Bibliometric analysis of Mongolian medicine and medicinal materials in China since 2000.

Aim of the study: To analyze the progress in Mongolian medicine and medicinal materials and to highlight its development process, emerging trends, and hotspots. Materials and methods: Papers on Mongolian medicine and medicinal materials from January 2000 to May 2022 were retrieved from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database. Using the collaboration network analysis of CiteSpace V and VOSviewer software, the cooperation among individuals and institutions in the field of scientific research was analyzed. The functions of frequency analysis, cluster analysis, and burst analysis were employed to conduct bibliometric analysis on research hotspots and trends in the field of Mongolian medicine research. Furthermore, the data visualization function was utilized to clearly display data trends and changes. Results: A total of 8362 papers on Mongolian medicine medicinal materials from CNKI were identified and analyzed.The research on Mongolian medicine has gone through three stages: the initial stage, the exploratory stage, and the developmental stage. The top two institutions in the number of papers are Inner Mongolia Medical University and Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities. Bagenna from Inner Mongolia Medical University is the author with the most papers. "clinical efficacy", "clinical research", and "quality standards" were the most frequently used keywords. Research in the field of Mongolian medicine has focused on several diseases, including skeletal system disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and digestive system disorders. Conclusion: Since 2000, there have been growing attention and efforts made in the field of Mongolian medicine and medicinal materials. The research in the field of Mongolian medicine had undergone three stages, namely the initial stage, the exploratory stage, and the developmental stage. The focus shifted from basic research such as the analysis of medicinal ingredients in Mongolian herbs to the application-oriented directions of traditional treatment techniques and advantageous diseases in Mongolian medicine. To make breakthroughs in this field, further research is needed to improve the persuasiveness and authority of Mongolian medicine and medicinal materials in terms of mechanism, standardization, and safety, to promote the development of Mongolian medicine and medicinal materials.

The roles of bacteria and viruses in COPD-Bronchiectasis association: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Exacerbations are implicated in bronchiectasis and COPD, which frequently co-exist [COPD-Bronchiectasis association (CBA)]. We aimed to determine the bacterial and viral spectrum at stable-state and exacerbation onset of CBA, and their association with exacerbations and clinical outcomes of CBA as compared with bronchiectasis. METHODS: We prospectively collected spontaneous sputum from adults with CBA, bronchiectasis with (BO) and without airflow obstruction (BNO) for bacterial culture and viral detection at stable-state and exacerbations. RESULTS: We enrolled 76 patients with CBA, 58 with BO, and 138 with BNO (711 stable and 207 exacerbation visits). Bacterial detection rate increased from BNO, CBA to BO at steady-state (P = 0.02), but not at AE onset (P = 0.91). No significant differences in viral detection rate were found among BNO, CBA and BO. Compared with steady-state, viral isolations occurred more frequently at exacerbation in BNO (15.8 % vs 32.1 %, P = 0.001) and CBA (19.5 % vs 30.6 %, P = 0.036) only. In CBA, isolation of viruses, human metapneumovirus and bacteria plus viruses was associated with exacerbation. Repeated detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) correlated with higher modified Reiff score (P = 0.032) in CBA but not in BO (P = 0.178). Repeated detection of PA yielded a shorter time to the first exacerbation in CBA [median: 4.3 vs 11.1 months, P = 0.006] but not in BO (median: 8.4 vs 7.6 months, P = 0.47). CONCLUSIONS: Isolation of any viruses, human metapneumovirus and bacterialplus viruses was associated with CBA exacerbations. Repeated detection of PA confers greater impact of future exacerbations on CBA than on BO.

Multiomics Analysis Reveals Leucine Deprivation Promotes Bile Acid Synthesis by Upregulating Hepatic CYP7A1 and Intestinal Turicibacter sanguinis in Mice.

BACKGROUND: Leucine, a branched-chain amino acid, participates in the regulation of lipid metabolism and the composition of the intestinal microbiota. However, the related mechanism remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: Here, we aimed to reveal the potential mechanisms by which hepatic CYP7A1 (a rate-limiting enzyme for bile acid [BA] synthesis) and gut microbiota coregulate BA synthesis under leucine deprivation. METHODS: To this end, 8-wk-old C57BL/6J mice were fed with either regular diets or leucine-free diets for 1 wk. Then, we investigated whether secondary BAs were synthesized by Turicibacter sanguinis in 7-wk-old C57BL/6J germ-free mice gavaged with T. sanguinis for 2 wk by determining BA concentrations in the plasma, liver, and cecum contents using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The results showed that leucine deprivation resulted in a significant increase in total BA concentration in the plasma and an increase in the liver, but no difference in total BA was observed in the cecum contents before and after leucine deprivation. Furthermore, leucine deprivation significantly altered BA profiles such as taurocholic acid and ω-muricholic acid in the plasma, liver, and cecum contents. CYP7A1 expression was significantly upregulated in the liver under leucine deprivation. Leucine deprivation also regulated the composition of the gut microbiota; specifically, it significantly upregulated the relative abundance of T. sanguinis, thus enhancing the conversion of primary BAs into secondary BAs by intestinal T. sanguinis in mice. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, leucine deprivation regulated BA profiles in enterohepatic circulation by upregulating hepatic CYP7A1 expression and increasing intestinal T. sanguinis abundance. Our findings reveal the contribution of gut microbiota to BA metabolism under dietary leucine deprivation.

Clinical value of the Patient Global Assessment with Ankylosing Spondylitis: A cross-sectional study.

To analyze the factors associated with the overall patient condition and explore the clinical value of the Patient Global Assessment (PGA) index for assessing the disease state in patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). This cross-sectional study used a standardized questionnaire to record the basic information of patients with AS. The collected data included the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS)-C-reactive protein (CRP), ASDAS-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), PGA, and other clinical indicators. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 25.0 software, and the scale was assessed for retest reliability and structural validity. The Kruskal-Wallis H test and Spearman or Pearson correlation analysis were used to analyze the factors influencing PGA scores. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was used to identify the cutoff value of the PGA for predicting disease activity in AS. The patient age, disease duration, family history, and history of ocular inflammation significantly differed between PGA groups (P < .05). The median PGA was significantly lower in patients with disease remission than in those with disease activity (P < .01). The various clinical indexes significantly differed between PGA groups (P < .01). The PGA was significantly correlated with various clinical indicators (P < .01). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for disease activity based on the ASDAS-CRP was 0.743 (P < .01) with a PGA cutoff value of 1.38; the AUC for disease activity based on the BASDAI was 0.715 (P < .01) with a PGA cutoff value of 1.63. The PGA was significantly correlated with patient-reported outcomes, disease activity, function, and psychological status, and may indicate the level of inflammation in patients with AS. A PGA of around 1.5 indicates disease activity.

Erythropoietin-derived peptide ARA290 mediates brain tissue protection through the ß-common receptor in mice with cerebral ischemic stroke.

AIM: To explore the neuroprotective effects of ARA290 and the role of ß-common receptor (ßCR) in a mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). METHODS: This study included male C57BL/6J mice that underwent MCAO and reperfusion. The neuroprotective effect of ARA290 on MCAO-induced brain injury was investigated using neurological function tests (Longa and modified neurological severity score). Cerebral infarction was examined by 2, 3, 5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining, neuronal apoptosis was assessed by immunofluorescence staining, blood parameters were measured using a flow cytometry-based automated hematology analyzer, liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was used to identify the serum metabolomics signature, inflammatory cytokines and liver index were detected by commercially available kits, and the protein levels of the erythropoietin (EPO) receptor and ßCR were measured by western blot. RESULTS: ARA290 exerted a qualitatively similar neuroprotective effect after MCAO as EPO. ARA290 significantly reduced neuronal apoptosis and the level of inflammatory cytokines in the brain tissue. However, ARA290's neuroprotective effect was significantly suppressed following the injection of siRNA against ßCR. CONCLUSION: ARA290 provided a neuroprotective effect via ßCR in cerebral ischemic mice without causing erythropoiesis. This study provides novel insights into the role of ARA290 in ischemic stroke intervention.

[Effect and mechanism of Yueju Pills on breast cancer induced by DMBA in rats].

This paper aims to explore the inhibitory effect of Yueju Pills on breast cancer and decipher the underlying mechanism. A total of 92 SPF-grade SD female rats were involved in this study, and 14 of them were randomly selected into control group. The remaining 78 rats were administrated with 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene(DMBA) by gavage to establish the breast cancer model. The modeled rats were randomized into model, tamoxifen(1.9 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), and low-and high-dose(17, 34 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) Yueju Pills groups. The mental state, food intake, and activities of the rats were observed daily, and the body weight was measured on alternate days. After 12 weeks of administration, the rats were sacrificed and the tumor weight was measured. The serum estrogen and progeste-rone levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The histopathological changes of the breast and tumor were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Western blot was employed to measure the protein levels of glucose transporter 1(GLUT1), lactate dehydrogenase A(LDHA), phosphofructokinase muscle(PFKM), pyruvate kinase isozyme type M2(PKM2), hexokinase 2(HK2), nuclear factor-kappaB(NF-κB), and phosphorylated NF-κB. The intestinal microbiome was examined by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that compared with the model group, high and low-dose Yueju Pills showed the tumor inhibition rate of 15.8% and 64.5%, respectively, and the low dose group had stronger inhibitory effect. Compared with the control group, the model group presented elevated the levels of estrogen and progesterone in serum. The administration of Yueju Pills lowered such ele-vation, and the low-dose group showed stronger lowering effect(P<0.05). Compared with the model group, Yueju Pills reduced the glands with increased breast tissue, the degree of breast duct expansion, the number and area of acinar cavity, the secretions, and the layers of mammary epithelial cells. Furthermore, Yueju Pills down-regulated the expression of GLUT1, LDHA, PFKM, PKM2, HK2, and NF-κB(P<0.05) and altered the diversity, composition, structure, and abundance of intestinal flora. The results showed that Yueju Pills could inhibit breast cancer by regulating the secretion of estrogen and progesterone, glycolysis, inflammatory cytokines, and intestinal flora.

Functional metal-phenolic cortical cytoskeleton for artificial cells.

Cortex-like cytoskeleton, a thin layer of cross-linked cytoplasmic proteins underlying the cell membrane, plays an essential role in modulating membrane behavior and cell surface properties. However, bottom-up construction of functional cortex-like cytoskeleton in artificial cells remains a challenge. Here, we present metal-phenolic networks as artificial cortical cytoskeletons in liposome-based artificial cells. The metal-phenolic cytoskeleton-reinforced artificial cells exhibit long-term stability, enhanced resistance to a variety of harsh environments, tunable permeability, and well-controlled morphologies. We anticipate that our stable artificial cell models will stride forward to practical applications of liposome-based microsystem.

Evaluating Skin Involvement in Systemic Sclerosis Using High-Frequency Ultrasound and Virtual Touch Tissue Imaging.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the diagnostic significance of high-frequency ultrasound combined with visual touch tissue imaging quantification (VTIQ) in the diagnosis and management of systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: Patients diagnosed with SSc and normal volunteers were recruited and divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 30 cases in each group, respectively. The skin thickness at six sites was assessed using high-frequency ultrasound, and the shear wave velocity (SWV) was determined using the VTIQ method. The differences in skin thickness and SWV between the experimental group and the control group were compared and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted. The value of high-frequency ultrasound, VTIQ, and high-frequency ultrasound combined with VTIQ for evaluating skin involvement in SSc was determined. RESULTS: The difference in SWV sum at six sites and the thickness sum was statistically significant (all p = 0.000 < 0.05) from that of the control group, and there was a strong association between the SWV sum, thickness sum, and Rodnan skin score at the six sites in the experimental group (p = 0.000, r = 0.726; p = 0.000, r = 0.679). Based on the ROC curve, the area under the curve (AUC) for high-frequency ultrasound examination was 0.789. The AUC for VTIQ examination was 0.893, while the AUC for high-frequency ultrasound combined with VTIQ examination was 0.923. The combined examination method showed the highest AUC, indicating the best diagnostic performance. CONCLUSION: The integration of high-frequency ultrasound and VTIQ provides a quantitative approach for assessing the extent of skin involvement in SSc patients, offering valuable insights for clinical diagnosis and treatment purposes.

Total body water percentage and 3rd space water are novel risk factors for training-related lower extremity muscle injuries in young males.

PURPOSE: To identify the risk factors for training-related lower extremity muscle injuries in young males by a non-invasive method of body composition analysis. METHODS: A total of 282 healthy young male volunteers aged 18 - 20 years participated in this cohort study. Injury location, degree, and injury rate were adjusted by a questionnaire based on the overuse injury assessment methods used in epidemiological studies of sports injuries. The occurrence of training injuries is monitored and diagnosed by physicians and treated accordingly. The body composition was measured using the BodyStat QuadScan 4000 multifrequency Bio-impedance system at 5, 50, 100 and 200 kHz to obtain 4 impedance values. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to check whether the data conformed to a normal distribution. Data of normal distribution were shown as mean ± SD and analyzed by t-test, while those of non-normal distribution were shown as median (Q1, Q3) and analyzed by Wilcoxon rank sum test. The receiver operator characteristic curve and logistic regression analysis were performed to investigate risk factors for developing training-related lower extremity injuries and accuracy. RESULTS: Among the 282 subjects, 78 (27.7%) developed training injuries. Lower extremity training injuries revealed the highest incidence, accounting for 23.4% (66 cases). These patients showed higher percentages of lean body mass (p = 0.001), total body water (TBW, p = 0.006), extracellular water (p = 0.020) and intracellular water (p = 0.010) as well as a larger ratio of basal metabolic rate/total weight (p = 0.006), compared with those without lower extremity muscle injuries. On the contrary, the percentage of body fat (p = 0.001) and body fat mass index (p = 0.002) were lower. Logistic regression analysis showed that TBW percentage > 65.35% (p = 0.050, odds ratio = 3.114) and 3rd space water > 0.95% (p = 0.045, odds ratio = 2.342) were independent risk factors for lower extremity muscle injuries. CONCLUSION: TBW percentage and 3rd space water measured with bio-impedance method are potential risk factors for predicting the incidence of lower extremity muscle injuries in young males following training.

Bacteria and viruses and clinical outcomes of asthma-bronchiectasis overlap syndrome: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the high prevalence of co-existing bronchiectasis and asthma (asthma-bronchiectasis overlap syndrome [ABOS]), little is known regarding the dominant pathogens and clinical correlates. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the bacteria and viruses which differentially dominate in ABOS (including its subtypes) compared with bronchiectasis alone, and determine their relevance with bronchiectasis severity and exacerbations. METHODS: This was a prospective observational cohort study conducted between March 2017 and August 2023. We included 81 patients with ABOS and 107 patients with bronchiectasis alone. At steady-state baseline, patients underwent comprehensive assessments and sputum collection for bacterial culture and viral detection (quantitative polymerase-chain-reaction). Patients were followed-up to record exacerbation and spirometry. RESULTS: Patients with ABOS had significantly higher symptom burden and exacerbation frequency than those with bronchiectasis alone. Despite similar pathogen spectrum, the rate of bacteria-virus co-detection increased less substantially at acute exacerbations (AE) onset than at steady-state compared with bronchiectasis alone. Pathogenic bacteria (particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were detected fairly common (exceeding 50%) in ABOS and were associated with greater severity of bronchiectasis when stable and conferred greater exacerbation risks at follow-up. Viral but not bacterial compositions changed substantially at AE onset compared with clinical stability. Higher blood eosinophil count, moderate-to-severe bronchiectasis and non-atopy were associated with higher odds of bacterial, but not viral, detection (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Detection of bacteria or virus is associated with bronchiectasis severity or clinical outcomes in ABOS. This highlights the importance of integrating sputum microbial assessment for ascertaining the dominant pathophysiology (atopy vs. infection) and longitudinal trajectory prediction in ABOS.

Cross-sectional study on the association between gut microbiota composition and blood pressure in children / 中国儿童保健杂志

【Objective】 To analyze the association between the composition of gut microbiota and blood pressure in children aged 6 - 9 years, in order to provide new ideas for childhood hypertension prevention and treatment. 【Methods】 A total of 411 children aged 6 - 9 years were recruited in Guangzhou from December 2015 to March 2017. The gut microbiota was characterized by 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon sequencing. The multivariate methods with unbiased variable selection in R (MUVR) were performed to identify the significant OTUs. Spearman correlation as well as multiple linear regression were used to explore the relationship between gut microbiota and blood pressure in children. 【Results】 Significant difference in β diversity index was observed between children with normal blood pressure and those with abnormal blood pressure (R2weighted=0.015,Pweighted=0.01; R2unweighted=0.027, Punweighted=0.001). After adjustment for covariates and controlling the false discovery rate (FDR), multiple linear regression analysis showed that blood pressure level in children decreased with the increasing abundance of OTU_3 (genus Blautia), OTU_131 (genus [Clostridium]_innocuum_group), OTU_1776 (genus Blautia), OTU_2159 (genus Prevotella) and OTU_91 (species Bifidobacterium_breve) (β:-0.18 --0.14; PFDR<0.05. In contrast, blood pressure in children increased with the increasing abundance of OTU_108(genus Sutterella), OTU_1(species Faecalibacterium_prausnitzii)、OTU_8(genus Roseburia), OTU_48 (genus Lachnoclostridium), OTU_81 (genus Coprococcus), OTU_401 (family Lachnospiraceae), OTU_1284 (family Lachnospiraceae) and OTU_2793 (family Lachnospiraceae)(β: 0.14 - 0.21; PFDR<0.05. The influence of gut microbiota on systolic pressure and diastolic pressure may be mediated by the increase of body mass index (BMI). 【Conclusions】 Pediatric blood pressure level is associated with the composition of gut microbiota, while BMI partially plays a mediating role in the relationship. It is recommended to modulate the abundance of microbiota as genus Blautia, Sutterella and so on to prevent hypertension in children.

Discontinuation Rate of Newly Prescribed Donepezil in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients in Asia

Background@#and Purpose The rate of donepezil discontinuation and the underlying reasons for discontinuation in Asian patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are currently unknown. We aimed to determine the treatment discontinuation rates in AD patients who had newly been prescribed donepezil in routine clinical practice in Asia. @*Methods@#This 1-year observational study involved 38 institutions in seven Asian countries, and it evaluated 398 participants aged 50–90 years with a diagnosis of probable AD and on newly prescribed donepezil monotherapy. The primary endpoint was the rate of donepezil discontinuation over 1 year. Secondary endpoints included the reason for discontinuation,treatment duration, changes in cognitive function over the 1-year study period, and compliance as assessed using a clinician rating scale (CRS) and visual analog scale (VAS). @*Results@#Donepezil was discontinued in 83 (20.9%) patients, most commonly due to an adverse event (43.4%). The mean treatment duration was 103.67 days in patients who discontinued. Among patients whose cognitive function was assessed at baseline and 1 year, there were no significant changes in scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Trail-Making Test–Black and White scores, whereas the Clinical Dementia Rating score increased significantly (p<0.001). Treatment compliance at 1 year was 96.8% (306/316) on the CRS and 92.6±14.1% (mean±standard deviation) on the VAS. @*Conclusions@#In patients on newly prescribed donepezil, the primary reason for discontinuation was an adverse event. Cognitive assessments revealed no significant worsening at 1 year, indicating that continuous donepezil treatment contributes to the maintenance of cognitive function.

Application of Relative Quality Constant in Grade Evaluation of Codonopsis Radix Slices / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To establish the grade evaluation method for Codonopsis Radix slices based relative quality constants， in order to provide scientific theoretical basis for grading of Codonopsis Radix slices. Method:Through literature and market research，the main production areas of Codonopsis Radix slices were determined，and 67 batches of Ludangshen slices（52 batches） and Baitiaodang slices （15 batches） were collected. The appearance traits （average quality and average thickness of Codonopsis Radix slices） were observed and measured. According to Chinese Pharmacopoeia （2015 edition）， the extract and the content of Codonopsis pilosula polysaccharide was determined by phenol-sulphoacid method. Then the relative quality constant was calculated，and the results of grade evaluation were evaluated through systematic cluster analysis and correlation analysis. Result:Relative quality constants of 67 batches of Codonopsis Radix slices were between 0.32-2.97. If these samples were divided into three grades：the first-grade relative quality constants were greater than or equal to 2.08，the second grade was greater than or equal to 0.89 but less than 2.08，while the third grade was less than 0.89. The results of systematic cluster analysis showed that 67 batches of Codonopsis Radix slices were clustered into 3 categories，and the results were basically consistent with the classification. The correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between the content of the extracts and the polysaccharide content （P<0.05）. Conclusion:This method links the extrinsic characteristics to the intrinsic quality，and objectively grade Codonopsis Radix slices， so as to provide a basis for its grade standards.

Discontinuation Rate of Newly Prescribed Donepezil in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients in Asia

Background@#and Purpose The rate of donepezil discontinuation and the underlying reasons for discontinuation in Asian patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are currently unknown. We aimed to determine the treatment discontinuation rates in AD patients who had newly been prescribed donepezil in routine clinical practice in Asia. @*Methods@#This 1-year observational study involved 38 institutions in seven Asian countries, and it evaluated 398 participants aged 50–90 years with a diagnosis of probable AD and on newly prescribed donepezil monotherapy. The primary endpoint was the rate of donepezil discontinuation over 1 year. Secondary endpoints included the reason for discontinuation,treatment duration, changes in cognitive function over the 1-year study period, and compliance as assessed using a clinician rating scale (CRS) and visual analog scale (VAS). @*Results@#Donepezil was discontinued in 83 (20.9%) patients, most commonly due to an adverse event (43.4%). The mean treatment duration was 103.67 days in patients who discontinued. Among patients whose cognitive function was assessed at baseline and 1 year, there were no significant changes in scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Trail-Making Test–Black and White scores, whereas the Clinical Dementia Rating score increased significantly (p<0.001). Treatment compliance at 1 year was 96.8% (306/316) on the CRS and 92.6±14.1% (mean±standard deviation) on the VAS. @*Conclusions@#In patients on newly prescribed donepezil, the primary reason for discontinuation was an adverse event. Cognitive assessments revealed no significant worsening at 1 year, indicating that continuous donepezil treatment contributes to the maintenance of cognitive function.

Cloning and Functional Characterization of Full-length cDNA Encoding Squalene Synthase from Fritillaria thunbergii Miq / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Squalene is a key metabolic intermediate for sterols and various other triterpenoids. Its biosynthesis is catalyzed by squalene synthase (SQS), which converts two molecules of farnesyl pyrophosphate to squalene. The biosynthetic pathway of Fritillaria thunbergii Miq isosteroid alkaloids is similar to that of triterpenoids. In this study, a full-length cDNA of squalene synthase from Fritillaria thunbergii Mig (FtSQS) was cloned using rapid amplification from cDNA ends (RACE) technology. GenBank accession number was KF551097. 2. Bioinformatics methods were used to characterize the FtSQS in detail, including the detection of conserved regions, sequence homology analysis, secondary and tertiary structure prediction, and phylogenetic tree analysis. The results showed that its open reading frame (ORF) was 1 230 bp and encoded 409 amino acids. Protein-Blast alignment found that amino acid homology with SQS of Indian pine, Truncate alfalfa, Purple shirt, Potato, Bupleurum, Golden iron lock and Arabidopsis reached 73. 84%, 73. 23%, 72. 24%, 70. 66%, 70. 66%, 69. 44%, 68. 14%. Promoter analysis indicated that the 5' upstream region of FtSQS possessed various potential elements associated with physiological and environmental factors. To obtain a soluble recombinant protein, 24 hydrophobic amino acids were deleted from the carboxyl terminus, and the C-terminal truncated mutant FtSQS (FtSQSATM) was expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3). SDS-PAGE analysis suggested that approximately 66 kD recombinant protein was checked. The in vitro enzymatic reaction proved that FtSQS could catalyze farnesyl pyrophosphate to generate squalene. Expression level of FtSQS mRNA in leaves was the highest, followed by stem and root, but in bulb was much lower than that in other tissues. It suggests that leaves are active organ for biosynthesis of peimine. The identification and function of FtSQS provides an important basis for the study of secondary metabolites of Fritillaria thunbergii Miq.

Review of chemical composition, pharmacological effects, and clinical application of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and prediction of its Q-markers / 中国中药杂志

Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma is a Chinese herbal medicine that promotes blood circulation to remove blood stasis, nourishes blood to tranquilize the mind, and cools blood to disperse carbuncles. Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma has microcirculation-improving, blood vessel-dilating, atherosclerosis-preventing, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and blood pressure-and blood lipid-lowering activities. As research progresses, the chemical composition, pharmacological effect, and clinical application of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma have attracted much attention. We reviewed the research progress in this field. Based on the concept of quality marker(Q-marker) in traditional Chinese medicine, the Q-markers of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma were predicted and analyzed from the aspects of quality transfer, traceability, ingredient specificity, association between ingredients and pharmacological effects, ingredient predictability, and compounding environment. This review provides a scientific basis for the quality control of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and its preparations.

Functional research progress of UBIAD1 and pathogenesis of SCCD / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#The molecular basis of schnyder crystalline corneal dystrophy(SCCD)is UBIAD1 gene mutation. The pathogenesis of SCCD includes conformational change of UBIAD1 protein which leads to loss of combination with GGpp compounds. UBIAD1-HMG CoA reductase complexes can't be separated, and the rate-limiting enzyme can't dissociate from endoplasmic reticulum to cytoplasm, which results in loss of recognition and degradation by the proteasome. The direct consequence is the gradual accumulation and biosynthesis of cholesterol and non-sterol isoprenoids compounds in the cell. This paper reviews the clinical manifestation, molecular basis, pathogenesis of SCCD and the function of UBIAD1 which provide guidance for molecular diagnosis and treatment of SCCD and pave the way for elucidating the function of UBIAD1 <i>in vivo</i>.

Recent advance in cognitive deficits of autoimmune encephalitis / 中华神经医学杂志

Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is a kind of encephalitis mediated by autoimmune mechanism. Cognitive impairment is one of the main manifestations of AE at acute phase. Cognitive impairment is also found during long-term follow-up in some AE patients who have good prognosis after immunotherapy or tumor resection. In addition, the proportion of patients with long-term cognitive impairment, main cognitive impairment domains and risk factors are different in various types of AE. This paper summarizes the cognitive impairment in different types of AE, hoping to improve the clinicians' understanding of cognitive impairment in AE.

Expression of long non-coding RNA linc00467 in childhood acute myeloid leukemia and its role in drug resistance / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the expression and function of long non-coding RNA linc00467 in childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML).@*METHODS@#Bone marrow samples were collected from 5 children with AML who were diagnosed from May 2016 to June 2018. Normal bone marrow samples based on bone marrow examination were collected from 3 children as controls. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the expression of linc00467 in the two groups. A lentivirus system was used to achieve overexpression of linc00467 in AML cells (HL-60) (linc00467 overexpression group), and empty vector expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) was transfected into AML cells to establish a GFP control group. A lentivirus system was used to insert an interfering sequence into AML cells (sh-linc00467 interfering group), and a random sequence was inserted to establish an sh-NC control group. Cell proliferation and resistance to doxorubicin were observed for all groups.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the normal control group, the children with AML had a significant increase in linc00467 (P=0.018). Overexpression and interference with linc00467 expression had no significant effect on cell proliferation. Compared with the GFP control group, the linc00467 overexpression group had a significant increase in the viability of HL-60 cells at the adriamycin concentrations of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 μg/mL (P<0.05). Compared with the sh-NC control group, the sh-linc00467 interfering group had a significant reduction in the viability of HL-60 cells at the adriamycin concentrations of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 μg/mL (P<0.05). Compared with the untreated group, the adriamycin treatment group had a significant increase in the expression of linc00467 in HL-60 cells (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#This study reveals the biological function of linc00467 to promote the resistance to adriamycin in AML, which provides a basis for developing new therapeutic drugs for AML.

Functional research progress of UBIAD1 and pathogenesis of SCCD / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#The molecular basis of schnyder crystalline corneal dystrophy(SCCD)is UBIAD1 gene mutation. The pathogenesis of SCCD includes conformational change of UBIAD1 protein which leads to loss of combination with GGpp compounds. UBIAD1-HMG CoA reductase complexes can't be separated, and the rate-limiting enzyme can't dissociate from endoplasmic reticulum to cytoplasm, which results in loss of recognition and degradation by the proteasome. The direct consequence is the gradual accumulation and biosynthesis of cholesterol and non-sterol isoprenoids compounds in the cell. This paper reviews the clinical manifestation, molecular basis, pathogenesis of SCCD and the function of UBIAD1 which provide guidance for molecular diagnosis and treatment of SCCD and pave the way for elucidating the function of UBIAD1 <i>in vivo</i>.