Prenatal diagnosis of harlequin ichthyosis by ultrasonography: a case report.

Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis is a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous group of skin disorders, including harlequin ichthyosis (HI), lamellar ichthyosis, and bullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma. HI is the most phenotypically severe autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis associated with the mutation of the adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette subfamily A member 12 (ABCA12) gene. The clinical manifestations include generalized hyperkeratotic plaques and deep fissures, ectropion, eclabium, and contractures. However, the severe HI may easily be misdiagnosed as epidermolysis bullosa or syndromic ichthyosis. Meanwhile, no consensus exists about the best used in clinical trials or clinical practice when more elaborate scoring systems have been proposed to evaluate skin xerosis, palmoplantar keratoderma, and disease extension an accurate prenatal diagnosis is necessary. Until the ABCA12 gene was identified as the pathogenic gene, prenatal diagnosis of HI had been performed by the invasive techniques of fetal skin biopsy. Now, advances in ultrasound technology and fetal DNA-based analysis have replaced it. The mortality rate is markedly high and prompt; prenatal diagnosis of neonate HI is critical for appropriate perinatal and postnatal management. It is also essential to prepare parents for future pregnancies and reduce the family's physical and mental distress and financial burden. This report presents a rare case of harlequin ichthyosis diagnosed by the ultrasound and discusses the significance of prenatal ultrasound diagnosis and molecular diagnosis in the prenatal diagnosis of HI.

[Mechanism of Shaofu Zhuyu Decoction in treatment of EMT induced dysmenorrhea based on network pharmacology and molecular docking].

Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP) and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine(BATMAN-TCM) were searched for the effective components and targets of Shaofu Zhuyu Decoction. The relevant targets for endometriosis(EMT) and dysmenorrhea were retrieved from the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database(CTD), Therapeutic Target Database(TTD), GeneCards, and DisGeNET with the terms of "endometriosis" and "dysmenorrhea". Cytoscape 3.8.0 was employed to construct the drug-active component-therapeutic target network. A protein-protein interaction(PPI) network was established by STRING 11.0. Analyze Network, the plug-in in the Cytoscape 3.8.0, was used to calculate the topological parameters of the nodes and screen out the critical proteins in the network. The potential therapeutic targets were imported into RStudio and subjected to Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) enrichment analyses with clusterProfiler package. Finally, the AutoDock Vina(Vina) platform was used for molecular docking to predict the binding degree of the main active components of Shaofu Zhuyu Decoction to key targets. As revealed by the screening results, 136 active components and 380 targets of Shaofu Zhuyu Decoction were obtained. Additionally, there were 1 627 targets related to EMT and 142 targets related to dysmenorrhea with 107 common targets, and 42 potential therapeutic targets of Shaofu Zhuyu Decoction for the treatment of EMT-induced dysmenorrhea. The targets such as interleukin 6(IL6) and prostaglandi-nendoperoxide synthase-2(PTGS2) were pivotal in the biological network of Shaofu Zhuyu Decoction intervention in EMT-induced dysmenorrhea, which involved multiple signaling pathways, including inflammation, hormones, and those promoted cell proliferation [e.g., mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase(PI3 K)-protein kinase B(AKT)]. The results of molecular docking showed that the active components of Shaofu Zhuyu Decoction had good binding capacities to key targets such as IL6 and PTGS2. The findings of this study demonstrated that Shaofu Zhuyu Decoction could treat EMT-induced dysmenorrhea through multiple targets and multiple pathways, which could provide new ideas for investigating the underlying mechanism of Shaofu Zhuyu Decoction in the treatment of EMT-induced dysmenorrhea.

Efficacy of high intensity focused ultrasound treatment for cystic adenomyosis: a report of four cases.

BACKGROUND: Cystic adenomyosis is a particular type of adenomyosis, High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), as a non-invasive method, has also been used to treat adenomyosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of HIFU for the treatment of cystic adenomyosis. METHODS: Diagnosis of cystic adenomyosis was obtained through trans-vaginal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ultrasound-guided HIFU ablation was performed under conscious sedation. The patients were evaluated by the comparison of pre-HIFU and post-HIFU imaging, as well as the Uterine Fibroid Symptom and Quality of Life (UFS-QOL) questionnaire subscales, consisting of Symptom Severity Score (SSS) and Heath Related Quality of Life (HRQL). RESULTS: HIFU was effective in treating cystic adenomyosis. No complications were observed in the four patients who were successfully treated with HIFU. Compared to preoperative symptoms and patient satisfaction, symptoms at the first follow-up observed significant improvements, with no dysmenorrhea and high health-related quality of life. During the outpatient follow-up of one month, three months, and six months postoperation, the four patients were still without dysmenorrhea and were highly satisfied with the HIFU ablation. CONCLUSIONS: HIFU, as a non-invasive treatment, supplies a safe and effective possibility for the treatment of cystic adenomyosis.

An investigation of the time trends, risk factors, role of ultrasonic preoperative diagnosis of 79 ovarian pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian pregnancy (OP) is a rare form of ectopic pregnancy and is still a medical challenge. Therefore, more studies about the time trends, risk factors and diagnostic measurements are needed for the efficient treatment of OP. METHODS: The datum of OP patients who were treated at the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from 2003 to 2018 was collected and a retrospective cohort study was preformed between OP and tubal pregnancy. RESULTS: 79 of all 6943 ectopic pregnancy (1.14%) were OP. The prevalence of OP following assisted reproductive technology showed an increasing trend over time, from 8.33% to 15.22%. Previous abdominal surgery was one of the risk factors of OP (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.18-0.95, p = 0.04). Merely 2 (2.53%) patients were sonographically diagnosed as OP accorded with their discharge diagnosis. However, 56 (80.0%) accumulation of blood in the pelvis formed echo free areas could be clearly found by ultrasonography. A significant difference was found in serum ß-hCG level among OP patients and tubal pregnancy patients (2762.73 ± 1915.24 mmol/L vs 1034.20 ± 915.32 mmol/L, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of OP following assisted reproductive technology is on the rise. History of abdominal surgery may be a high risk factor for OP patients who have the tendency of high ß-hCG levels. The ultrasonic preoperative diagnosis is conductive to the early diagnosis of OP though the diagnosis accuracy is low.

Lycium barbarum Polysaccharide Extracted from Lycium barbarum Leaves Ameliorates Asthma in Mice by Reducing Inflammation and Modulating Gut Microbiota.

This study was designed to explore the impact of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on inflammation and gut microbiota in mice with allergic asthma. Mice were divided into four groups: control group, OVA (ovalbumin) group, Con+LBP group, OVA+LBP group. After 28 days of LBP intervention, mice were euthanized and associated indications were investigated. Histopathological examination demonstrated that LBP reduced lung injury. The results of our current study provide evidence that supplementation with LBP in asthmatic mice decreases TNF, IL-4, IL-6, MCP-1, and IL-17A in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Sequencing and analysis of gut microbiota indicated that compared with the OVA group, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were increased, but Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Alistipes, and Clostridiales were decreased in the OVA+LBP group. We also found that gut microbiota were related to inflammation-related factors. Therefore, we speculate that LBP may improve allergic asthma by altering gut microbiota and inhibiting inflammation in mice.

NecroX-5 alleviate lipopolysaccharide-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome by inhibiting TXNIP/NLRP3 and NF-κB.

The activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB pathway, associating with oxidativestress, have been implicated in the development of acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). NecroX-5 has been reported to exhibit theeffectsofanti-oxidation and anti-stress in various diseases. However, the role of NecroX-5 in ALI has not been explicitly demonstrated. The aim of this study was to explore the therapeutic effects and potential mechanism action of NecroX-5 on ALI. Here, we found that NecroX-5 pretreatment dramatically diminished the levels of IL-1ß, IL-18 and ROS in in RAW264.7 cells challenged with LPS and ATP. Furthermore, NecroX-5 suppressed the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB signalpathway. In addition, NecroX-5 also inhibited the thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) expression. In vivo, NecroX-5 reduced the LPS-induced lung histopathological injury, the number of TUNEL-positive cells, lung wet/dry (W/D) ratio, levels of total protein and inflammatory cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in mice. Additionally, LPS-induced upregulation of myeloperoxidase (MPO), ROS production and malondialdehyde (MDA) were inhibited by NecroX-5 administration. Thus, our results demonstrate that NecroX-5 protects against LPS-induced ALI by inhibiting TXNIP/NLRP3 and NF-κB.

[Effect of Compound Xuanju Capsule on Pregnancy Outcomes of Frozen Embryo Transfer Under- going Release Surgery of Intrauterine Adhesion].

Objective To observe the effect of Compound Xuanju Capsule (CXC) on pregnancy outcomes of frozen embryo transfer (FET) undergoing release surgery of intrauterine adhesion (IUA). Methods A total of 300 FET patients with mild to moderate IUA were randomized into the treatment group and the control group, 150 cases in each group. All patients received sequential therapy of estro- gen and progesterone after undergoing release surgery of lUA under hysteroscope. Patients in the treat- ment group additionally took CXC. FET treatment was performed after 3 cycles. Then the embryo implan- tation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, abortion rate, and ectopic pregnancy rate were compared between the two groups. Results The pregnancy rate in the treatment group was higher than that of the control group [47. 3% (71/150) vs. 34. 0% (51/150), P =0. 019]. The embryo implantation rate in the treatment group was 25. 4% (80/315) , higher than that of the control group [19. 6% (61/312) , P =0. 080 ]. The em- bro plantation rate and the clinical embryo implantation rate of moderate IUA patients were lowered, as compared with mild IUA patients in the same group (P < 0. 01, P <0. 05). Compared with the control group, the clinical pregnancy rate was elevated in moderate IUA patients of the treatment group (P < 0. 05). Conclusion CXC could improve endometrial receptivity and elevate the clinical pregnancy rate after undergoing release surgery of IUA.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel Aryl-2H-pyrazole Derivatives as Potent Non-purine Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitors.

A series of aryl-2H-pyrazole derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for inhibitory activity against xanthine oxidase in vitro as potent xanthine oxidase inhibitors. Among them, 2 aryl-2H-pyrazole derivatives showed significant inhibitory activities against xanthine oxidase. Compound 19 emerged as the most potent xanthine oxidase inhibitor (IC50=9.8 µM) in comparison with allopurinol (IC50=9.5 µM). The docking study revealed that compound 19 might have strong interactions with the active site of xanthine oxidase. This compound is thus a new candidate for further development for the treatment of gout.

Structural characterisation and antioxidant activity evaluation of phenolic compounds from cold-pressed Perilla frutescens var. arguta seed flour.

A total of 11 phenolic compounds, as well as sucrose (12) and tryptophan (13), were isolated from cold-pressed Perilla frutescens var. arguta seed flour using column chromatography, and their chemical structures were identified as 3'-dehydroxyl-rosmarinic acid-3-o-glucoside (1), rosmarinic acid-3-o-glucoside (2), rosmarinic acid (3), rosmarinic acid methyl ester (4), luteolin (5), luteolin-5-o-glucoside (6), apigenin (7), caffeic acid (8), caffeic acid-3-o-glucoside (9), vanillic acid (10) and cimidahurinine (11) using NMR and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Of these components, compound 1 is novel, and this is the first report of compounds 10 and 11 in perilla seeds. HPLC quantification combined with antioxidant activity evaluation revealed that rosmarinic acid and rosmarinic acid-3-o-glucoside were the dominant phenolic antioxidants with strong antioxidant activities.

Design and synthesis of 2-styryl of 5-Nitroimidazole derivatives and antimicrobial activities as FabH inhibitors.

A series of 2-Styryl-5-Nitroimidazole derivatives (25-48) have been synthesized and their biological activities were also evaluated against two Gram-negative bacterial strains: Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and two Gram-positive bacterial strains: Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus thuringiensis as potential FabH inhibitors. All the compounds were structurally determined by (1)H NMR, MS, and elemental analysis. E. coli ß-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase III inhibitory assay and docking simulation indicated that compound 33 with IC50 of 9.0-36.4 µg/mL and compound 47 with IC50 of 6.3-34.3 µg/mL against bacterial strains were most potent inhibitors of E. coli FabH. And more, compounds 33 and 47 which possessed a broad-spectrum of antibacterial activities didn't exhibit any toxicity towards macrophage.

Construction of a high-quality genomic BAC library for Chinese peanut cultivar Zhonghua 8 with high oil content.

BACKGROUND: Arachis hypogaea L. (2n = 4× = 40, AABB) is one of the most important oil and economic crop plants in the word. This species has the largest genome size of about 2,813 Mb among the oil crop species. Zhonghua 8 is a peanut cultivar planted widely in central China and has several superior traits including high oil content, high yield and disease resistance. A high-quality BAC library of Zhonghua 8 was constructed for future researches on the genomics of Chinese peanut cultivars. RESULTS: A Hin d III-digested genomic BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) library was constructed with the genomic DNA from leaves of Zhonghua 8. This BAC library consists of 160,512 clones and the average insert is estimated about 102 kb ranging from 30 to 150 kb. The library represents about 5.55× haploid genome equivalents, and provides a 99.71% probability of finding specific genes. The empty-vector rate is under 5 percent detected from 200 randomly selected clones. Probing of 384 clones with the psbA gene of barley chloroplast and the atp6 gene of rice mitochondrion indicated that the contamination with organellar DNA is insignificant. Successive subculture of three clones showed that the inserts are stable in one hundred generations. CONCLUSIONS: This study presented the construction of a high-quality BAC library for the genome of Chinese cultivated peanut. Many essential experiences were summarized in the present study. This BAC library can serve as a substantial platform for development of molecular marker, isolation of genes and further genome research.

[Study of the mechanism of preventing proteinuria by Yishen Gujing Decoction (YSGJD) in early diabetic nephropathy].

OBJECTIVE: To study the mechanism of preventing proteinuria by traditional Chinese medicine YSGJD in early diabetic nephropathy (DN) in rats. METHODS: The male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups: normal control, untreated control and treated groups. Experimental diabetes mellitus (DM) was induced in untreated control and treated rats with streptozotocin (STZ), and the normal group was given equal buffer solution. The treated rats were given YSGJD daily. The other two groups were given running water. Eight weeks later, the rats were raised in metabolic cages for 24 hours. Then, the 24 h urinary protein, serum glucose and nitric oxide (NO) were measured. In the renal cortex, the levels of iNOS mRNA and cGMP were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and radioimmunoassay separately. RESULTS: Compared with normal control, in DN rats, the 24 h urine protein, the levels of renal cortex iNOS mRNA and cGMP were increased significantly (P<0.01). All above in treated group were reduced than in untreated control (P<0.05). The serum glucose and NO were increased in DN rats than in normal control (P<0.01), and had a little decrease in the treated group, with no significance between untreated and treated groups. CONCLUSION: This recipe can diminish the urine protein in early DN without the significant decrease of serum sugar, can correct the abnormal levels of iNOS mRNA and cGMP in renal cortex. Interfering with the function of NO may be one of its mechanisms.