Effects and action mechanisms of lotus leaf (Nelumbo nucifera) ethanol extract on gut microbes and obesity in high-fat diet-fed rats.

Objective: The present study aimed to clarify the effect of the lotus leaf ethanol extract (LLEE) on the mechanism of antiobesity and the intestinal microbiota of obese rats. Methods: A total of 40 specific pathogen-free (SPF) male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were split into the blank control group, the model control group, the Orlistat capsule control group, and the LLEE group. All the groups were intervened and fed specific diets for 5 months. During the experiment, we evaluated the rats' body weight, length, serum biochemical indicators, and inflammatory factor levels. After dissection, the liver; epididymal and perirenal white adipose tissue (WAT); and the contents of the cecum were collected for pathological evaluation and intestinal flora analysis. Results: Lotus leaf alcohol extract can significantly reduce the serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. It also decreases the accumulation of fatty deposits in the liver of rats and the levels of serum inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α and increases the level of IL-10. Lotus leaf alcohol extracts significantly increased the abundance of Muribaculaceae in the intestinal flora of rats, reduced the abundance of pro-inflammatory bacteria Firmicutes, and relieved fatty liver and other inflammation and diseases caused by a high-fat diet. Besides, the ethanol extract of the lotus leaf significantly regulated the abundance of Ruminococcus, suggesting that the ethanol extract of the lotus leaf may prevent hyperlipidemia. Conclusion: We elucidated the effects and action mechanisms of LLEE on obesity in high-fat diet-fed rats to provide suggestions for regulating intestinal flora through dietary intervention and thus improving blood lipid metabolism.

Mechanism of Xumingtang in Gu Jin Lu Yan for Treatment of Ischemic Stroke Based on HIF-1α/NLRP3 Pathway-mediated Pyroptosis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Xumingtang in Gu Jin Lu Yan （《古今录验》） in regulating cell pyroptosis through the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）/NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-containing protein 3 （NLRP3） pathway in ischemic stroke （IS）. MethodSD rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group， a model group， low- and high-dose Xumingtang groups， and a metformin group， with 20 rats in each group. Oral administration was performed for 3 days， and tissue samples were collected. Differential messenger RNA （mRNA） was screened using high-throughput sequencing， and Gene Ontology （GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway analyses were performed on key differentially expressed genes. The modified neurological severity score （mNSS） and 2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining were used to evaluate the effect of brain infarction. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used for pathological morphological observation of brain tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to compare the levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and interleukin-18 （IL-18） in the ischemic cortical region. Double staining immunohistochemistry was used to detect the co-localization of HIF-1α and NLRP3. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （PCR） was performed to detect the mRNA expression of NLRP3， HIF-1α， Caspase-1 （CASP-1）， and gasdermin D （GSDMD）. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of HIF-1α， NLRP3， CASP-1， and GSDMD. ResultA total of 5 705 differentially expressed genes （2 733 downregulated and 2 972 upregulated） were obtained by mRNA sequencing. After conversion to homologous genes and intersection with the pyroptosis gene set， 95 key differentially expressed pyroptosis genes were obtained. Compared with the sham operation group， the model group showed significantly increased mNSS scores， larger brain infarction areas （P<0.01）， diverse neuronal morphology， disordered arrangement， widened cell gaps， significantly increased levels of IL-1β and IL-18 in the ischemic cortical region （P<0.01）， enhanced co-localization fluorescence intensity， and significantly increased mRNA and protein expression levels of HIF-1α， NLRP3， CASP-1， and GSDMD （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the high-dose Xumingtang group showed the most significant improvement in neurological function scores and brain infarction areas （P<0.01）. The neuronal integrity and arrangement were more complete， and the cell gaps were narrower in all groups with drug treatment， with significantly reduced co-localization fluorescence intensity. Xumingtang could reduce the levels of IL-1β， IL-18， and the mRNA and protein expression of HIF-1α， NLRP3， CASP-1， and GSDMD （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with the high-dose Xumingtang group showing the most significant effect （P<0.01）. ConclusionXumingtang in Gu Jin Lu Yan can inhibit cell pyroptosis and promote neurological function recovery after IS， which may be related to the inhibition of the HIF-1α/NLRP3 pathway.

Systemic antibiotics increase microbiota pathogenicity and oral bone loss / 国际口腔科学杂志·英文版

Periodontitis is the most widespread oral disease and is closely related to the oral microbiota. The oral microbiota is adversely affected by some pharmacologic treatments. Systemic antibiotics are widely used for infectious diseases but can lead to gut dysbiosis, causing negative effects on the human body. Whether systemic antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis can affect the oral microbiota or even periodontitis has not yet been addressed. In this research, mice were exposed to drinking water containing a cocktail of four antibiotics to explore how systemic antibiotics affect microbiota pathogenicity and oral bone loss. The results demonstrated, for the first time, that gut dysbiosis caused by long-term use of antibiotics can disturb the oral microbiota and aggravate periodontitis. Moreover, the expression of cytokines related to Th17 was increased while transcription factors and cytokines related to Treg were decreased in the periodontal tissue. Fecal microbiota transplantation with normal mice feces restored the gut microbiota and barrier, decreased the pathogenicity of the oral microbiota, reversed the Th17/Treg imbalance in periodontal tissue, and alleviated alveolar bone loss. This study highlights the potential adverse effects of long-term systemic antibiotics-induced gut dysbiosis on the oral microbiota and periodontitis. A Th17/Treg imbalance might be related to this relationship. Importantly, these results reveal that the periodontal condition of patients should be assessed regularly when using systemic antibiotics in clinical practice.

Safety and immunogenicity of heterologous boost immunization with an adenovirus type-5-vectored and protein-subunit-based COVID-19 vaccine (Convidecia/ZF2001): a randomized, observer-blinded, placebo-controlled trial

BackgroundHeterologous boost vaccination has been proposed as an option to elicit stronger and broader, or longer-lasting immunity. We assessed the safety and immunogenicity of heterologous immunization with a recombinant adenovirus type-5-vectored COVID-19 vaccine (Convidecia) and a protein-subunit-based COVID-19 vaccine (ZF2001). Methods and FindingsWe did a randomized, observer-blinded, placebo-controlled trial in healthy adults previously received one dose of Convidecia. Participants were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive either ZF2001 (vaccine group) or a trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) (placebo group) at either 28-day or 56-day intervals. For both regimens, all participants received the 2nd injection with ZF2001 at 4 months after a dose of ZF2001 or TIV, with three-dose schedules of Convidecia/Convidecia/ZF2001 at day 0, day 28 and month 5 (referred to as CV/ZF/ZF (D0-D28-M5)) and CV/ZF/ZF (D0-D56-M6), and two-dose schedules of CV/ZF (D0-M5) and CV/ZF (D0-M6). The primary outcome was the geometric mean titer (GMT) of the neutralizing antibodies against live SARS-CoV-2 virus 14 days after each boost vaccination. The safety outcome was 7-day reactogenicity, measured as solicited local or systemic adverse reactions after each vaccination. Between April 7, 2021, and May 6, 2021, 120 participants were enrolled, among whom 60 were randomly assigned to receive ZF2001 (n=40) or TIV (n=20) at a 28-day interval, and 60 were randomly assigned to receive ZF2001 (n=40) or TIV (n=20) at a 56-day interval. 113 (94.2%) participants received the 2nd injection with ZF2001 4 months after a dose of ZF2001 or TIV. A total of 26 participants (21.7%) reported solicited adverse events within 7 days post boost vaccinations, and all the reported adverse reactions were mild. Among participants receiving ZF001 as second dose, the GMTs of neutralizing antibodies increased to 58.4 IU/ml (42.8-79.8) in 0-28 regimen, and to 80.8 IU/ml (53.1-122.9) in 0-56 regimen at 14 days post first boost dose. The GMTs of neutralizing antibodies increased to 334.9 IU/ml (95% CI 230.4, 486.9) in C/Z/Z (D0-D28-M5) regimen, and 441.2 IU/ml (260.8, 746.4) in C/Z/Z (D0-D56-M6) regimen at 14 days after the third dose. Two-dose schedules of CV/ZF (D0-M5) and CV/ZF (D0-M6) induced comparable antibody level comparable with that elicited by three-dose schedules, with the GMTs of 282.9 IU/ml (142.5, 561.8) and 293.9 IU/ml (137.6, 627.9), respectively. Study limitations include the absence of vaccine effectiveness in real-world, and current lack of immune persistence data and the neutralizing antibodies to Omicron. ConclusionsHeterologous boosting with ZF001 following primary vaccination of Convidecia is safe and more immunogenic than a single dose of Convidecia. These results support flexibility in cooperating viral vectored vaccines and recombinant protein vaccine. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrial.gov NCT04833101

Effect of Modified Taohe Chengqitang on NLRP3 Inflammasomes in Rats with Diabetic Cardiomyopathy / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of modified Taohe Chengqitang on NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） inflammasome activation in rats with diabetic cardiomyopathy. MethodSPF male SD rats aged 3-4 weeks were randomly divided into a normal group and an experimental group. The rats in the experimental group were fed on a high-fat diet for 4 weeks and then received intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin （STZ） at 35 mg·kg-1 to induce the diabetes model. The rats in the experimental group were randomly divided into model group， low- and high-dose modified Taohe Chengqitang groups （11.7 g·kg-1 and 23.4 g·kg-1）， and metformin hydrochloride group （67.5 mg·kg-1） according to the fast blood glucose （FBG）. The cardiac function and structure of rats were detected by ultrasonic imaging after 8 weeks of continuous intragastric administration. Blood samples from the femoral artery were collected to detect FBG， triglyceride （TC）， and total cholesterol （TG） of rats. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the pathological changes in rat myocardium. Serum levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and interleukin-18 （IL-18） were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The protein expression of NLRP3， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD （ASC）， cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease 1 （Caspase-1）， and phosphorylated nuclear factor kappa-B p65 （p-NF-κB p65） in the myocardium was detected by Western blot. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed increased levels of FBG， TC， and TG （P<0.01）， decreased left ventricular ejection fraction （EF） and left ventricular fractional shortening （FS） （P<0.05）， myocardial hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis as revealed by HE staining， increased serum levels of 1L-1β and 1L-18 and protein expression of NLRP3， ASC， Caspase-1， and p-NF-κB p65 in myocardial tissues （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the modified Taohe Chengqitang groups and the metformin group showed reduced levels of FBG， TC， and TG （P<0.05）， restored EF and FS （P<0.05）， improved pathological changes in myocardial tissues， and decreased serum levels of IL-1β and IL-18 and protein expression of NLRP3， ASC， Caspase-1， and p-NF-κB p65 in myocardial tissues （P<0.05）. The improvement was more significant in the high-dose modified Taohe Chengqitang group （P<0.05）. ConclusionModified Taohe Chengqitang can protect the myocardium by inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes.

Mowat-Wilson syndrome with Hirschsprung′s disease and vaginal atresia: case report and literature review / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Clinical phenotypes and gene characteristics of a patient diagnosed with Mowat-Wilson syndrome (MWS) with Hirschsprung′s disease (HSCR) and vaginal atresia in the Department of Neonatal Surgery, Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University in March 2021 were analyzed retrospectively.The eight-month-old girl was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of constipation for nine days and abdominal distension for two days.Lower digestive tract radiography and rectal mucosa biopsy results suggested HSCR.The child also had specific facial features and motor development delay.Whole exome test showed a de novo heterozygous mutation, ZEB2 gene c. 2761C>T (p.R921*). After laparoscopic-assisted Soave procedure, the child had normal bowel movements, and no surgery-related compli-cations occurred during the follow-up period.The child′s motor development improved after rehabilitation treatment.According to literature review, 2 female cases show similar clinical manifestations to this girl, but the genotypes were different.This patient expands the clinical phenotype of ZEB2 gene pathogenicity.

Expression of CUL7 and CCDC8 proteins in normal mouse tibial growth plate / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

To investigate the changes of expression location and amount of CUL7 and CCDC8 proteins in the growth plate of normal mice aged 0-4 weeks, and to clarify the roles of CUL7 and CCDC8 proteins in the proliferation and differentiation of tibia growth plate of mice. The expression location and levels of CUL7 and CCDC8 proteins in the tibial growth plate of normal mice aged 0-4 weeks were observed with immunohistochemical staining. CUL7 protein was expressed in the cell cytoplasm and membrane in three zones of tibial growth plate three bands at 0-4 weeks. The expression level and total expression level of CUL7 protein in each zone of growth plate decreased gradually with the increase of week of age( F=369.61, P=0.001). The expression of CUL7 protein decreased most significantly in the proliferative zone, followed by the stationary zone and the hypertrophic zone. CCDC8 protein was mainly expressed in proliferation zone and hypertrophic zone cell membrane and nuclear membrane of growth plate at 0-2 weeks, and mainly expressed in hypertrophic zone cell membrane and nuclear membrane at 3-4 weeks. The expression of CCDC8 protein in the proliferating zone changed inversely with week of age, and the expression of CCDC8 protein in the hypertrophic zone increased over 4 weeks( F=453.67, P<0.001). The total expression of CCDC8 protein in growth plates decreased with the increase of week of age.The expression levels of CUL7 and CCDC8 decreased with the increase of week of age, suggesting that CUL7 and CCDC8 may promote the proliferation and differentiation of growth plate chondrocytes.

Radiomics based on multimodal MRI for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant lung nodule/mass / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To develop a multimodal MRI-based radiomics model for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant lung lesions, and to compare the discriminative abilities of different models.Methods:Totally 114 patients with 115 lesions (44 benign and 71 malignant) in Nantong First Peoples′s Hospital from January 2014 to October 2019 were included in the study. All patients underwent non-enhanced MR examination, and textural features from T 1WI,T 2WI and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) imaging were extracted. The feature selection methods included L1 based, mutual information, tree based, recursive feature elimination and F-test. Then we constructed a prediction model by using logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF) and k-nearest neighbor (KNN) respectively. In order to control the number of modeling features and reduce the ininterpretability of the model, the new model was obtained by manually modifying some parameters of the hyperparameter model. One hundred and fourteen cases were rotated as training and validation sets. The performance of each model was evaluated by confounding matrix and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results:The area under the curve (AUC) of T 2WI based LR model for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules/masses was 0.71 and the F1 score was 0.57. Based on T 1WI images, LR and SVM model could be used to identify benign and malignant pulmonary nodules, the AUC before parameter adjustment were 0.77 and 0.78, the accuracy after parameter adjustment (LR a,SVM a) was 0.67, 0.70, and both the AUC were 0.72. However, no matter which feature or classifier was selected, both the AUC and accuracy of ADC-based model were less than 0.70. Conclusion:Multimodal MRI-based radiomics model is valuable for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules/masses, and T 1WI-based model shows the best discrimination.

Exploration on the training model of applied undergraduate pharmacy talents under the perspective of industry education integration / 中华医学教育探索杂志

This research analyzes and explores the elements of the industry education integration in the process of pharmacy talent training from two aspects: collaborative education (professional construction, curriculum co-construction, skill deepening and talent transfer) and collaborative innovation (base expansion, technological research and completion innovation). Besides, this research also explores the outstanding performance of School of Pharmacy of Xiamen Medical College in talent training of the industry education integration. The results show that through the construction of collaborative education and collaborative innovation, the elements of the industry education integration in the cultivation of pharmacy talents in the school have become increasingly prominent, and the forms have been gradually diversified, which have promotion and guiding significance for other majors in our school to develop the industry education integration.

Effects of inulin， resistant starch RS3 and their complexes on blood lipid levels and intestinal flora in mice / 上海预防医学

Objective To explore the effects of different dietary induction models of inulin， resistant starch RS3 and their complexes on the body weight and intestinal flora in mice. Methods A total of 64 C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into low-fat control group， low-fat inulin group， low-fat resistant starch RS3 group， low-fat composite group and high-fat control group， high-fat inulin group， high-fat resistant starch RS3 group and high-fat composite group for dietary intervention. The mice were weighed and fresh feces were collected weekly. Diet intervention was continued until the weight of the high-fat control group was more than 14% higher than that of the low-fat control group. The mice were then sacrificed after overnight fasting. Liver and epididymal fat were weighed， and the colon contents were collected for 16S amplicon sequencing analysis. Results In low-fat diet fed mice， the combined induction of inulin and resistant starch RS3 caused a significant decrease in body weight gain. In high-fat diet fed mice， inulin alone and the combined induction both caused a significant reduction in weight gain， and there was no significant difference between the two methods. In the high-fat diet groups， inulin， resistant starch RS3， and the compound could be distinguished by Bacteroides， Bifidobacterium and Alloprevotella respectively. In the low-fat diet groups， inulin， resistant starch RS3， and the composite groups could be distinguished by Coriobacteriaceae_UCG_002， Bacteroides and Helicobacter， respectively. Conclusion Inulin and resistant starch RS3 diet induction can significantly reduce the weight gain of C57BL/6 mice， change the structure of intestinal flora， and show the difference between high-fat and low-fat diets. Inulin and resistant starch RS3 may reduce body weight and promote fat metabolism by changing the structure of intestinal flora.

Genetic analysis of 387 cases of fetal sex chromosome abnormalities detected from amniotic fluid samples / 中华围产医学杂志

Objective:To analyze fetal sex chromosome abnormalities in prenatal diagnosis based on amniotic fluid cell culture.Methods:Clinical data of 12 164 pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis in Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hunan Province from January 2017 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. For those diagnosed with fetal sex chromosome abnormalities, the results of karyotyping and chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) were analyzed and described.Results:(1) Among the 12 164 cases, fetal sex chromosome abnormalities were detected in 387 cases (3.2%), including 351 cases with abnormal sex chromosome karyotype and 36 with sex chromosome microdeletion/microduplication. (2) High-risk patients indicated by non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) had the highest proportion of sex chromosomes abnormalities (74.2%, 287/387), followed by those with other ultrasound abnormalities (8.5%, 33/387), high risk of Down syndrome screening (7.0%, 27/387), advanced maternal age (4.7%, 18/387), history of adverse pregnant or delivery (3.3%, 13/387), and nuchal translucency thickening or cervical lymphatic hygroma (2.3%, 9/387). (3) Detected chromosome karyotype abnormalities included numerical abnormalities [73.2%(257/351)], mosaicism [18.8(66/351)], and structural abnormalities [8.0%(28/351)], among which, 47,XXY [46.7%(120/257)], 45,X/46,XX[48.5%(32/66)], and X chromosome deletion [39.3%(11/28)] were the most common, respectively. Among 36 sex chromosome microdeletions/microduplications cases, 15(41.7%) were with pathogenic copy number variation (CNV), including 14 cases of X chromosome microdeletion/microduplication; 7(19.4%) with benign CNV, and 14(38.9%) with CNV of unknown clinical significance. The fragment size [ M (min-max)] of the 15 pathogenic CNV was 1.68 Mb(0.37-9.20 Mb). Of the nine cases with microdeletions, seven were found with deletion in the Xp22.31 region. Conclusions:Numerical abnormalities are the most common fetal sex chromosome abnormalities detected from amniotic fluid samples. Others included mosaicism and chromosome structure abnormalities.

Anatomical elucidation and histological study of pelvic autonomic nerve-plane based female fresh cadaver / 中华妇产科杂志

Objective:To investigate the rationality of nerve-plane sparing radical hysterectomy (NPSRH) for cervical cancer by observing the anatomical and histological characteristics of pelvic autonomic plane based on fresh cadaver.Methods:From October 2015 to September 2020, 14 fresh female cadavers were anatomically and histologically studied in the Laboratory of Anatomy and Embryology Department, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. The median age of the specimens was 79 years (range: 67 to 92 years). Twenty-eight hemi-pelvic specimens were obtained from 14 fresh female cadavers. NPSRH procedures were simulated in 8 hemi-pelvic cavities to prove its feasibility. Detailed dissection was conducted to recognize nerve plane and to observe the distribution of pelvic nerves in 10 hemipelvis. In the other 10 hemipelvis, whole parametrium tissue was taken from the crossing of ureter and the uterine artery to the ureterovesical entrance and be embedded, then continuous section was performed, and was stained by hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE) to observe the relationship of nerves and vessels. Immunohistochemical staining of S100, tyrosine dehydrogenase (TH), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were performed to count and distinguish sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, respectively.Results:(1) The pelvic autonomic nerve-plane was completely preserved in 7 of 8 hemipelvis by simulating NPSRH. (2) After detailed dissection in 10 hemipelvis, it was found that hypogastric nerve, pelvic splanchnic nerve, and their confluence of inferior hypogastric plexus were distributed in a planar statelocating in the ureteral mesentery and its caudal extension. This nerve plane showed a cross relationship with deep uterine vein and its branches. The bladder branches and vesical venous plexus were closely related to the inferior hypogastric plexus. The middle vesical vein and inferior vesical vein were intact in 7 of 10 hemipelvis, and either vesical vein was missing in 3 of them. It was observed that the vesical venous plexus communicated with the deep uterine vein trunk on the medial side of the nerve plane in 6 hemipelvis, while flowed into the deep uterine vein on the lateral side of the nerve plane in 2 hemipelvis, and in the other 2 hemipelvis it directly flowed into the internal iliac vein. (3) It was revealed that autonomic nerves were continuously distributed beneath the ureteral with sagittal plane by HE staining. The average nerve content below the ureteral width was 70.9% of the total in nerve plane by S100 staining. TH and VIP staining showed that the average number of sympathetic fibers was 13.5 and parasympathetic fibers was 8.2, reminding sympathetic predominated.Conclusion:Pelvic autonomic nerves are mainly distributed within the mesangial plane below the ureter, which provides an anatomic justification for NPSRH.

Viral receptor profiles of masked palm civet revealed by single-cell transcriptomics

Civets are small mammals belonging to the family Viverridae. The masked palm civets (Paguma larvata) served as an intermediate host in the bat-to-human transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in 20031. Because of their unique role in the SARS outbreak, civets were suspected as a potential intermediate host of SARS-CoV-2, the etiological pathogen of the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides their susceptibility to coronaviruses, civets can also be infected by other viruses, such as canine distemper viruses2, parvoviruses3, influenza viruses4, etc. Regarding the ecological and economical role of civets, it is vital to evaluate the potential threats from different pathogens to these animals. Receptor binding is a necessary step for virus entry into host cells. Understanding the distribution of receptors of various viruses provides hints to their potential tissue tropisms. Herein, we characterized the cell atlas of five important organs (the frontal lobe, lung, liver, spleen and kidney) of masked palm civets (Paguma larvata) and described the expression profiles of receptor associated genes of 132 viruses from 25 families, including 16 viruses from 10 families reported before that can attack civets and 116 viruses with little infection record.

Thoracoscopy for Esophageal Diverticula After Esophageal Atresia With Tracheo-Esophageal Fistula.

Background: Esophageal diverticulum (ED) is an extremely rare complication of congenital esophageal atresia (EA) with or without tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) surgery. We aimed to investigate feasible methods for the treatment of this rare complication. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all patients with EA/TEF at Beijing Children's Hospital from January 2015 to September 2019. The clinicopathological features of patients with ED after EA/TEF surgery were recorded. Follow-up was routinely performed after surgery until December 2020. Results: Among 198 patients with EA/TEF, ED only occurred in four patients (2.02%; one male, three female). The four patients had varying complications after the initial operation, including anastomotic leakage (3/4), esophageal stenosis (3/4), and recurrence of TEF (1/4). The main clinical symptoms of ED included recurrent pneumonia (4/4), coughing (4/4), and dysphagia (3/4). All ED cases occurred near the esophageal anastomosis. Patients' age at the time of diverticulum repair was 6.6-16.8 months. All patients underwent thoracoscopic esophageal diverticulectomy (operation time: 1.5-3.5 h). Anastomotic leakage occurred in one patient and spontaneously healed after 2 weeks. The other three patients had no peri-operative complications. All patients were routinely followed up after surgery for 14-36 months. During the follow-up period, all patients could eat orally, had good growth and weight gain, and showed no ED recurrence or anastomotic leakage on esophagogram. Conclusions: ED is a rare complication after EA/TEF surgery and is a clear indication for diverticulectomy. During the midterm follow-up, thoracoscopic esophageal diverticulectomy was safe and effective for ED after EA/TEF surgery.

Ultrapotent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies with protective efficacy against newly emerged mutational variants

Accumulating mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein can increase the possibility of immune escape, challenging the present COVID-19 prophylaxis and clinical interventions. Here, 3 receptor binding domain (RBD) specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), 58G6, 510A5 and 13G9, with high neutralizing potency blocking authentic SARS-CoV-2 virus displayed remarkable efficacy against authentic B.1.351 virus. Each of these 3 mAbs in combination with one neutralizing Ab recognizing non-competing epitope exhibited synergistic effect against authentic SARS-CoV-2 virus. Surprisingly, structural analysis revealed that 58G6 and 13G9, encoded by the IGHV1-58 and the IGKV3-20 germline genes, both recognized the steric region S470-495 on the RBD, overlapping the E484K mutation presented in B.1.351. Also, 58G6 directly bound to another region S450-458 in the RBD. Significantly, 58G6 and 510A5 both demonstrated prophylactic efficacy against authentic SARS-CoV-2 and B.1.351 viruses in the transgenic mice expressing human ACE2 (hACE2), protecting weight loss and reducing virus loads. These 2 ultrapotent neutralizing Abs can be promising candidates to fulfill the urgent needs for the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

Effects of the relationship between adenomyotic lesions and embryo implantation site on pregnancy outcomes in pregnant patients with adenomyosis / 中华妇产科杂志

Objective:To investigate the relationship between embryo implantation site and adenomyotic lesions in pregnant patients with adenomyosis and its effects on pregnancy outcomes.Methods:Between January 2018 and December 2020, the clinical data of 95 pregnant patients with adenomyosis who were hospitalized in the Women′s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, which could identify the implantation site of embryo or placenta (≥11 weeks of pregnancy) through the nuchal translucency test under ultrasonography were analyzed retrospectively. According to the relationship between embryo implantation site and adenomyotic lesions, 95 patients were divided into two groups:short-distance group ( n=59, the embryo or placenta implantation was very close to or over the adenomyotic lesion), and long-distance group ( n=36, the implantation site of embryo or placenta was far away from the lesion, or the implantation site and the adenomyotic lesion were on different sides of the uterus). Next, taking 28 weeks of pregnancy as cut-off value, 95 patients were divided into <28 weeks of pregnancy group (pregnancy was terminated because of adverse pregnancy outcome before 28 weeks) and ≥28 weeks of pregnancy group (pregnancy lasted to 28 weeks and later), the differences of pregnancy outcomes between the two groups in different gestation times were analyzed. Results:(1) The age of 95 pregnant patients with adenomyosis was (34.8±3.5) years. There were no significant differences with regard to age, uterine size before pregnancy, the proportions of primipara, assisted reproductive technology conception, endometriosis, history of estrogen and progesterone treatment, diffuse adenomyotic lesions between the short-distance group and the long-distance group (all P>0.05). (2) Among the 95 patients, 12 patients (13%, 12/95) had adverse pregnancy outcomes before 28 weeks of pregnancy (i.e. pregnancy <28 weeks), including 11 cases (19%, 11/59) in the short-distance group and 1 case (3%, 1/36) in the long-distance group, there was significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=5.100, P=0.027). Among the 11 patients with adverse pregnancy outcomes at <28 weeks of gestation in the short-distance group, 1 case had threatened rupture of uterus before delivery of twin pregnancy at 26 weeks of gestation, 5 cases had intra uterine fetal death in the second trimester of pregnancy, 4 cases had late inevitable abortion, and 1 case had live birth of singleton at 26 weeks of gestation. In the long-distance group, one patient with adverse pregnancy outcome less than 28 weeks of pregnancy was late inevitable abortion. (3) Of the 95 patients, 83 cases were pregnant for ≥28 weeks (48 cases in the short-distance group and 35 cases in the long-distance group), and their final pregnancy outcome was all live birth. Compared with the long-distance group, the incidence of placental abnormalities (60% vs 14%), fetal distress (27% vs 6%), preterm delivery (67% vs 23%) and intrapartum bleeding [median 350 ml (range: 100-1 500 ml) vs 300 ml (range: 100-800 ml)] in the short-distance group were significantly higher (all P<0.05). While the gestational weeks in the short-distance group [median 37 weeks (range: 30-41 weeks) vs 38 weeks (range: 28-41 weeks)] and neonatal birth weight [median 2 790 g (range: 1 170-4 040 g) vs 3 010 g (range: 980-4 320 g)] decreased significantly (all P<0.05), compared with those in the long-distance group. Conclusion:Patients with pregnancy complicated with adenomyosis are prone to adverse pregnancy outcomes if the embryo implantation is located on or very close to adenomyotic lesions, so close monitoring and early intervention should be carried out to improve pregnancy outcomes.

Systematic evaluation of Runing granule in the treatment of hyperplasia of mammary glands / 国际外科学杂志

Objective:To assess the clinical effectiveness and safety of Runing granule for hyperplasia of mammary gland.Methods:The databases such as the CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP, CBM, Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed and Web of Science are searched from the date of their establishment to June 2020. The main outcome measures were effective rate and incidence of adverse events. All randomized control trial (RCT) about the clinical effectiveness and safety of Runing granule single (single group) or combined with other treatment (combined group)/ other treatment (control group) for hyperplasia of mammary gland were included. Endnote software was used to manage literature, Excel software was used to extract data, quality assessment was conducted according to the methods of Cochrane Reviewers′ Handbook 5.1 recommend by the Cochrane Collaboration and Revman 5.3 software was used to perform Meta-analysis.Results:Twelve RCT were included with total 2 447 patients. In terms of efficiency, Meta-analysis showed single group was better than control group ( RR=1.17, 95% CI: 1.00-1.36, P=0.04), combined group was better than control group ( RR=1.35, 95% CI: 1.10-1.67, P=0.005). In terms of adverse event rate, single group was lower than control group ( RR=0.18, 95% CI: 0.09-0.34, P<0.01), combined group was better than control group( RR=0.33, 95% CI: 0.20-0.56, P<0.01). Conclusion:The usage of Runing granule single or combined with other treatment in the treatment of hyperplasia of mammary gland is more effective and the adverse reaction is lower.

A Preoperative Nomogram for Predicting Chemoresistance to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients with Locally Advanced Cervical Squamous Carcinoma Treated with Radical Hysterectomy / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Purpose@#This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with chemoresistance to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by radical hysterectomy (RH) and construct a nomogram to predict the chemoresistance in patients with locally advanced cervical squamous carcinoma (LACSC). @*Materials and Methods@#This retrospective study included 516 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (2003) stage IB2 and IIA2 cervical cancer treated with NACT and RH between 2007 and 2017. Clinicopathologic data were collected, and patients were assigned to training (n=381) and validation (n=135) sets. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to analyze factors associated with chemoresistance to NACT. A nomogram was built using the multivariate logistic regression analysis results. We evaluated the discriminative ability and accuracy of the model using a concordance index and a calibration curve. The predictive probability of chemoresistance to NACT was defined as > 34%. @*Results@#Multivariate analysis confirmed menopausal status, clinical tumor diameter, serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen level, and parametrial invasion on magnetic resonance imaging before treatment as independent prognostic factors associated with chemoresistance to NACT. The concordance indices of the nomogram for training and validation sets were 0.861 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.822 to 0.900) and 0.807 (95% CI, 0.807 to 0.888), respectively. Calibration plots revealed a good fit between the modelpredicted probabilities and actual probabilities (Hosmer-Lemeshow test, p=0.597). Furthermore, grouping based on the nomogram was associated with progression-free survival. @*Conclusion@#We developed a nomogram for predicting chemoresistance in LACSC patients treated with RH. This nomogram can help physicians make clinical decisions regarding primary management and postoperative follow-up of the patients.

Application of early assessment and intervention in motor development of high-risk infants with cerebral palsy / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To evaluate the clinical value of the General Movements (GMs) in predicting the neurological outcome of high-risk infants with cerebral palsy in the early stage, and to analyze the application of the Peabody Developmental Motor Scale-Gross Motor (PDMS-GM) and Gross Motor Function Measure Scale (GMFM) in the rehabilitation assessment and intervention of high-risk infants with cerebral palsy.Methods:The gross motor function of 64 high-risk infants with cerebral palsy before treatment and after 2 months of treatment in Department of Child Rehabilitation, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from January 2017 to December 2019 was evaluated using PDMS-GM and GMFM.The total percentage of PDMS-GM and GMFM before and after treatment, and the monthly relative percentage of PDMS-GM and GMFM were compared.The correlation between PDMS-GM and GMFM original scores in the writhing and fidgety movements period before treatment, and that between PDMS-GM and GMFM original scores before and after treatment were compared.High-risk infants with cerebral palsy were followed up to 1 year old, and their neurological outcome was determined according to the clinical diagnosis and evaluation results.The predictive value of GMs on the outcome of cerebral palsy was evaluated.Results:Compared with that before treatment, the total percentage of PDMS-GM and GMFM in high-risk infants with cerebral palsy increased significantly after treatment [PDMS-GM: (37.250±13.690)% vs.(20.992±10.273)%, t=-15.793, P<0.01; GMFM: (22.672±8.438)% vs.(10.601±7.890)%, t=-16.442, P<0.01]. PDMS-GM original scores in the writhing movements period and fidgety movements period before treatment were highly correlated with those of GMFM (writhing movements period: r=0.922, P<0.01; fidgety movements period: r=0.905, P<0.01). PDMS-GM original score before and after treatment were highly correlated with those of GMFM (before treatment: r=0.901, P<0.01; after treatment: r=0.801, P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the monthly relative percentage of PDMS-GM and GMFM [(97.286±88.330)% vs.(76.885±43.815)%, t=-1.656, P=0.103]. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the writhing movements period to the prediction of cerebral palsy outcome were 90.7%, 82.3%, 23.4%, and 95.8%, respectively, which were 98.3%, 88.1%, 27.6% and 96.8% in the fidgety movements period, respectively.At 1-year-old follow-up, 3 cases of spastic cerebral palsy were found in a high risk with cerebral palsy, and 1 case was cramped synchronized and 2 cases were absence of fidgety movements. Conclusions:Gross motor function of high-risk infants with cerebral palsy was significantly improved after treatment compared with that before treatment, and PDMS-GM and GMFM were consistent in the assessment of gross motor function of high-risk infants with cerebral palsy in the writhing and fidgety movements period before and after treatment.In the early screening of infants at high risk of cerebral palsy, absence of fidgety movements and cramped synchronized maybe predict spastic cerebral palsy more sensitively, and fidgety movements assessment was more sensitive to predict spastic cerebral palsy outcome than writhing movements assessment.

ACE2-Targeting Monoclonal Antibody As A "Pan" Coronavirus Blocker In Vitro and In A Mouse Model

The evolution of coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, makes broad-spectrum coronavirus preventional or therapeutical strategies highly sought after. Here we report a human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)-targeting monoclonal antibody, 3E8, blocked the S1-subunits and pseudo-typed virus constructs from multiple coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-2 mutant variants (SARS-CoV-2-D614G, B.1.1.7, B.1.351, B.1.617.1 and P.1), SARS-CoV and HCoV-NL63, without markedly affecting the physiological activities of ACE2 or causing severe toxicity in ACE2 "knock-in" mice. 3E8 also blocked live SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro and in a prophylactic mouse model of COVID-19. Cryo-EM and "alanine walk" studies revealed the key binding residues on ACE2 interacting with the CDR3 domain of 3E8 heavy chain. Although full evaluation of safety in non-human primates is necessary before clinical development of 3E8, we provided a potentially potent and "broad-spectrum" management strategy against all coronaviruses that utilize ACE2 as entry receptors and disclosed an anti-coronavirus epitope on human ACE2.