Efficacy and safety of stem cell therapy in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy: An umbrella review of systematic reviews.

BACKGROUND: Stem cell therapy (SCT) has emerged as a potential therapeutic avenue, with various cell types being explored for their efficacy in treating DCM. However, the safety and efficacy of these therapies have been the subject of numerous systematic reviews. This umbrella review aims to consolidate the existing evidence on stem cell interventions for DCM, providing a comprehensive overview of the current research landscape. METHODS: This review was conducted following the JBI and PRISMA guidelines. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the safety and efficacy of SCT for DCM were included. Outcomes such as 6MWT, LVEDD, LVEF, MACE, NYHA, and QoL, among others, were considered. A literature search was executed across databases like PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Database up to October 07, 2023. The quality of the included reviews was assessed using the JBI Checklist for Systematic Reviews and Research Syntheses. Data synthesis was carried out in both narrative and tabular formats, with the GRADE criteria guiding the determination of evidence certainty. RESULTS: Nine systematic reviews met the inclusion criteria. LVEF found to be significantly improved with SCT. LVEDD and LVEDV assessments yielded mixed results, with some reviews observing significant changes. LVESV showed consistent reductions across multiple studies. BNP concentrations post-interventions were explored in several studies, with mixed findings. Health-related quality of life (HRQL) showed varied results, with some studies noting improvements and others finding no significant differences. NYHA classifications and 6-MWT results indicated potential benefits from stem cell treatments. SCT was observed to be generally safe. The certainty of evidence was low or very low for most of outcomes. CONCLUSION: SCT showed has shown promise in treating DCM, with many studies highlighting its safety and potential benefits. Nonetheless, the existing data has its limitations due to biases in the RCTs studies. To truly establish the benefits of SCT for DCM, future high quality RCTS, are crucial.

Quantitative evaluation of knee cartilage in professional martial arts athletes using T2 mapping: a comparative study.

CONTEXT: While the relationship between high-impact sports like football and basketball and the development of knee osteoarthritis is well established, the impact of martial arts on the knee joint remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To compare the imaging abnormalities of knee joints and T2 relaxation times of cartilage in professional martial arts athletes and healthy controls. DESIGN: Cross-Sectional Study. SETTING: Hospital imaging center. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Nine asymptomatic professional martial arts athletes and eighteen healthy volunteers. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURE(S): 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee was performed on the bilateral legs of athletes and the dominant leg of controls. The MRI protocol included conventional sequences used for morphological assessment (cartilage, meniscus, ligaments, joint effusion, and bone marrow edema) and T2 mapping used for quantitatively evaluating the cartilage. Knee cartilage was manually divided into eight regions, and T2 relaxation times of the corresponding subregions were measured. Fisher's exact test and t-test were utilized to compare the frequency of lesions and cartilage T2 values both among groups and between the athletes' limbs. P<0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Professional martial arts athletes exhibited significantly higher frequencies of cartilage (55.6% vs. 11.1%, P=0.023) and ligament lesions (66.7% vs. 16.7%, P=0.026) compared to control group. Athletes showed higher T2 values in three distinct cartilage segments: the central weightbearing of medial femoral condyle (P=0.006), medial tibial plateau (P=0.012), and trochlea (P=0.032) when compared to the controls. Additionally, the dominant leg of athletes showed significantly higher T2 values compared to their non-dominant legs. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrated the impact of martial arts on the knee joint, characterized by higher prevalence of lesions and elevated cartilage T2 values, particularly in the medial compartment. The dominant legs of martial arts athletes seem to have higher risk of cartilage degeneration due to the observed interlimb differences in T2 values.

Causal effects of body mass index, education, and lifestyle behaviors on intervertebral disc disorders: Mendelian randomization study.

This study aimed to investigate the causal risk factors for intervertebral disc disorders (IVDD) to help establish prevention strategies for IVDD-related diseases. We performed two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses to investigate the causal effects of body mass index (BMI), education, and lifestyle behaviors (sedentary behavior, smoking, and sleeping) on thoracic/thoracolumbar/lumbosacral IVDD (TTL-IVDD) and cervical IVDD. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was conducted as the primary model to pool effect sizes using odds ratio and 95% confidence interval. The strength of causal evidence was evaluated from the effect size and different Mendelian randomization methods (MR-Egger/weighted median/weighted mode method, Cochran's Q test, leave-one-out analysis, MR Steiger, MR-PRESSO and radial IVW analyses). We found strong evidence for the causal associations between IVDD and BMI (TTL-IVDD, 1.27 [1.18, 1.37], p = 2.40 × 10-10 ; cervical IVDD, 1.24 [1.12, 1.37, p = 6.58 × 10-5 ), educational attainment (TTL-IVDD, 0.57 [0.51, 0.64], p = 9.64 × 10-21 ; cervical IVDD, 0.58 [0.49, 0.68], p = 1.78 × 10-10 ), leisure television watching (TTL-IVDD, 1.54 [1.29, 1.84], p = 7.80 × 10-6 ; cervical IVDD, 1.65 [1.29, 2.11], p = 0.0001), smoking initiation (TTL-IVDD, 1.37 [1.25, 1.50], p = 1.78 × 10-10 ; cervical IVDD, 1.32 [1.16, 1.51], p = 6.49 × 10-5 ), short sleep (TTL-IVDD, 1.28 [1.09, 1.49], p = 0.0027; cervical IVDD, 1.53 [1.21, 1.94], p = 0.0008), or frequent insomnia (TTL-IVDD, 1.20 [1.11, 1.30], p = 1.54 × 10-5 ; cervical IVDD, 1.37 [1.20, 1.57], p = 7.80 × 10-6 ). This study provided genetic evidence that increased BMI, low educational attainment, sedentary behavior by leisure television watching, smoking initiation, short sleep, and frequent insomnia were causal risk factors for IVDD. More efforts should be directed toward increasing public awareness of these modifiable risk factors and mobilizing individuals to adopt healthy lifestyles.

Beneficial effects of Chinese martial arts on the lumbar spine: A case series analysis of intervertebral disc, paraspinal muscles and vertebral body.

Purpose: Chinese Martial arts is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide. There is insufficient evidence to prove the health effects of martial arts due to methodological weaknesses. The aim of this study was to better understand the effects of Chinese martial arts on the skeletal and muscular status of the lumbar spine by quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: Nine elite martial arts athletes, eighteen amateurs, and eighteen sedentary volunteers underwent T2 mapping and q-Dixon imaging of the lumbar spine on a 3T (Tesla) system. T2 (Transverse) relaxation times were measured in different regions of interest of the intervertebral disc (IVD). Fat Fraction (FF) was measured in the paraspinal muscles and vertebral body. Results: Compared to the sedentary controls, martial arts athletes showed: (1) increased T2 times in the nucleus pulposus, especially in the central nucleus pulposus (P = 0.004); (2) decreased FF in the multifidus and erector spinae (all P < 0.04), and increased cross-sectional area in the psoas, quadratus lumborum, and multifidus (all P < 0.03); (3) decreased FF in vertebral body (P = 0.001). There was no significant difference in all quantitative MRI parameters between athletes and amateur enthusiasts. Besides, paraspinal muscle FF was negatively correlated with IVD T2 times (ρ = -0.221; P = 0.014) and positively correlated with vertebral body FF (ρ = 0.314; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Chinese martial arts has a positive effect on lumbar tissues, manifesting as better disc hydration, paraspinal muscle hypertrophy and reduced fat infiltration, and lower vertebral body fat content. Our study suggests a possible mechanism: martial arts practice enhances paraspinal muscles to maintain spinal stability, indirectly contributing to slowing down bone marrow conversion and promoting IVD hydration.

Functional status analysis of RNH1 in bladder cancer for predicting immunotherapy response.

Bladder cancer (BLCA) typically has a poor prognosis due to high rates of relapse and metastasis. Although the emergence of immunotherapy brings hope for patients with BLCA, not all patients will benefit from it. Identifying some markers to predict treatment response is particularly important. Here, we aimed to determine the clinical value of the ribonuclease/angiogenin inhibitor 1 (RNH1) in BLCA therapy based on functional status analysis. First, we found that RNH1 is aberrantly expressed in multiple cancers but is associated with prognosis in only a few types of cancer. Next, we determined that low RNH1 expression was significantly associated with enhanced invasion and metastasis of BLCA by assessing the relationship between RNH1 and 17 functional states. Moreover, we identified 95 hub genes associated with invasion and metastasis among RNH1-related genes. Enrichment analysis revealed that these hub genes were also significantly linked with immune activation. Consistently, BLCA can be divided into two molecular subtypes based on these hub genes, and the differentially expressed genes between the two subtypes are also significantly enriched in immune-related pathways. This indicates that the expression of RNH1 is also related to the tumour immune response. Subsequently, we confirmed that RNH1 shapes an inflammatory tumour microenvironment (TME), promotes activation of the immune response cycle steps, and has the potential to predict the immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) treatment response. Finally, we demonstrated that high RNH1 expression was significantly associated with multiple therapeutic signalling pathways and drug targets in BLCA. In conclusion, our study revealed that RNH1 could provide new insights into the invasion of BLCA and predict the immunotherapy response in patients with BLCA.

Quantitative T2 mapping magnetic resonance imaging of articular cartilage in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

PURPOSE: We aimed to analyze the microstructure changes of knee cartilage in Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients with active synovitis using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2 mapping technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 23 JIA patients, who underwent bilateral knee joints by using a MR imaging protocol with the addition of a coronal T2 mapping. The femorotibial joint cartilage of participants was divided into eight subregions. Twenty-four (52.17%) of 46 joints (non-synovitis group), and twenty-two (47.83%) joint cases (active-synovitis group) were respectively calculated the T2 mean values for each subregion. Student's T test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine the statistical differences of each subregion in the non-synovitis and active-synovitis groups, which is also applied to define the distribution differences of cartilage subregion in femoral and tibial. RESULTS: The T2 mean values of the superficial and deep zone of cartilage for active synovitis group were respectively higher than those for non-synovitis group (P < 0.05), except for the deep zone of cartilage in lateral tibial plateau (LTP) (P > 0.05). The mean T2 values of the deep zone in femoral cartilage for active synovitis group were significantly higher than that of tibial (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The finding of an increased average T2 values in active synovitis for JIA patients, especially in the deep cartilage of femoral condyle, which suggests that T2 values may reflect cartilage microstructure differences that occur in JIA. T2 mapping as an objective and quantitative method may allow for early detection of cartilage changes.

Research on Diffusible Signal Factor-Mediated Quorum Sensing in Xanthomonas: A Mini-Review.

Xanthomonas spp. are important plant pathogens that seriously endanger crop yields and food security. RpfF is a key enzyme that is involved in the synthesis of diffusible signal factor (DSF) signals and predominates in the signaling pathway regulating quorum sensing (QS) in Xanthomonas. Currently, novel RpfF enzyme-based quorum sensing agents have been proposed as a promising strategy for the development of new pesticides. However, few reports are available that comprehensively summarize the progress in this field. Therefore, we provide a comprehensive review of the recent advances in DSF-mediated QS and recently reported inhibitors that are proposed as bactericide candidates to target the RpfF enzyme and control plant bacterial diseases.

Determinants of diurnal variation in lumbar intervertebral discs and paraspinal muscles: A prospective quantitative magnetic resonance imaging study.

PURPOSE: To prospectively investigate the determinants of diurnal variations in lumbar intervertebral discs and paraspinal muscles. METHOD: 71 females aged 19 âˆ¼ 31 years were examined by morning-evening T2 mapping/diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), with weight and lifestyle information (time in night bed-rest [TIB], bed-napping, activity time, and sitting time) assessed by standardized questionnaires. Diurnal shifts in T2, mean diffusivity and mean kurtosis (T2-DS, MD-DS and MK-DS; morning-value minus evening-value) were evaluated for L4-S1 discs (normal, Pfirrmann grade Ⅰ/Ⅱ; degenerative, III/IV). T2 and T2-DS were assessed for L4/5 multifidus and erector spinalis. RESULTS: For normal discs, bed-napping correlated with MD-DS and MK-DS in disc entirety (p = 0.001 and 0.004); increased activity time suggested higher T2-DS in nucleus pulposus (p = 0.004); prolonged sitting time predicted greater T2-DS in disc entirety and posterior inner annulus fibrosus (PI-AF, p ≤ 0.011); decreased TIB and weight suggested lower T2-DS and higher MK-DS in PI-AF (p = 0.001 âˆ¼ 0.035). For degenerative discs, bed-napping predicted lower T2-DS in nucleus pulposus and PI-AF (p = 0.019); increased TIBsuggested higher T2-DS and lower MK-DS in PI-AF (p = 0.006 and 0.034); longer sitting time predicted higher MK-DS in PI-AF (p = 0.020). Paraspinal muscles exhibited diurnal T2 variation (p < 0.001) which did not correlate with lifestyle factors (p > 0.050). CONCLUSIONS: Lifestyle and weight have causal effects on the diurnal variation of lumbar discs. Bed-rest may correlate with disc hydration and microstructural stability reserves for subsequent daytime activities. Sitting behavior could induce greater dehydration in normal discs and may alleviate diurnal microstructural rearrangement in degenerative discs. T2 mapping and DKI are promising tools to evaluate disc biomechanics in clinics.

Survey on the current situation and influencing factors of humanistic care ability of outpatient and emergency nurses in tertiary Grade A hospitals in Zhengzhou City / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To investigate the humanistic care consciousness and ability of outpatient and emergency nurses in tertiary Grade A hospitals in Zhengzhou City. Methods: In June 2021, a total of 345 outpatient and emergency nurses from 6 tertiary Grade A hospitals in Zhengzhou City were selected as the survey objects by random number table method. The humanistic care ability of outpatient and emergency nurses was investigated. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the related factors influencing the humanistic care ability of outpatient and emergency nurses. Results: The total score of humanistic care ability of outpatient and emergency nurses in Zhengzhou tertiary Grade A hospital was (194.18±30.53). The scores of humanistic care ability of outpatient and emergency nurses with different gender, age, educational background, professional title, length of service, night shift frequency, marital status, children's status, employment patterns and average monthly household income were significantly different (P<0.05). Regression analysis showed that education background, length of service, professional title and night shift frequency were independent influencing factors for outpatient and emergency nurses' humanistic care ability (β=0.243, 0.139, 0.163, -0.126, P<0.05) . Conclusion: At present, the humanistic care ability of outpatient and emergency nurses in tertiary Grade A hospitals in Zhengzhou City is still low. Education, length of service, professional title and night shift frequency are independent influencing factors affecting the humanistic care ability of nurses.

Case report: Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms syndrome in a patient with anti-interferon-γ autoantibody-associated immunodeficiency.

A 56-year-old Chinese woman with previous disseminated mycobacterium avium complex infection and recurrent cervical abscesses from Burkholderia cepacia complex visited our hospital. She was diagnosed with adult-onset immunodeficiency (AOID) and tested positive for interferon-γ-neutralizing autoantibody. Ceftazidime was administered as the initial antimicrobial treatment, which was later combined with sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SMZ-TMP). She developed drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome after SMZ-TMP administration and improved after withdrawal of the culprit antibiotic and systemic glucocorticoids treatment. Her cervical infection was eventually cured after combined therapy of long-term antibiotics and anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies (AIGA) titer-lowering treatments including glucocorticoids, rituximab, and plasmapheresis. This is the first case of DRESS syndrome in the setting of AIGA-induced AOID and is worthy of notice.

Landscape of Alternative Splicing Events Related to Prognosis and Immune Infiltration in Glioma: A Data Analysis and Basic Verification.

Background: Glioma is a prevalent primary brain cancer with high invasiveness and typical local diffuse infiltration. Alternative splicing (AS), as a pervasive transcriptional regulatory mechanism, amplifies the coding capacity of the genome and promotes the progression of malignancies. This study was aimed at identifying AS events and novel biomarkers associated with survival for glioma. Methods: RNA splicing patterns were collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas SpliceSeq database, followed by calculating the percentage of splicing index. Expression profiles and related clinical information of glioma were integrated based on the UCSC Xena database. The AS events in glioma were further analyzed, and glioma prognosis-related splicing factors were identified with the use of bioinformatics analysis and laboratory techniques. Further immune infiltration analysis was performed. Results: Altogether, 9028 AS events were discovered. Upon univariate Cox analysis, 425 AS events were found to be related to the survival of patients with glioma, and 42 AS events were further screened to construct the final prognostic model (area under the curve = 0.974). Additionally, decreased expression of the splicing factors including Neuro-Oncological Ventral Antigen 1 (NOVA1), heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C (HNRNPC), heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein L-like protein (HNRNPLL), and RNA-Binding Motif Protein 4 (RBM4) contributed to the poor survival in glioma. The immune infiltration analysis demonstrated that AS events were related to the proportion of immune cells infiltrating in glioma. Conclusions: It is of great value for comprehensive consideration of AS events, splicing networks, and related molecular subtype clusters in revealing the underlying mechanism and immune microenvironment remodeling for glioma, which provides clues for the further verification of related therapeutic targets.

Diurnal Variation in Hydration of the Cervical Intervertebral Disc Assessed Using T2 Mapping of Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate the diurnal variation in cervical disc hydration and its relationship with cervical degeneration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: C3-C7 discs of 86 prospectively enrolled participants (37 males, 49 females; mean age ± standard deviation, 23.5 ± 2.5 years) were assessed using T2 mapping in the morning and evening. All discs were stratified by Miyazaki grade or C2-C7 Cobb angle and T2 values (T2). The degree of diurnal T2 variation (T2-DDV), defined as (morning T2 - evening T2)/morning T2 × 100%, was measured for the entire disc, annulus fibrosus (AF), nucleus pulposus (NP), and endplate zones. RESULTS: T2 of the entire disc decreased significantly after the daytime load (p < 0.001), with a T2-DDV of 13.3% for all discs and 16.0%, 12.2%, and 13.0% for healthy (grade I), mild degenerative (grade II), and advanced degenerative (grade III/IV) discs, respectively. T2 of regional NPs and AFs decreased significantly from morning to evening (p ≤ 0.049) except in the healthy anterior inner AF (p = 0.092). Compared with healthy discs, mild degenerative discs displayed lower T2 and T2-DDV in regional NPs (p < 0.001). Advanced degenerative discs showed higher T2-DDV in the anterior inner AF compared with healthy discs (p = 0.050). Significant diurnal T2 changes in the endplate zones were observed only in healthy discs (p = 0.013). Cervical discs in the low Cobb angle group showed higher T2-DDV in the anterior AFs and anterior NP and lower T2-DDV in the posterior AF than those in the high Cobb angle group (p ≤ 0.041). CONCLUSION: This study characterized the diurnal variation in hydration of the cervical discs as assessed using T2 mapping and revealed early chemo-mechanical coupling dysfunction in degenerating discs. Cervical sagittal alignment on MRI can affect the diurnal stress patterns of the cervical discs. T2 mapping is sensitive to disc biomechanical dysfunction and offers translational potential from biomechanical research to clinical application.

The diagnostic value of T2 map, diffusion tensor imaging, and diffusion kurtosis imaging in differentiating dermatomyositis from muscular dystrophy.

BACKGROUND: Dermatomyositis (DM) and muscular dystrophy are clinically difficult to differentiate. PURPOSE: To confirm the feasibility and assess the accuracy of conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), T2 map, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in the differentiation of DM from muscular dystrophy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-two patients with DM proven by diagnostic criteria were enrolled in the study along with 23 patients with muscular dystrophy. Conventional MR, T2 map, DTI, and DKI images were obtained in the thigh musculature for all patients. Intramuscular T2 value, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and mean kurtosis (MK) values were compared between the patients with DM and muscular dystrophy. Student's t-tests and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed for all parameters. P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The intramuscular T2, ADC, FA, MD, and MK values within muscles were statistically significantly different between the DM and muscular dystrophy groups (P<0.01). The MK value was statistically significantly different between the groups in comparison with T2 and FA value. As a supplement to conventional MRI, the parameters of MD and MK differentiated DM and muscular dystrophy may be valuable. The optimal cut-off value of ADC and MD values (with respective AUC, sensitivity, and specificity) between DM and muscular dystrophy were 1.698 ×10-3mm2/s (0.723, 54.1%, and 78.1%) and 1.80 ×10-3mm2/s (61.9% and 70.2%), respectively. CONCLUSION: Thigh muscle ADC and MD parameters may be useful in differentiating patients with DM from those with muscular dystrophy.

Analysis of chloroplast genomes and development of specific DNA barcodes for identifying the original species of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma / 药学学报

Rhei Radix et Rhizoma is one of the most used medicinal materials in China. Its original species are Rheum palmatum, Rh. tanguticum, and Rh. officinale. Rhei Radix et Rhizoma derived from different original species are significantly different in their active ingredients and pharmacological effects. To develop an accurate, rapid, and specific identification method, we obtained the chloroplast genomes of the three original species by Illumina Novaseq sequencing. We designed specific DNA barcodes from the hypervariable regions, which can accurately identify the three original species. The experimental results showed that the total length of the chloroplast genomes of Rh. tanguticum, Rh. officinale and Rh. palmatum were 161 039 bp, 161 093 bp, and 161 136 bp, respectively. All the three genomes were represented as typical quadripartite structures. A total of 131 genes, including 86 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and eight ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes were identified from each chloroplast genome. Five pairs of primers based on the hypervariable regions were designed to efficiently amplify 42 samples. Results confirmed that five hypervariable regions, rps16-trnQ, psaA-ycf3, psbE-petL, ndhF-rpl32, and trnT-trnL, can be used as specific DNA barcodes for the identification of Rh. tanguticum, Rh. officinale, and Rh. palmatum. These results provided genetic information for further species identification of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, and improve the safety of this clinical medication as well as standardize the market for Rhei Radix et Rhizoma.

Cyclophilin A Plays Potential Roles in a Rat Model of Asthma and Suppression of Immune Response.

PURPOSE: Cyclophilin A (CypA) inhibits CD4+ T cell signal transduction via interleukin-2-inducible T-cell kinase (Itk), a tyrosine kinase required for T helper (Th) 2 cells function. Furthermore, mice with CypA silencing developed allergic diseases associated with increased Th2 cytokines production. CD4+ T cells with a Th2-cytokine pattern have been demonstrated to have a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of asthma. However, the effects of CypA in regulating immunity in asthma and in relieving asthmatic symptoms in vivo are entirely unknown. METHODS: Recombinant CypA protein (rCypA) was generated and purified. Ovalbumin (OVA)-challenged asthmatic rats model and acetylcholine chloride (ACh)-induced contraction of tracheal spirals were established. The pulmonary resistance (RL) value of asthmatic rats in vivo and the isometric tension of tracheal spirals ex vivo were recorded by MFLab 3.01 software. The levels of Th1 and Th2 cytokines and the quantities of immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG, IgM and IgE) in the supernatants of rat spleen lymphocytes were detected and analysed by bio-plex Suspension Array System and ELISA, respectively. CD4+ T cells were separated by MicroBeads, and the levels of interleukin (IL)-4 and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were detected by ELISA. RESULTS: rCypA (10 ng/kg) significantly reduced RL within 2-7 min in OVA-challenged asthmatic rats in vivo, and there were no significant differences compared with terbutaline (TB) and hydrocortisone (HC). Furthermore, rCypA (10 ng/mL) significantly reduced the isometric tension in the ACh-induced contraction of the tracheal spiral ex vivo, and the effect of rCypA was better than that of TB. Additionally, rCypA suppressed the secretion of both Th1 and Th2 cytokines, and the suppressive effects of rCypA were stronger than those of HC, especially on Th2 cytokines. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that CypA may serve as a potential novel therapeutic strategy for asthma.

The predictive value of brain natriuretic peptide or N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide for weaning outcome in mechanical ventilation patients: Evidence from SROC.

OBJECTIVE: Mechanical ventilation is an important treatment for critically ill patients. Physicians generally perform a spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) to determine whether the patients can be weaned from mechanical ventilation, but almost 17% of the patients who pass the SBT still require respiratory support. Cardiac dysfunction is an important cause of weaning failure. The use of brain natriuretic peptide or N-terminal pro-BNP is a simple method to assess cardiac function. We performed a systematic review of investigations of brain natriuretic peptide or N-terminal pro-BNP as predictors of weaning from mechanical ventilation. DATA SOURCES: PubMed (1950 to December 2020), Cochrane, and Embase (1974 to December 2020), and some Chinese databases for additional articles (China Biology Medicine (CBM), China Science and Technology Journal Database (CSTJ), and Wanfang Data and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI)). STUDY SELECTION: We systematically searched observation studies investigating the predictive value of brain natriuretic peptide or N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in weaning outcome of patients with mechanical ventilation. DATA EXTRACTION: Two independent reviewers extracted data. The differences are resolved through consultation. DATA SYNTHESIS: We included 18 articles with 1416 patients and extracted six index tests with pooled sensitivity and specificity for each index test. For the BNP change rate predicting weaning success, the pooled sensitivity was 89% (83%-94%) and the pooled specificity was 82% (72%-89%) with the highest pooled AUC of 0.9511. CONCLUSIONS: The brain natriuretic peptide change rate is a reliable predictor of weaning outcome from mechanical ventilation.

[Research progress in original species identification in industry chain of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma].

Rhei Radix et Rhizoma is a kind of commonly used Chinese medicinal materials. Due to the overharvesting, the wild resource is endangering. Large market demand caused severely adulterant of commercial Rhei Radix et Rhizoma medicinal materials and decoction pieces. This manuscript reviewed the advances of the original species authentication in the industrial chain of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma during the latest decade, including characteristics and microscopic features, phytochemical analysis on anthraquinones, and molecular authentication based on DNA barcoding. Accordingly, an original species authentication route for the industrial chain of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma was summarized:(1)the identification of seeds and seedlings by DNA barcoding;(2) the selection of high variable sites based on the chloroplast genome;(3)biomonitoring of the Rhei Radix et Rhizoma medicinal materials and decoction pieces by two-dimensional DNA barcode;(4)traceability of Chinese patent medicines by third-generation sequencing. In conclusion, the combination of molecular identification and traditional identification methods provides a new idea for the identification of the original species of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma in the industrial chain and a essential guidance for the research of drug safety and efficacy of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma.

Construction of a novel ceRNA network and identification of lncRNA ADAMTS9-AS2 and PVT1 as hub regulators of miRNA and coding gene expression in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Studies on the interactions of single long non-coding RNA, microRNA, and mRNA have many limitations; therefore, it is necessary to study the complex regulatory network of gastric cancer (GC) pathogenesis systematically. METHODS: In this study, gene and miRNA expression data for GC were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas and used for transcriptome profiling, differential gene analysis, and construction of an lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network in conjunction with an online database to identify the key genes and subnetworks in GC pathogenesis. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of hub lncRNAs in 54 paired GC and matched normal mucosal tissues. RESULTS: We constructed an lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA competitive endogenous RNA regulatory network containing 1,626 network nodes and 2,704 interactions. LncRNA ADAMTS9-AS2 and PVT1 were identified as key node genes in this competitive endogenous RNA network. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed ADAMTS9-AS2 downregulation and PVT1 upregulation in 54 pairs of GC and normal tissues adjacent to the cancer tissues. CONCLUSIONS: This study systematically analysed the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network in GC and identified ADAMTS9-AS2 and PVT1 as key regulatory genes in this network, providing new understanding of GC pathogenesis and insights for its early diagnosis and treatment.

Productive preparation of N-doped carbon dots from sodium lignosulfonate/melamine formaldehyde foam and its fluorescence detection of trivalent iron ions.

Due to its good properties and low cost, melamine formaldehyde foam has been widely used in cars, furniture and construction. However, how to recycle the spent foam still remains challenging for scientists. In this work, a new method was designed to prepare N-doped carbon dot (NCD) materials by calcining sodium lignin sulfonate/melamine formaldehyde foam (LSMF) via one step. TEM, IR and XPS were used to characterize the structure and morphology of newly-synthesized NCDs. It is shown that carbon powder is obtainable by calcination. Since it derives from the collapse of the foam structure of LSMF, the carbon powder can almost completely dissolve in deionized water. The particle size ranges from 5 to 20 nm. The fluorescence properties of NCDs were studied by fluorescence spectroscopy. A strong emission has been detected at 580 nm with the quantum yield of 2.94%. When applying NCDs to detect various metal ions, there is a significant fluorescence quenching effect and good selectivity for Fe3+. The mechanism has been hypothesised. Our study provides a method for productive preparation of NCDs from spent foam.

The Diagnostic Value of MR IVIM and T2 Mapping in Differentiating Autoimmune Myositis From Muscular Dystrophy.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To confirm the feasibility and compare the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and T2 mapping models for the differentiation of autoimmune myositis from muscular dystrophy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourty-two autoimmune myositis and 11 muscular dystrophy patients proven by diagnostic criteria were enrolled in the study. Conventional MR sequences, IVIM, and T2 mapping through the bilateral thighs were obtained as well as blood samples for all patients. IVIM and T2 mapping parameters as well as serum markers were compared between the autoimmune myositis and muscular dystrophy groups. Mann-Whitney U tests were performed for statistical analysis along with receiver operating characteristic curves. Spearman correlation coefficient models were constructed to analyze the correlation between IVIM and T2 mapping with serological parameters. RESULTS: The intramuscular apparent diffusion coefficient, tissue diffusivity (D), perfusion fraction (fp), and T2 relaxation time values were statistically significantly different between the autoimmune myositis and muscular dystrophy groups (p < 0.05). Pseudo diffusivity (Dp) values showed no statistical difference between the groups (p > 0.05). D parameter of IVIM sequences differentiated autoimmune and muscular dystrophy with a higher specificity of 75.60%. T2 values within the thighs were correlated with serum creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase levels (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Thigh muscle IVIM and T2 mapping parameters are useful in differentiating autoimmune myositis from muscular dystrophy, particularly the IVIM parameters.