Mechanism and prevention of liver failure complicated by acute pancreatitis / 临床肝胆病杂志

Liver failure often has rapid progression， multiple complications， and dangerous conditions. Acute pancreatitis is a common comorbidity during the progression of liver failure， and since acute pancreatitis has extremely similar clinical symptoms and signs to liver failure complicated by spontaneous peritonitis， it is often neglected in clinical practice. This article elaborates on the mechanisms of liver failure complicated by acute pancreatitis from the five aspects of inflammatory response， duodenal papillary dysfunction， gut microbiota dysbiosis， oxidative stress， and microcirculatory disturbance and proposes corresponding preventive measures based on these mechanisms.

Advances in the treatment of acute hepatic porphyria / 临床肝胆病杂志

Acute hepatic porphyria （AHP） is a rare disease with abnormal heme metabolism， and breakthroughs have been made in the treatment of this disease in recent years. In addition to conventional treatment methods， this article reviews new therapies for AHP that are in the stage of initial clinical application or are still in the research stage， including RNAi therapy， enzyme replacement therapy， genetic supplementation of DNA or mRNA， drug molecular chaperones， and glycine transporter inhibitors for reducing heme synthesis. Moreover， this article also reviews the treatment of AHP-related comorbidities and complications， such as hyponatremia and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. High glucose infusion is the main treatment method for AHP in China， and the improvement in diagnosis and increased attention to rare diseases in China has promoted the development of the diagnosis and treatment of AHP， and it is expected to explore more suitable treatment methods for AHP in the Chinese population in the future.

Network Meta-analysis of Oral Chinese Patent Medicine in Adjuvant Treatment of Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of various oral Chinese patent medicines in the adjuvant treatment of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome （CP/CPPS） based on network Meta-analysis. MethodRandomized controlled trials （RCTs） of oral Chinese patent medicine in the adjuvant treatment of CP/CPPS were retrieved from the databases of China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， Wanfang， VIP， SinoMed， PubMed， Cochrane Library， EMbase， and Web of Science from database inception to November， 2022. The quality of the included literature was evaluated according to the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool， and the data were analyzed by RevMan 5.4 and Stata 16 software. ResultA total of 63 RCTs were included， with 13 kinds of oral Chinese patent medicines involved， including Qianlie Shutong capsules， Ningmitai capsules， Qianlie Beixi capsules， Sanjin tablets， etc. The results of the network Meta-analysis showed that in terms of clinical effective rate， the intervention measure ranked first was Qianlie Beixi capsules combined with conventional western medicine. In terms of reducing pain， the intervention measure ranked first was Sanjin tablets combined with conventional western medicine. In terms of reducing urination disorder， the intervention measure ranked first was Relinqing granules combined with conventional western medicine. In terms of improving quality of life， the intervention measure ranked first was Qianlie Beixi capsules combined with conventional western medicine. In terms of reducing the total National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index （NIH-CPSI） score， the intervention measure ranked first was Yinhua Miyanling tablets combined with conventional western medicine. In terms of reducing leukocyte count in prostatic secretions， the intervention measure ranked first was Qianlie Jiedu capsules combined with conventional western medicine. In terms of safety， the intervention measure with the least adverse reactions was Qianlie Shutong capsules combined with conventional western medicine. The cluster analysis results showed that Qianlie Shutong capsules combined with conventional western medicine had outstanding efficacy and high safety. ConclusionOral Chinese patent medicine in the adjuvant treatment of CP/CPPS can improve the comprehensive efficacy， reduce the NIH-CPSI score and leukocyte count in prostatic secretions， and improve the quality of life of patients. For clinical treatment， the preferred choice is Qianlie Beixi capsules or Qianlie Shutong capsules combined with conventional western medicine. Limited by the quantity and quality of literature included in this study， the results need to be verified by high-quality studies with a larger sample size.

Clinical phenotypic and genotypic analysis of 5 pediatric patients with β-ketothiolase deficiency / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To summarize the clinical and genetic characteristics of children with β-ketothiolase deficiency (BKTD). Methods: The clinical characteristics, biochemical, markers detected by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), as well as the variants in ACAT1 gene among 5 children with BKTD in Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University between October 2018 and December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The onset age of the disease in 5 patients (4 males and 1 female) ranged from 9.7 to 28.0 months. During the acute phase, severe metabolic acidosis was observed with a pH of 6.9-7.1, as well as hypoglycaemia (2.3-3.4 mmol/L) and positive urinary ketone bodies (+-++++). Blood levels of methylcrotonyl carnitine, methylmalonyl carnitine and malonyl carnitine were 0.03-0.42, 0.34-1.43 and 0.83-3.53 μmol/L respectively and were significantly elevated. Urinary 2-methyl-3-hydroxybutyric acid was 22-202 and 3-hydroxybutyric acid was 4-6 066, both were higher than the normal levels. Methylcrotonylglycine was mild elevated (0-29). The metabolites detected by MS/MS and GC/MS were significantly reduced after treatment. Analysis of ACAT1 gene mutation was performed in 5 children. Most variants were missense (8/9). Four previously unreported variants were identified: c.678G>T (p.Trp226Cys), c.302A>G (p.Gln101Arg), c.627_629dupTGA (p.Asn209_Glu210insAsp) and c.316C>T (p.Gln106Ter), the first 2 variants were predicted to be damaging by SIFT, PolyPhen-2 and Mutation Taster software. c.316C>T (p.Gln106Ter) is a nonsense variant. Conclusions: β-ketothiolase deficiency is relatively rare, lacks specific clinical manifestations, however severe metabolic acidosis, hypoglycemia, and ketosis during the acute onset were consistent findings. Missense mutations in the ACAT1 gene are common genetic causes of β-ketothiolase deficiency.

Xinjia Congrong Tusizi Decoction Regulates Ferroptosis of Granulosa Cells in Rat Model of Premature Ovarian Insufficiency via p53/Nrf2 Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Xinjia Congrong Tusizi decoction （XJCTD） on ovarian functions in the rat model of premature ovarian insufficiency （POI） and decipher the mechanism of regulating the tumor suppressor protein （p53）/nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 （Nrf2） pathway to attenuate granulosa cell ferroptosis. MethodForty-eight SPF-grade female SD rats were randomized into control， model， low-， medium-， and high-dose （1.1， 2.2， 4.4 g·kg-1） XJCTD， and Western medicine （coenzyme Q10， 0.002 7 g·kg-1） groups， with eight rats in each group. The rat model of POI was established by gavage of triptolide （TP）， and after successful modeling， each group was administrated with the corresponding drugs by gavage for 14 d. The body weight and ovarian weight of each rat were weighed and the ovarian index was calculated. The morphology of the ovarian tissue was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining， and the proportions of growing follicles and atretic follicles were calculated. The serum levels of anti-Müllerian hormone （AMM）， estradiol （E2）， and follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH） were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The DCFH-DA fluorescent probe was used to measure the reactive oxygen species （ROS） content in granulosa cells. The content of cellular Ferrous ion （Fe2+）， lipid peroxide （LPO）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， glutathione （GSH）， and superoxide dismutase （SOD） was detected by colorimetry. The expression of the tumor suppressor protein p53，Nrf2， solute carrier family 7 member 11 （SLC7A11）， and glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4） was determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. ResultCompared with the control group， the model group showed decreased ovarian weight， body weight， and ovarian index （P<0.01）， reduced ovarian tissue volume and proportion of growing follicles （P<0.01）， increased proportion of atretic follicles （P<0.01）， lowered AMH and E2 levels and elevated FSH level in the serum （P<0.01）， and elevated levels of Fe2+， ROS， LPO， and MDA （P<0.01） and lowered levels of GSH and SOD in granulosa cells （P<0.01）. Moreover， the modeling up-regulated the expression of p53 （P<0.01） and down-regulated the expression of Nrf2， SLC7A11， and GPX4 （P<0.05， P<0.01） in the ovarian tissue. Compared with the model group， XJCTD increased the body weight， ovarian weight， and ovarian index （P<0.01）， alleviated the pathological changes in the ovarian tissue， increased the proportion of growing follicles （P<0.01）， decreased the proportion of atretic follicles （P<0.01）， and reduced the content of ROS in granulosa cells （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In addition， medium- and high-dose XJCTD lowered the FSH level （P<0.01） and raised E2 and AMH levels （P<0.01） in the serum， reduced the Fe2+ content （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and increased the SOD content （P<0.01） in granulosa cells. High-dose XJCTD reduced the LPO and MDA content （P<0.01） and increased the SOD content （P<0.01） in the granulosa cells， down-regulated the expression of p53 （P<0.05）， and up-regulated the expression of Nrf2， SLC7A11， and GPX4 in the ovarian tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionXJCTD may protect the ovarian function in the rat model of POI by regulating the p53/Nrf2 signaling pathway to attenuate the ferroptosis of ovarian granulosa cells.

A novel predictor of unsustained return of spontaneous circulation in cardiac arrest patients through a combination of capnography and pulse oximetry: a multicenter observational study / 世界急诊医学杂志（英文）

@#BACKGROUND: Unsustained return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) is a critical barrier to survival in cardiac arrest patients. This study examined whether end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) and pulse oximetry photoplethysmogram (POP) parameters can be used to identify unsustained ROSC. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter observational prospective cohort study of consecutive patients with cardiac arrest from 2013 to 2014. Patients’ general information, ETCO2, and POP parameters were collected and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The included 105 ROSC episodes (from 80 cardiac arrest patients) comprised 51 sustained ROSC episodes and 54 unsustained ROSC episodes. The 24-hour survival rate was significantly higher in the sustained ROSC group than in the unsustained ROSC group (29.2% vs. 9.4%, P<0.05). The logistic regression analysis showed that the difference between after and before ROSC in ETCO2 (ΔETCO2) and the difference between after and before ROCS in area under the curve of POP (ΔAUCp) were independently associated with sustained ROSC (odds ratio [OR]=0.931, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.881-0.984, P=0.011 and OR=0.998, 95% CI 0.997-0.999, P<0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of ΔETCO2, ΔAUCp, and the combination of both to predict unsustained ROSC were 0.752 (95% CI 0.660-0.844), 0.883 (95% CI 0.818-0.948), and 0.902 (95% CI 0.842-0.962), respectively. CONCLUSION: Patients with unsustained ROSC have a poor prognosis. The combination of ΔETCO2 and ΔAUCp showed significant predictive value for unsustained ROSC.

Cinobufagin Combined with Thalidomide/Dexamethasone Regimen in the Treatment of Patients with Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma of Phlegm and Stasis Obstruction： A Retrospective Study / 中医杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of cinobufagin tablets combined with thalidomide/dexamethasone （TD） regimen in the treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma （NDMM） with phlegm and stasis obstruction. MethodsThe clinical data of 50 patients with NDMM of phlegm and stasis obstruction who were hospitalized at the Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine from June 1st， 2015 to July 31th， 2019 were retrospectively analyzed， and they were divided into a control group （bortezomib/dexamethasone-containing regimen， 27 cases） and an observation group （cinobufagin tablets combined with TD regimen， 23 cases）. The clinical efficacy and safety were compared between the two groups after two or three courses of treatment. The primary outcomes were clinical remission rate including overall response rate and deep remission rate， one-year and two-year overall survival rate， and adverse effects. The secondary outcomes were the proportion of plasma cells in bone marrow， hemoglobin， β2-microglobulin， lactate dehydrogenase， serum creatinine， blood urea nitrogen， bone pain score， and KPS functional status score （KPS score） before and after treatment. ResultsIn terms of clinical efficacy， there was no statistically significant difference （P＞0.05） in the overall response rate ［the observation group 69.57%（16/23） vs the control group 70.37% （19/27）］ and deep remission rate ［the observation group 56.52% （13/23） vs the control group 55.56% （15/27）］ between groups after the treatment. The one-year overall survival rates of the observation group and the control group were 90.9% and 92.4%， and the two-year overall survival rates were 81.8% and 80.9% respectively， with no statistically significant differences between groups （P＞0.05）. During the treatment， no renal function injury occurred in both groups. The incidence of peripheral nerve injury in the observation group was 8.70%， which was lower than 48.15% in the control group （P＜0.01）. After the treatment， the proportion of myeloma plasma cells， β2-microglobulin， serum creatinine level， and bone pain score decreased， while the hemoglobin level and KPS score increased in both groups （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared between groups after treatment， the bone pain score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group， while the KPS score was higher than that of the control group （P＜0.05）. ConclusionThe clinical efficacy of cinobufagin tablets combined with TD in the treatment of NDMM is equivalent to bortezomib/dexamethasone-containing regimen， but the former is more helpful in relieving the pain and improving the quality of life， and has better safety.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Against Fibrotic Diseases： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Fibrosis can occur in diverse tissue and organs and is the common outcome as multiple chronic diseases progress. It is characterized by over-activation of fibroblasts and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix. Targeting transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β）， a classical signaling molecule in fibrosis， is currently a routine strategy for drug therapy of this disease. The use of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in the treatment of fibrotic diseases has been supported by mature theories. The theories emphasize that the internally-accumulated pathogens and mixed deficiency-excess underlie the shared pathology of fibrotic diseases. Qi stagnation， blood stasis， phlegm turbidity， and mass accumulation are key pathological factors. "Yin suppression by Yang" is the core thought for treatment with TCM of the disease. Pharmacological investigations reveal the scientific nature of TCM in treating fibrotic diseases， namely multilevelled and multitargeted. In other words， it refers to networked regulation of signaling activities of fibrosis-related molecules such as TGF-β/Drosophila protein homolog （Smad）， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）， Hedgehog， Wnt/β-catenin， and inflammatory cytokines， so as to inhibit fibroblast function and provide a promising insight into novel anti-fibrotic drug. This paper summarized the conventional understanding of fibrotic disease treatment with TCM and its mechanism of action by reviewing ancient literature and modern research reports， which offers an idea for follow-up research in this field.

Activation of JAK/STAT in ovarian high-grade serous cancers and its prognostic significance / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#The activation of Janus kinase (JAK) and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) plays an important role in the prognosis and targeted therapy of ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC). Utilizing simple and practicable technique, this study aimed to evaluate the activation of JAK/STAT signaling pathway in ovarian HGSC patients, and investigated the correlation between the activation of JAK/STAT signaling pathway and the prognosis of the HGSC patients.@*METHODS@#We performed immunohistochemistry of phosphorylated STAT3 (pSTAT3) and phosphorylated STAT5 (pSTAT5) on paraffin imbedded slides of 73 ovarian HGSC patients, and evaluated the expression level and range of both markers. According to the grading score of the immunostaining of pSTAT3 and pSTAT5, we divided the 73 ovarian HGSC cases into STAT3 low/high expression and STAT5 low/high expression groups, and analyzed the prognosis of the patients in different groups, in order to explore the relationship between the expression of pSTAT3 and pSTAT5 proteins and the prognosis of the HGSC patients.@*RESULTS@#Some of the ovarian HGSC cases showed high expression of pSTAT3 and pSTAT5 protein level, which was related to the poorer prognosis of the HGSC patients. There was a significant difference in the expression level of pSTAT3 and pSTAT5 between the patients with better prognosis (survival time ≥3 years) and poorer prognosis (survival time < 3 years). The patients with higher protein expression of pSTAT3, pSTAT5 or both markers might have poorer prognosis, with significant shorter progression-free survival time and overall survival time (P < 0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#Immunostaining of pSTAT3 and pSTAT5 proteins might be helpful to evaluate and predict the prognosis of the ovarian HGSC patients, and to identify the patients who might have higher chances to respond to the STAT inhibitors and anti-angiogenesis therapy.

Correlation Between Gene Polymorphism and Breast Cancer Incidence and Prognosis for Patients with Diabetes / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To analyze the effects of fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene, IL-6, and HSP-60 gene polymorphism on the incidence rate and prognosis of breast cancer (BCa) for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Results A total of 1551 patients with BCa were included in the experimental group and 1605 women of the same age who participated in physical examination were included in the control group. The clinical data of the 3156 participants were collected through the baseline data questionnaire, and the genotypes of FTO, IL-6, and HSP-60 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) were determined through blood sample detection. The predictive value of the three SNPs for the incidence risk of BCa for T2DM patients was evaluated. The OS of 1168 patients with BCa was obtained through follow-up, and the effects of the three SNPs and T2DM on OS of BCa patients were evaluated. Results The three loci were FTO rs3751812, IL-6 rs1800796, and HSP-60 rs2605039. The BCa incidence rate for T2DM women with wild homozygous SNP genotype was significantly higher than that for non-T2DM women (FTO: χ2=3.530, P=0.013; IL-6: χ2=6.288, P=0.029; HSP-60: χ2=4.926, P=0.005). The three wild homozygous genotypes were independent risk factors that influenced the incidence rate of BCa (all P < 0.05). Patients with HSP-60 rs2605039 (GT+TT) genotype had better OS (P=0.031). Conclusion FTO, IL-6, and HSP-60 gene polymorphisms have certain value in BCa prediction for T2DM patients. Patients with BCa and HSP-60 rs2605039 GT+TT genotype have high OS.

Identification the key factor of pulmonary fibrosis following silica nanoparticles exposure based on bioinformatics analysis / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To investigate the main mechanisms of pulmonary fibrosis following silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) exposure through constructing the macrophage-fibroblast model in vitro, which simulated the process of pulmonary fibrosis. Methods: In January 2021, human mononuclear leukemia cells (THP-1) were treated with 0, 25, 50, 100 μg/ml SiNPs for 24 h. The supernatant of THP-1 cells was collected and applied to human embryonic lung fibroblast cells (MRC-5) which divided into control and low, medium and high dose groups at the logarithmic growth stage for 24 h. MRC-5 cell viability was detected by CCK8. The hydroxyproline (Hyp), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) expression were detected in the supernatants of MRC-5. The changed proteins were detected by liquid-phase mass spectrometry in high dose group. GeneCard database were applied to identity the differential pulmonary fibrosis proteins in high dose group. Gene Ontology (GO) was performed to identity the key biological process in differential pulmonary fibrosis proteins of high dose group. The String database was used to construct the protein-protein interactions (PPI) network of differential pulmonary fibrosis proteins. The APP of CytoHubba was applied to calculate the key protein of differential pulmonary fibrosis proteins in PPI network. Correlation coefficients between key differential pulmonary fibrosis proteins were calculated using Pearson correlation analysis. Western blotting was applied to detect the expression of key proteins of differential pulmonary fibrosis proteins in different groups. Results: CCK8 results showed that MRC-5 cell viability was increasing in low, medium and high dose groups compared with control group (P<0.05). The expression levels of Hyp and IL-1β in different group were increased compared with control group, the expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were increased in high dose group compared with control group (P<0.05). GeneCard database identified 26 differential pulmonary fibrosis proteins, which were mainly involved in extracellular matrix hydrolysis, cell inflammatory response, tissue repair, cell proliferation, inflammation response by GO analysis. The APP of CytoHubba was calculated that matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP1) played an important role in PPI network. The results of correlation analysis showed that MMP9 was correlated with the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1), matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3), TIMP1 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) (r=0.97, 0.98, 0.94, 0.93, P<0.05). Western blotting results showed that TIMP1 protein expression was increased in low, medium and high dose groups, while MMP9 protein expression was increased only in high dose group (P<0.05) . Conclusion: Differential expression proteins related with pulmonary fibrosis in MRC-5 cells mainly regulate biological processes of extracellular matrix hydrolysis, tissue repair, and cellular inflammation response following SiNPs exposure. MMP9 and TIMP1 may be the key proteins, which affected the fibrosis process in vitro pulmonary fibrosis model.

Fumarate hydratase deficient uterine leiomyoma: a clinicopathological and molecular analysis of 80 cases / 中华病理学杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathologic and molecular characteristics of fumarate hydratase (FH) deficient uterine leiomyoma. Methods: Eighty cases of FH deficient uterine leiomyoma were diagnosed from April 2018 to September 2022 in Department of Pathology, Peking University Third Hospital. Sanger sequencing of FH gene exons (exon 1-10) were performed on tumor tissues and matched non-tumor tissues/peripheral blood for all cases. FH immunohistochemistry were performed in 74 cases; S-(2-succino)-cysteine (2SC) were also detected by immunohistochemistry in five cases. Results: Patients' age ranged from 18 to 54 (36.0±7.5) years, with more than 60% exhibiting clinical symptoms of multiple and large leiomyomas (the median diameter was 70 mm). More than four histologic features, including staghorn vasculature, alveolar-pattern edema, bizarre nuclei, oval nuclei arranged in chains, prominent eosinophilic nucleoli with perinucleolar haloes and eosinophilic intracytoplasmic globules were observed in 98.5% (67/68) patients. The immunohistochemical sensitivity of FH and 2SC were 97.3% and 100%, respectively. Based on the Sanger sequencing results, the cases were divided into germline variant group (31 cases), somatic variant group (29 cases) and no variant group (20 cases). Sixty-nine percent (20/29) of the patients with FH germline variation had clear family history. Conclusions: Clinical features, histological morphology, FH and 2SC immunohistochemistry and Sanger sequencing have their own significance and limitations in differential diagnosis of FH deficient uterine leiomyoma. In clinical practice, the above information should be fully integrated and studied for accurate pathologic diagnosis and selection of patients with FH germline variation.

Spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of seasonal A(H3N2) influenza in China, 2014-2019 / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To analyze the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of seasonal A(H3N2) influenza [influenza A(H3N2)] in China and to provide a reference for scientific prevention and control. Methods: The influenza A(H3N2) surveillance data in 2014-2019 was derived from China Influenza Surveillance Information System. A line chart described the epidemic trend analyzed and plotted. Spatial autocorrelation analysis was conducted using ArcGIS 10.7, and spatiotemporal scanning analysis was conducted using SaTScan 10.1. Results: A total of 2 603 209 influenza-like case sample specimens were detected from March 31, 2014, to March 31, 2019, and the influenza A(H3N2) positive rate was 5.96%(155 259/2 603 209). The positive rate of influenza A(H3N2) was statistically significant in the north and southern provinces in each surveillance year (all P<0.05). The high incidence seasons of influenza A (H3N2) were in winter in northern provinces and summer or winter in southern provinces. Influenza A (H3N2) clustered in 31 provinces in 2014-2015 and 2016-2017. High-high clusters were distributed in eight provinces, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in 2014-2015, and high-high clusters were distributed in five provinces including Shanxi, Shandong, Henan, Anhui, and Shanghai in 2016-2017. Spatiotemporal scanning analysis from 2014 to 2019 showed that Shandong and its surrounding twelve provinces clustered from November 2016 to February 2017 (RR=3.59, LLR=9 875.74, P<0.001). Conclusion: Influenza A (H3N2) has high incidence seasons with northern provinces in winter and southern provinces in summer or winter and obvious spatial and temporal clustering characteristics in China from 2014-2019.

Targeting microRNA-125b inhibited the metastasis of Alisertib resistance cells through mediating p53 pathway / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To clarify the mechanisms involvement in Alisertib-resistant colorectal cells and explore a potential target to overcome Alisertib-resistance. Methods: Drug-resistant colon cancer cell line (named as HCT-8-7T cells) was established and transplanted into immunodeficient mice. The metastasis in vivo were observed. Proliferation and migration of HCT-8-7T cells and their parental cells were assessed by colony formation and Transwell assay, respectively. Glycolytic capacity and glutamine metabolism of cells were analyzed by metabolism assays. The protein and mRNA levels of critical factors which are involved in mediating glycolysis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were examined by western blot and reverse transcription-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR), respectively. Results: In comparison with the mice transplanted with HCT-8 cells, which were survival with limited metastatic tumor cells in organs, aggressive metastases were observed in liver, lung, kidney and ovary of HCT-8-7T transplanted mice (P<0.05). The levels of ATP [(0.10±0.01) mmol/L], glycolysis [(81.77±8.21) mpH/min] and the capacity of glycolysis [(55.50±3.48) mpH/min] in HCT-8-7T cells were higher than those of HCT-8 cells [(0.04±0.01) mmol/L, (27.77±2.55) mpH/min and(14.00±1.19) mpH/min, respectively, P<0.05]. Meanwhile, the levels of p53 protein and mRNA in HCT-8-7T cells were potently decreased as compared to that in HCT-8 cells (P<0.05). However, the level of miRNA-125b (2.21±0.12) in HCT-8-7T cells was significantly elevated as compared to that in HCT-8 cells (1.00±0.00, P<0.001). In HCT-8-7T cells, forced-expression of p53 reduced the colon number (162.00±24.00) and the migration [(18.53±5.67)%] as compared with those in cells transfected with control vector [274.70±40.50 and (100.00±29.06)%, P<0.05, respectively]. Similarly, miR-125b mimic decreased the glycolysis [(25.28±9.51) mpH/min] in HCT-8-7T cells as compared with that [(54.38±12.70)mpH/min, P=0.003] in HCT-8-7T cells transfected with control. Meanwhile, in comparison with control transfected HCT-8-7T cells, miR-125b mimic also significantly led to an increase in the levels of p53 and β-catenin, in parallel with a decrease in the levels of PFK1 and HK1 in HCT-8-7T cells (P<0.05). Conclusions: Silencing of p53 by miR-125b could be one of the mechanisms that contributes to Alisertib resistance. Targeting miR-125b could be a strategy to overcome Alisertib resistance.

Alleviation of isoproterenol-induced myocardial fibrosis in mice by autophagy regulated by Astragaloside Ⅳ through activating ROCK/JNK pathway / 药学实践杂志

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of astragaloside Ⅳ(AS-Ⅳ) activating ROCK/JNK to regulate autophagy in improving isoproterenol (ISO) induced myocardial fibrosis (MF) in mice. Methods The mice were randomly divided into control operation group (Control group), ISO induced myocardial fibrosis group (MF group), AS-Ⅳ treatment group (AS-Ⅳ group) and combination group of astragaloside IV and Y-33075 (ROCK inhibitor) (astragaloside IV+Y-33075 group). After repeated administration for 30 days. The serum levels of LDH, BNP, CTGF in each group were detected. The cardiac function was detected by ultrasound. Myocardial structure and tissue fibrosis degree in each group were detected by Sirius Red and Masson staining. Oxidative stress (ROS) levels in myocardial tissue of each group were detected by DHE staining and the expression of ROCK, JNK, Atg5, Beclin 1, and LC3 Ⅰ/Ⅱ in myocardial tissue were detected by Western blotting. Results Compared with AS-Ⅳ group, the EF value of AS-Ⅳ+Y-33075 group decreased and the degree of myocardial fibrosis increased (P<0.05). The serum level of LDH, BNP, CTGF increased and the level of ROS in myocardial tissue increased while the expression of ROCK, JNK, Atg5, Beclin 1, LC3 Ⅰ/Ⅱ decreased (P<0.05). Y-33075 could block the protective effect of AS-Ⅳ on myocardial injury induced by MF and inhibit the regulation of AS-Ⅳ on ROCK and JNK. Conclusion AS-Ⅳ could attenuate myocardial fibrosis in mice by activating ROCK/JNK signal and promoting autophagy.

Variations of glucose content in Massa Medicata Fermentata during processing based on quantitative proton nuclear magnetic resonance / 中国中药杂志

A quantitative proton nuclear magnetic resonance(qHNMR) method was established to determine the glucose content in commercially available Massa Medicata Fermentata(MMF) products and explore the variations of glucose content in MMF products during processing. The qHNMR spectrum of MMF in deuterium oxide was obtained with 2,2,3,3-d_4-3-(trimethylsilyl) propionate sodium salt as the internal standard substance. With the doublet peaks of terminal hydrogen of glucose with chemical shift at δ 4.65 and δ 5.24 as quantitative peaks, the content of glucose in MMF samples was determined. The glucose content showed a good linear relationship within the range of 0.10-6.44 mg·mL~(-1). The relative standard deviations(RSDs) of precision, stability, repeatability, and recovery for determination were all less than 2.3%. The glucose content varied in different commercially available MMF samples, which were associated with the different fermentation days, wheat bran-to-flour ratios, and processing methods. The glucose content in MMF first increased and then decreased over the fermentation time. Compared with the MMF products fermented with wheat bran or flour alone, the products fermented with both wheat bran and flour had increased glucose. The glucose content of bran-fried MMF was slightly lower than that of raw MMF, while the glucose content in charred MMF was extremely low. In conclusion, the qHNMR method established in this study is simple, fast, and accurate, serving as a new method for determining the glucose content in MMF. Furthermore, this study clarifies the variations of glucose content in MMF during processing, which can not only indicate the processing degree but also provide a scientific basis for revealing the fermentation mechanism and improving the quality control of MMF.

PK/PD model of Chuanxiong gel plaster in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis / 中国中药杂志

In this experiment, the PK/PD fitting model of Chuanxiong(Chuanxiong Rhizoma) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis was established in the form of acupoint combined with external application gel paste. Firstly, the rheumatoid arthritis model was induced by ovalbumin, and the articular fluid of rabbits was extracted by microdialysis. The pharmacokinetic process of Chuanxiong in rabbit articular fluid was analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS, and the pharmacokinetic model was established. The pharmacodynamic effects of Chuanxiong on inflammatory factors IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The pharmacodynamic model was established, and the PK/PD model was obtained by fitting the data of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The results of pharmacokinetics showed that the concentration of ligustrolide A in the articular cavity by drug administration on classical acupoint Zusanli(ST 36) was higher than that by Yanglingquan(GB 34), which reflected the advantage of typical acupoint, while ligustrazine concentration was higher after administration through Yanglingquan than through Zusanli, which was different from the traditional acupoint theory. The results of pharmacodynamics showed that the drug had lag effect. The PK/PD model was constructed by fitting the data. When IL-1β was taken as the efficacy index, the PK/PD models of Chuanxiong in typical acupoint Zusanli group, atypical acupoint Yanglingquan group, and non-acupoint group were E=115.28C_e/(3 316.72+C_e), E=108.73C_e/(2 993.47+C_e), and E=101.34C_e/(3 028.51+C_e). When TNF-α was taken as the efficacy index, the PK/PD models of Chuanxiong in typical acupoint Zusanli group, atypical acupoint Yanglingquan group, and non-acupoint group were E=68.31C_e/(3 285.16+C_e), E=59.27C_e/(2 919.86+C_e), and E=53.61C_e/(2 862.87+C_e). When IL-6 was taken as the efficacy index, the PK/PD models of Chuanxiong in typical acupoint Zusanli group, atypical acupoint Yanglingquan group, and non-acupoint group were E=59.92C_e/(3 461.17+C_e), E=58.34C_e/(2 723.51+C_e), and E=49.17C_e/(2 862.76+C_e). The parameters showed that there were significant differences in E_(max), EC_(e50) and k_(eo). The analysis of data found that the PK/PD fitting effect of Zusanli, a typical acupoint, was the best, which proved that it was still the best site for drug administration. To sum up, it shows that there may be bidirectional selectivity between drugs and acupoints.

Recent advances in nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis / 中国中药杂志

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA) is a widely prevalent autoimmune inflammatory disease that severely affects patients' quality of life. Currently, conventional formulations against RA have several limitations, such as nonspecificity, poor efficacy, large drug dosages, frequent administration, and systemic side effects. Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems have emerged as a promising stra-tegy for the diagnosis and treatment of RA since nanotechnology can overcome the limitations of traditional treatments and simplify the complexity of the disease. These systems enable targeted delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs to the inflamed areas through active and passive targeting, achieving specificity to the joints, overcoming the need for increased dosage and administration frequency, and reducing associated adverse reactions. This article aimed to review nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems in the field of RA and elucidate how nanosystems can be utilized to deliver therapeutic drugs to inflamed joints for controlling RA progression. By discussing the current issues and challenges faced by nanodrug delivery systems and highlighting the urgent need for solutions, this article offers theoretical support for further research on nanotechnology-based co-delivery systems in the future.

Volatile Oil of Linderae Radix Induces Apoptosis and Autophagy of Gastric Cancer AGS Cells via AMPK/mTOR Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of the volatile oil of Linderae Radix on the apoptosis and autophagy of human gastric cancer cell line AGS， and to explore the regulatory role of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signaling pathway in this process. MethodThe volatile oil of Linderae Radix was extracted by steam distillation， and the effect of the volatile oil on the viability of AGS cells was detected by thiazolyl tetrazolium （MTT） colorimetry. The optimal intervention dose and time were determined according to the half maximal inhibitory concentration （IC50） for subsequent research. The blank， low， medium， and high-dose volatile oil （0， 15， 30， 60 mg·L-1） groups and the positive drug cyclophosphamide （CTX， 350 mg·L-1） group were designed. AGS cells were treated with different doses of volatile oil for 48 h. The changes in cell proliferation， cycle， and migration were measured by colony formation assay， flow cytometry， and cell scratch test， respectively. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was employed to observe the changes of cell morphology， Annexin-V/propidium iodide （PI） double staining to measure the apoptosis， and acridine orange （AO） staining to measure the autophagy level of the cells. Western blotting was employed to determine the expression of the autophagy effectors Beclin-1， p62， microtubule-associated protein 1-light chain 3 （LC3）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， cleaved Caspase-3， cleaved poly ADP-ribose polymerase （PARP）， adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）， phosphorylated AMPK （p-AMPK）， mTOR， and phosphorylated mTOR （p-mTOR）. ResultCompared with the blank group， 24 h and 48 h of intervention with the volatile oil of Linderae Radix inhibited the viability of AGS cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， the volatile oil decreased the cell proliferation and migration （P<0.05， P<0.01） and blocked the AGS cell cycle in G2/M phase （P<0.05， P<0.01） in a concentration-dependent manner. The cells treated with the volatile oil became spherical and smaller， with the formation of apoptotic bodies and increased apoptosis rate （P<0.05， P<0.01）. As the dose of the volatile oil increased， the number of autophagosomes increased and the red fluorescence gradually enhanced， indicating the elevated level of autophagy. Compared with the blank group， different doses of volatile oil up-regulated the protein levels of Beclin-1， LC3 Ⅱ/LC3 Ⅰ， cleaved Caspase-3， cleaved PARP， Bax/Bcl-2， and AMPK （P<0.05， P<0.01） and down-regulated the protein levels of p62 and p-mTOR （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionThe volatile oil of Linderae Radix induces the apoptosis and exerts the autophagy-mediated growth inhibition of AGS cells by regulating the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway.

Taurocholic acid promotes hepatic stellate cell activation via S1PR2/p38 MAPK/YAP signaling under cholestatic conditions

Background/Aims@#Disrupted bile acid regulation and accumulation in the liver can contribute to progressive liver damage and fibrosis. However, the effects of bile acids on the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) remain unclear. This study investigated the effects of bile acids on HSC activation during liver fibrosis, and examined the underlying mechanisms. @*Methods@#The immortalized HSCs, LX-2 and JS-1cells were used for the in vitro study. in vitro, the adeno-associated viruses adeno-associated virus-sh-S1PR2 and JTE-013 were used to pharmacologically inhibit the activity of S1PR2 in a murine model of fibrosis induced by a 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC) diet. Histological and biochemical analyses were performed to study the involvement of S1PR2 in the regulation of fibrogenic factors as well as the activation properties of HSCs. @*Results@#S1PR2 was the predominant S1PR expressed in HSCs and was upregulated during taurocholic acid (TCA) stimulation and in cholestatic liver fibrosis mice. TCA-induced HSC proliferation, migration and contraction and extracellular matrix protein secretion were inhibited by JTE-013 and a specific shRNA targeting S1PR2 in LX-2 and JS-1 cells. Meanwhile, treatment with JTE-013 or S1PR2 deficiency significantly attenuated liver histopathological injury, collagen accumulation, and the expression of fibrogenesis-associated genes in mice fed a DDC diet. Furthermore, TCAmediated activation of HSCs through S1PR2 was closely related to the yes-associated protein (YAP) signaling pathway via p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK). @*Conclusions@#TCA-induced activation of the S1PR2/p38 MAPK/YAP signaling pathways plays a vital role in regulating HSC activation, which might be therapeutically relevant for targeting cholestatic liver fibrosis.