of hospital stay, DIP allocation ratio, and patient satisfaction with nursing were compared between the two groups.Results:There were 16 men and women in the routine group, 14 men and 18 women in the observation group.After intervention, the incidence of postoperative complications was 21.88% (7/32) in the routine group and 3.12% (1/32) in the observation group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( χ2=5.14, P<0.05). The length of stay was (10.93 ± 2.87) d in the routine group and (9.01 ± 1.53) d in the observation group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( t=4.13, P<0.05). The average hospitalization expenses per case was (20 108.23 ± 6 495.49) yuan in the routine group and (18 589.03 ± 4 439.46) yuan in the observation group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( t=20.57, P<0.05). The DIP allocation ratio of the observation group was 87.98% (303 419.26/344 872.99), and that of the routine group was 69.33% (244 864.99/353 187.65), and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( χ2=4.81, P<0.05). The satisfaction of the observation group was 96.88% (31/32) and the routine group was 78.13% (25/32), and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( χ2=5.14, P<0.05). Conclusions:The accelerated rehabilitation surgical nursing can effectively reduce the postoperative complications, the average length of stay, the average hospitalization expenses per case under DIP in patients with early cancer of digestive tract treated by ESD, improve the DIP allocation ratio of ESD diseases and the patient′s nursing satisfaction, which reflects the value of nursing work and can be applied to the nursing management of other surgical diseases.

Antibiotic-loaded bone cement enhances ability of tibial cortex transverse transport for treating infected wounds / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Diabetic foot patients with wound infections constitute a large patient population,and there is currently no satisfactory treatment approach. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the clinical efficacy of a modified tibial cortex transverse transport combined with antibiotic-loaded bone cement for treating refractory diabetic foot ulcers. METHODS:A total of 46 diabetic foot ulcers patients,27 males and 19 females,with an average age of 64.37 years,were selected from Beijing Chaoyang Hospital,Capital Medical University and Beijing Chaoyang Integrative Medicine Rescue and First Aid Hospital from January 2020 to January 2023.All of them underwent the modified tibial cortex transverse transport combined with antibiotic-loaded bone cement treatment.Ankle-brachial index,WIFi(Wound/Ischemia/Foot infection)classification,pain visual analog scale score,and ulcer area were recorded before and 3 months after surgery. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The mean ulcer healing time for the 46 patients was(58.07±24.82)days.At 3 months postoperatively,there were significant improvements in ankle-brachial index,pain visual analog scale score,ulcer area,and WIFi classification in 46 patients,as compared to the preoperative values,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Two patients experienced pin-tract infections,without infection or ulcer recurrence during the follow-up period.(2)These findings indicate that the modified tibial cortex transverse transport combined with antibiotic-loaded bone cement effectively alleviates patients'pain,improves lower limb circulation,controls infections,and promotes ulcer healing.

Establishment and application of medical quality evaluation indicator system in clinical departments of a general hospital / 现代医院

This paper introduces the construction and application of the medical quality evaluation indicator system in clinical departments of a large general hospital.It describes the indicator system's constitution and score setting,summarize the characteristics and application practice of the assessment system,and proposes some ideas for the following improvement,which in order to provide some reference for other hospitals.

Mechanism of cinobufagin regulating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to reverse cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer A2780/DDP cells / 安徽医科大学学报

Objective @#To investigate the reversal effect and mechanism of cinobufagin (CBG) on cisplatin resist- ance in human ovarian cancer cells . @*Methods @#A2780 cell line and its cisplatin-resistant cell line A2780/DDP are common ovarian cancer cells in clinic , so these two cell lines were selected as the research objects . The cell viabil- ity was detected by cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay , and the cell proliferation ability was detected by plate clo- ning and 5-ethynyl-2 ′-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay. Hoechst staining was used to observe cell apoptosis . Cell scratch test and Transwell test were used to evaluate cell migration and invasion ability. Western blot and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) were used to detect the protein and mRNA expressions of phosphatidylinosi- tol 3-kinase/protein kinase ( PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition ( EMT) . @*Results@#Compared with A2780 cells , the drug resistance indexes of A2780/DDP cells were 5 . 636 , 5 . 864 , 5 . 695 , respectively. After treatment of A2780/DDP cells with CBG (2 , 4 , 6 mg/ml) , the reversal resistance indexes were 1 . 617 , 2. 570 , 3 . 461 , respectively. CBG treatment significantly increased the level of apoptosis and inhibi- ted the proliferation , migration and invasion of the cells in a concentration-dependent manner (P < 0. 05) . Western blot results showed that compared with A2780 cells , the relative ratio of P-PI3K/PI3K and P-AKT/AKT protein levels , as well as the protein expression of N-cadherin , Vimentin , and Snail were higher in the control group (A2780/DDP) cells , while the protein expression of E-cadherin was lower ( t P-PI3K/PI3K = 8 . 115 , t P-AKT/AKT = 17. 62 , t N-cadherin = 6. 126 , t Vimentin = 4. 001 , t Snail = 17. 333 , t E-cadherin = 4. 620 , P < 0. 01) ; As the dose of CBG increased , the protein expression levels of P-PI3K , P-AKT , N-cadherin , Vimentin , and Snail in drug-resistant cells de- creased , while the protein expression level of E-cadherin increased ( FP-PI3K = 268. 5 , FP-AKT = 190. 5 , FN-cadherin = 24. 02 , F Vimentin = 57 . 65 , FSnail = 87 . 24 , FE-cadherin = 135 . 8 , P < 0. 05) . qRT-PCR results showed that with the in- crease of CBG concentration , the mRNA expression levels of PI3K , AKT , N-cadherin , Vimentin and Snail de- creased , while the mRNA expression level of E-cadherin gradually increased ( FPI3K = 101 . 1 , FAKT = 558. 3 , FN-cadherin = 86. 97 , F Vimentin = 105 . 9 , FSnail = 85 . 71 , FE-cadherin = 80. 96 , P < 0. 01) .@*Conclusion @#CBG can reverse cisplatin resistance of ovarian cancer A2780/DDP cell line , and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and inhibition of EMT by CBG.

Relationship between metabolites of peripheral tryptophan-kynurenine metabolic pathway and clinical symptoms in patients with schizophrenia / 四川精神卫生

BackgroundSchizophrenia is a common severe mental disorder with complex pathogenesis. There are few studies on the correlation between kynurenine metabolites in peripheral serum and urine in schizophrenia. ObjectiveTo investigate the concentration of tryptophan-kynurenine metabolites and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in serum and urine in patients with schizophrenia， and their correlation with clinical symptoms， so as to explore potential biological characteristics related to schizophrenia. MethodsA total of 38 patients with schizophrenia who met the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fifth edition （DSM-5）， and were hospitalized or attended outpatient clinic at Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital from December 2021 to December 2022 were included in the study. Additionally， 26 healthy individuals were concurrently recruited from the community of Hangzhou to serve as a control group. All participants were requested to complete the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale （PANSS）. The levels of tryptophan （TRP）， kynurenine （KYN）， kynurenic acid （KYNA）， quinolinic acid （QUIN）， picolinic acid （PIC）， xanthurenate and 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT） in both serum and urine were measured using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometry. Serum and urine IL-6 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the correlation between serum and urinary KYN metabolites， as well as the correlation between metabolite levels and clinical symptoms in the patient group. ResultsPatients with schizophrenia had significantly higher level of IL-6 in serum （U=798.500， P<0.01） and lower level of PIC in urine （U=253.000， P=0.013） compared with the control group. Additionally， level of serum KYN was positively correlated with QUIN/KYNA ratio and QUIN/PIC ratio （r=0.562， 0.438， P<0.05） in patients with schizophrenia. 5-HT/KYN ratio in serum was positively correlated with PANSS total score and negative symptom subscale score （r=0.458， 0.455， P<0.01） in patients with schizophrenia. ConclusionSerum TRP-KYN pathway metabolite levels in patients with schizophrenia were associated with neurotoxic metabolite ratios in urine and the severity of negative symptoms. ［Funded by Zhejiang Medical and Health Science and Technology Program Exploratory （number， 2022KY990）］

Research progress on effects of air pollution on pollinosis and its mechanisms / 环境与职业医学

Pollinosis is one of the common allergic diseases, and its morbidity continues to increase. Studies have demonstrated that air pollution is a key environmental factor that leads to the increased prevalence of pollinosis. Air pollutants and pollen allergens exert synergistic effects in stimulating allergic responses in susceptible individuals. In this article, we analyzed the relationship between air pollution and pollinosis based on the latest studies, and elaborated potential mechanisms on how air pollution increases the incidence of pollinosis and aggravates allergic reactions. Air pollutants can increase both pollen production and the levels of allergenic proteins, and enhance allergenicity of pollen allergens through structural alterations or chemical modifications. The potential mechanisms of air pollutants exacerbating pollen allergies are as follows: Air pollutants may disrupt the barrier function of the respiratory epithelium and facilitate the penetration of pollen allergens into deeper tissues. Additionally, they may accelerate the process of the release of pollen allergy-related cytokines, promoting T helper 2 (Th2) cell differentiation and exacerbating inflammatory responses in the airways. Given the limitations of existing research, future prospective studies are needed to explore the effects of mixed pollutants and different types of pollutants on pollen, and the response mechanisms of allergy-related cells and cytokines to different pollutant categories. The findings would provide a comprehensive understanding of the impacts of air pollution on pollen allergies and scientific evidence for effective protection of the heath of pollinosis patients.

Fitting Degrees of Animal Models of Diarrhea-irritable Bowel Syndrome with Clinical Characteristics of Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Diarrhea-irritable bowel syndrome （IBS-D） is one of the common functional bowel diseases in clinical practice. Since it pathogenesis is complex and has not been fully elucidated， effective treatment methods remains to be developed for this disease. Establishing the animal models of IBS-D in accordance with the clinical characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and Western medicine helps to reveal the pathogenesis of this disease and improve the treatment plan. The fitting degree of an animal model with clinical characteristics is an indicator to evaluate the effectiveness of the animal model in simulating the disease characteristics of Western medicine and the syndromes of TCM based on the latest diagnostic standards. By reviewing the relevant articles about the animal models of IBS-D， we discovered that rats were the preferred animals for modeling， and the models were mainly induced by single factors， double factors， or the combination of multiple factors. The established animal models mainly present symptoms or signs associated with visceral hypersensitivity or/and gastrointestinal motility abnormalities. The single factor-induced rat models of IBS-D had high fitting degrees with the clinical characteristics of Western medicine but low fitting degrees with the TCM syndromes. The animal models induced by two or more factors had high but varied fitting degrees with the clinical characteristics of Western medicine. In addition， the animal models of IBS-D considering TCM syndromes mainly focuses on the syndrome of liver depression and spleen deficiency， and few models were established for the syndromes of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency， spleen-stomach dampness-heat， spleen deficiency and dampness excess， and cold and heat in complexity. Therefore， it is essential to improve the existing or develop new animal models of IBS-D in the future， so as to provide more tools for deciphering the mechanisms of TCM and Western medicine and developing treatment methods for this disease.

Development of a 3 MV coaxial peaking capacitor for large-scale electromagnetic pulse simulator.

Coaxial peaking capacitor is a key component in high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (EMP) simulators with fast front pulse output. It poses significant technical and engineering challenges in limiting radiation field amplitude and test space. This paper presents the design and testing of a 180 pF, 3 MV coaxial peaking capacitor with improved insulation performance. In the insulation design, the length of the dielectric film is extended to reduce the background electric field on the flashover path. The electric field threshold obtained from image diagnosis is used as a reference. During capacitor testing, the insulation characteristics are diagnosed using both direct and indirect methods. The voltage measured by a D-dot probe, the output waveform of the Marx generator in the primary source, and the radiation field waveform are analyzed to understand the flashover characteristics of the capacitor and to improve the reliability of the test results. The experimental results demonstrate that the peaking capacitor can operate stably at 3.0 MV. If flashover occurring on the dropping edge of the pulse is permitted, the operating voltage can be greater than 3.7 MV without significantly affecting the radiation field waveform. The analysis on the surface flashover morphology of the peaking capacitor reveals that the flashover mainly occurs at the dropping edge of the capacitor's waveform, indicating that the damage to the film is not serious. This research significantly increases the working voltage of coaxial peaking capacitors and contributes to the development of high-altitude EMP simulation technology.

Vasoprotective Effects of Hyperoside against Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats: Activation of Large-Conductance Ca2+-Activated K+ Channels.

Hyperoside (Hyp), a kind of Chinese herbal medicine, exerts multiple therapeutic effects on many diseases. However, the role and mechanisms of Hyp in vascular pathophysiology in ischemic stroke need to be further established. The study aimed to investigate the role of (large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+) BK channels on the vasoprotection of Hyp against cerebral ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats. The concentration gradient of Hyp was pretreated in both the middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion model and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) model of primary vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in rats. A series of indicators were detected, including neurological deficit score, infarct volume, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), cerebral blood flow (CBF), cell viability, membrane potential, and BK channels α- and ß1-subunits expression. The results showed that Hyp significantly reduced infarct volume and ameliorated neurological dysfunction in I/R-injured rats. Besides, the effects of I/R-induced reduction of BK channels α- and ß1-subunits expression were significantly reversed by Hyp in endothelial-denudated cerebral basilar arteries. Furthermore, the protective effect against I/R-induced increases of MDA and reduction of SOD as well as CBF induced by Hyp was significantly reversed by iberiotoxin (IbTX). In OGD/R-injured VSMCs, downregulated cellular viability and BK channels ß1-subunits expression were remarkably reversed by Hyp. However, neither OGD/R nor Hyp affected BK channels α-subunits expression, and Hyp failed to induced hyperpolarization of VSMCs. Moreover, the protective effect against OGD/R-induced reduction of cell viability and SOD level and increases of MDA production induced by Hyp was significantly reversed by IbTX in VSMCs. The study indicates that Hyp has the therapeutic potential to improve vascular outcomes, and the mechanism is associated with suppressing oxidative stress and improving CBF through upregulating BK channels.

Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor enhances efficacy of nimustine rendezvousing with temozolomide plus irradiation in patients with glioblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma is the most common and most aggressive type of primary brain tumor. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of intranasal granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) administration combined with chemoradiotherapy in patients with glioblastoma who underwent surgery. METHODS: Ninety-two patients were randomly divided into two groups: a control group (n= 46), who received radiotherapy with adjuvant local delivery of nimustine hydrochloride (ACNU) and systemic administration of temozolomide, and an intervention group (n= 46), who received intranasal GM-CSF prior to each cycle of adjuvant chemotherapy in addition to the treatment of the control group. Karnofsky performance status (KPS) scores, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and adverse effects were calculated and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the intervention group had longer PFS (7.8 vs. 6.9 months, P= 0.016) and OS (19.2 vs. 17.1 months, P= 0.045, without adjustment for interim analyses). The KPS scores were also higher in the intervention group than in the control group after 6 months (84.35 ± 8.86 vs. 80.65 ± 7.72; t= 4.552, P= 0.036). Furthermore, the patients in the intervention group had lower incidence of neutropenia and thrombocytopenia (8.7% vs. 29.5%, P= 0.012; 8.7% vs. 18.2%, P= 0.186). Other adverse events were similar in both groups, and most adverse events were grade I/II and resolved spontaneously. CONCLUSION: Intranasal GM-CSF enhances the efficacy of the local ACNU administration combined with oral temozolomide chemotherapy. The survival and performance status were significantly improved in patients with glioblastoma after surgery. Additionally, the GM-CSF therapy was able to reduce the occurrence of chemotherapy-related neutropenia and thrombocytopenia.

Research advances in glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid homeostasis imbalance in major depressive disor-der / 中国神经精神疾病杂志

Abnormal homeostasis of glutamate(Glu)and γ-aminobutyric acid(GABA)in the brain is one of pathophysiological mechanisms of brain dysfunction in major depressive disorder(MDD).Neurotransmitters play an important role in maintaining chemical balance in the brain,and pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies based on resetting excitation-inhibitory neurotransmitter system rebalancing are of interest.Studies based on magnetic resonance spectroscopy(MRS)have shown a homeostasis imbalance of Glu and GABA in the brain of MDD patients.Pharmacological therapies such as ketamine,selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors,and other novel receptor modulators and non-pharmacological therapies such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,electroconvulsive therapy,and physical exercise can target on the regulation of neurotransmitter levels.Abnormal homeostasis of Glu and GABA provides theoretical support for revealing pathophysiologic mechanisms of MDD,exploring neurotransmitter biomarkers,guiding clinical practice and facilitating personalized treatment.

Simultaneous determination of fifteen constituents in Zhuriheng Dropping Pills by UPLC-MS/MS / 中成药

AIM To establish a UPLC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous content determination of ellagic acid,gallic acid,dehydrodiisoeugenol,methyleugenol,agarotetrol,elemicin,chlorogenic acid,geniposide,rutin,ferulic acid,hydroysafflor-yellow A,deoxycholic acid,cholic acid,borneol and taurine in Zhuriheng Dropping Pills.METHODS The analysis of 50%methanol solution of this drug was performed on a 30℃thermostatic Thermo C18 column(2.1 mm×100 mm,1.9 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of acetonitrile-0.1%formic acid(containing 10 mmol/L ammonium acetate)flowing at 0.3 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and electron spray ionization source was adopted in positive and negative ion scanning.RESULTS Fifteen constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(R2>0.990 0),whose average recoveries were 75.91%-112.13%with the RSDs of 3.06%-10.66%.CONCLUSION This simple,sensitive and efficient method can be used for the quality control of Zhuriheng Dropping Pills.