Probiotics intervention in colorectal cancer: From traditional approaches to novel strategies / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

The intestine harbors a large population of microorganisms that interact with epithelial cells to maintain host healthy physiological status. These intestinal microbiota engage in the fermentation of non-digestible nutrients and produce beneficial metabolites to regulate host homeostasis, metabolism, and immune response. The disruption of microbiota, known as dysbiosis, has been implicated in many intestinal diseases, including colorectal cancer (CRC). As the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, CRC poses a significant health burden. There is an urgent need for novel interventions to reduce CRC incidence and improve clinical outcomes. Modulating the intestinal microbiota has emerged as a promising approach for CRC prevention and treatment. Current research efforts in CRC probiotics primarily focus on reducing the incidence of CRC, alleviating treatment-related side effects, and potentiating the efficacy of anticancer therapy, which is the key to successful translation to clinical practice. This paper aims to review the traditional probiotics and new interventions, such as next-generation probiotics and postbiotics, in the context of CRC. The underlying mechanisms of probiotic anti-cancer effects are also discussed, including the restoration of microbial composition, reinforcement of gut barrier integrity, induction of cancer cell apoptosis, inactivation of carcinogens, and modulation of host immune response. This paper further evaluates the novel strategy of probiotics as an adjuvant therapy in boosting the efficacy of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Despite all the promising findings presented in studies, the evaluation of potential risks, optimization of delivery methods, and consideration of intra-patient variability of gut microbial baseline must be thoroughly interpreted before bench-to-bedside translation.

Establishment of a risk prediction model for pancreatic fistula after pancreaticoduodenectomy： A study based on the 2016 edition of the definition and classification system of pancreatic fistula / 临床肝胆病杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the differences in the risk factors for postoperative pancreatic fistula （POPF） after pancreaticoduodenectomy （PD） between the 2005 and 2016 editions of the definition and classification standards for pancreatic fistula， and to establish a risk prediction model for pancreatic fistula based on the 2016 edition. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 303 patients who were admitted to Tianjin Third Central Hospital and underwent PD from January 2016 to May 2022， and the patients with POPF were identified based on the new and old editions. The independent-samples t test or the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups， and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the differences in the risk factors for pancreatic fistula after PD between the two editions； a risk prediction model was established for POPF based on the 2016 edition， and the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to invesitgate the accuracy of this model in predicting POPF and perform model validation. ResultsAccording to the 2005 edition， the univariate analysis showed that the diameter of the main pancreatic duct （χ2=31.641， P<0.001）， main pancreatic duct index （χ2=52.777， P<0.001）， portal vein invasion （χ2=6.259， P=0.012）， intra-abdominal fat thickness （χ2=7.665， P=0.006）， preoperative biliary drainage （χ2=5.999， P=0.014）， pancreatic cancer （χ2=5.544， P=0.019）， marginal pancreatic thickness （t=2.055， P=0.032）， pancreatic CT value （t=-3.224， P=0.002）， and preoperative blood amylase level （Z=-2.099， P=0.036） were closely associated with POPF， and the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that main pancreatic duct index （odds ratio ［OR］=0.000， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 0.000‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.011， P<0.05）， pancreatic cancer （OR=4.843， 95%CI： 1.285‍ ‍—‍ ‍18.254， P<0.05）， and pancreatic CT value （OR=0.869， 95%CI： 0.806‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.937， P<0.05） were independent risk factors； based on the 2016 edition， the univariate analysis showed the diameter of the main pancreatic duct （χ2=5.391， P=0.020）， main pancreatic duct index （χ2=11.394， P=0.001）， intra-abdominal fat thickness （χ2=8.899， P=0.003）， marginal pancreatic thickness （t=2.665， P=0.009）， pancreatic CT value （t=-2.835， P=0.004） were closely associated with POPF， and the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that main pancreatic duct index （OR=0.001， 95%CI： 0.000‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.050， P<0.05） and pancreatic CT value （OR=0.943， 95%CI： 0.894‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.994， P<0.05） were independent risk factors. A risk prediction model was established for POPF after PD， and the ROC curve analysis showed that this model had an area under the ROC curve of 0.788 （95%CI： 0.707‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.870） in the modeling group and 0.804 （95%CI： 0.675‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.932） in the validation group. ConclusionMain pancreatic duct index and pancreatic CT value are closely associated with POPF after PD， and the risk prediction model for pancreatic fistula based on the 2016 edition has a good prediction accuracy.

Advances of metal nanoadjuvant for cancer immunotherapy / 药学学报

Immunotherapy has become another effective tumor treatment after surgical resection, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapy. However, due to the low immunogenicity of tumor cells and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, antigen-presenting cells inefficiently process and present tumor antigens, thus leading to insufficient activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and tumor infiltration, which significantly affects the effectiveness of tumor immunotherapy. In recent years, it has been demonstrated that multiple metal ions exhibit distinguished modulatory effects in activating innate immune stimulation and conquering acquired immune tolerance. Based on this, scientists have designed a series of nano-adjuvant delivery systems with metal ions or metal nanoparticles to enhance the targeted accumulation of metal ions in tumor tissues or lymphoid organs for efficiently inducing immunogenic cell death or directly activating antigen-presenting cells to initiate anti-tumor specific immune response. This review briefly outlines the role of various metal ions in anti-tumor immunomodulation, summarizes the research progress in using metal nanoadjuvant delivery systems to achieve efficient anti-tumor immunotherapy, and provides foresight on the main challenges and potential directions in this field.

Advances in histone epigenetic enzyme inhibitors based on proteomics / 药学学报

As an important component of nucleosomes on the chromatin of eukaryotic cells, histones play an important role in the development and progression of tumour diseases by regulating epigenetic post-translational modifications such as acetylation and methylation. In addition, development of inhibitors targeting methyltransferase and deacetylase provides novel therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics can reveal the global changes of histone modifications under the action of drugs during disease progression, which in turn provides important support for revealing drug action mechanism, drug resistance mechanism, and investigating novel drug combination strategies. This article focuses on the progress and status of proteomic research on a variety of histone modifying enzyme inhibitors, including methyltransferase inhibitors and histone deacetylase inhibitors, which will help to understand the current and further utilization of proteomics in studying histone modifications.

Pathologic features of paraspinal muscle biopsies in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To characterize the paraspinal muscles of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients, and to further explore its etiology.@*METHODS@#Clinical records and paraspinal muscle biopsies at the apex vertebra region during posterior scoliosis correction surgery of 18 AIS were collected from November 2018 to August 2019. Following standardized processing of fresh muscle tissue biopsy, serial sections with conventional hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and histochemical and immunohistochemical (IHC) with antibody Dystrophin-1 (R-domain), Dystrophin-2 (C-terminal), Dystrophin-3 (N-terminal), Dystrophin-total, Myosin (fast), major histocompatibility complex 1 (MHC-1), CD4, CD8, CD20, and CD68 staining were obtained. Biopsy samples were grouped according to the subjects' median Cobb angle (Cobb angle ≥ 55° as severe AIS group and Cobb angle < 55° as mild AIS group) and Nash-Moe's classification respectively, and the corresponding pathological changes were compared between the groups statistically.@*RESULTS@#Among the 18 AIS patients, 8 were in the severe AIS group (Cobb angle ≥55°) and 10 in the mild AIS group (Cobb angle < 55°). Both severe and mild AIS groups presented various of atrophy and degeneration of paraspinal muscles, varying degrees and staining patterns of immune-expression of Dystrophin-3 loss, especially Dystrophin-2 loss in severe AIS group with significant differences, as well as among the Nash-Moe classification subgroups. Besides, infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in the paraspinal muscles and tendons was observed in all the patients while CD20+ cells were null. The expression of MHC-1 on myolemma was present in some muscle fibers.@*CONCLUSION@#The histologic of paraspinal muscle biopsy in AIS had similar characteristic changes, the expression of Dystrophin protein was significantly reduced and correlated with the severity of scoliosis, suggesting that Dystrophin protein dysfunctions might contribute to the development of scoliosis. Meanwhile, the inflammatory changes of AIS were mainly manifested by T cell infiltration, and there seemed to be a certain correlation between inflammatory cell infiltration, MHC-1 expression and abnormal expression of Dystrophin. Further research along the lines of this result may open up new ideas for the diagnosis of scoliosis and the treatment of paraspinal myopathy.

Protective role of vasonatrin peptide in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats through activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling pathway / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the protective role of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway in the process that vasonatrin peptide (VNP) reduces hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.Methods:Twenty SD rats, weighting 200-250 g, were randomly divided into four groups and each group has five rats. The four groups were sham operation group (S group), ischemia-reperfusion group (I/R group), VNP group (V group) and PD98059+ VNP group (P+ V group). In the rat model of hepatic warm ischemia and reperfusion, the hepatic artery and portal vein of the left lobe and middle lobe of the liver were clamped with arterial clamp for 45 min followed by reperfusion for 120 min. In the V group, VNP (50 μg/kg) was injected 10 minutes before ischemia. In the P+ V group, PD98059 (2 mg/kg) was injected 20 min before VNP injection followed by VNP administration and I/R treatment. The serum levels of alanine amino transaminase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase (AST), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and the superoxide dismutase (SOD) in liver tissue homogenate and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured. The histopathology of liver tissue was observed. The contents of p-ERK1/2 were detected by Western blot.Results:Compared with S group, in I/R group and P+ V group the serum levels of ALT [(489.65±11.22), (333.05±24.77) vs. (33.78±4.88) U/L], AST [(651.43±14.99), (503.18±21.48) vs. (154.84±12.32) U/L], TNF-α [(12.83±1.09), (9.64±0.57) vs. (2.11±0.11) ng/L], IL-1β [(7.19±0.62), (5.12±0.22) vs. (1.10±0.49) ng/L], MDA [(8.00±0.88), (5.60±1.01) vs. (2.76±1.29) μmol/mg] increased, while SOD [(54.89±10.60), (68.85±8.33) vs. (126.10±15.63) nmol/mg]decreased (all P<0.05). The histopathology of liver tissue revealed that liver structure damaged more seriously in I/R group and P+ V group. Western blot analysis showed that p-ERK1/2 decreased significantly in I/R group and P+ V group. Compared with I/R group, ALT, AST, MDA, TNF-α and IL-1β decreased significantly and SOD increased significantly in V group (all P<0.05). The histopathology of liver tissue revealed that liver structure was damaged slightly, and p-ERK1/2 increased significantly in V group compared with I/R group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:VNP can significantly reduce hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury through activation of p-ERK1/2 signaling pathway and inhibition of hepatocyte inflammatory response.

Correlation of BUA, SOS, T-score and SI with bone mineral density in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis and their diagnostic efficacy in osteoporosis / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To analyze the broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA), speed of sound (SOS), standard deviation of bone density (T-Score) and stiffness index (SI) with bone mineral density (BMD) in elderly female patients with knee osteoarthritis and their diagnostic efficacy of osteoporosis.Methods:Fifty elderly female patients with knee osteoarthritis admitted o Tangshan People′s Hospital from January 2021 to January 2022 were selected as the observation group, and 40 healthy female patients during the same period were selected as the control group. The results of BUA, SI, T-score and SOS in observation group and control group were analyzed and compared. The BUA, SI, T-score and SOS in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis at different ages and with different bone densities were compared, and the diagnostic value of BUA, SI, T-score and SOS in osteoporosis was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:The BUA, SI and T-score of observation group were lower than that in the control group, while SOS was higher than that in the control group (all P<0.05). Among elderly female patients with knee osteoarthritis of different ages, the older the age, the lower the BUA, SI and T-score (all P<0.05), while there was no statistical significance in SOS of elderly female patients with knee osteoarthritis of different ages ( P>0.05). In elderly women with knee osteoarthritis with different BMD grades, the BUA, SI, and T-score in the osteoporosis group were lower than those in the osteopenia group and the normal bone group, and the BUA, SI, and T-score in the osteopenia group were lower than those in the normal bone group; the SOS in the osteoporosis group was higher than those in the osteopenia group and the normal bone group, and the SOS in the osteopenia group was higher than those in the normal bone group (all P<0.05). BUA, SOS, T-score and SI had high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of osteoporosis in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis (all P<0.05). Conclusions:BMD in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis is associated with BUA, SI, T-score, and SOS, and has high diagnostic value for osteoporosis.

Summary report of a national survey of Kashin-Beck disease prevalence in 2020 / 中华地方病学杂志

Objective:To investigate the dynamic prevalence of Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) in 2020, and to provide the basis for assessment of KBD control and elimination.Methods:According to the "Kashin-Beck Disease Monitoring Plan (2019 Edition)", collection of basic information of endemic areas and children KBD examination were executed in all endemic areas from every endemic county (city, district, banner) of 13 endemic provinces. All children aged 7 - 12 years in endemic areas underwent clinical examination, X-ray examination was performed for clinically positive children. According to the criteria of "Diagnosis of Kashin-Beck Disease" (WS/T 207-2010), KBD cases were diagnosed by both clinical examination and X-ray check.Results:In monitoring of 827 986 children of 7 - 12 years old, a total of 703 children with similar clinical signs of KBD were suspected positive cases. X-ray results showed that 703 children were normal, with no X-ray positive change, they were not children KBD cases.Conclusions:In 2020, no cases of Kashin-Beck disease are detected in children nationwide, and the condition of Kashin-Beck disease in children nationwide continues to be at a level of elimination.

Current main problems and countermeasures for prevention and control of endemic diseases in China / 中华地方病学杂志

Over the past decade, remarkable progress has been made in prevention and control of endemic diseases in China through implementation of the 12th and the 13th Five-Year National Plans for Prevention and Control of Endemic Diseases and the Three-Year Action Plan for Special Prevention and Control of Endemic Diseases. Based on the latest monitoring data of endemic diseases and the evaluation results of the control and elimination of endemic diseases of the 13th Five-Year Plan, this paper analyzed current main problems in prevention and control of endemic diseases in China, focusing on implementation of prevention and control measures for iodine deficiency disorders, endemic fluorosis, and endemic arsenicosis, as well as the treatment and management of patients. Accordingly, corresponding countermeasures and suggestions are put forward from three aspects, including prevention and control mechanism, implementation of prevention and control measures, and scientific research, so as to provide scientific basis for the country and various regions to consolidate the achievements of prevention and control of endemic diseases and accurately implement the prevention and control measures of endemic diseases.

Construction of evaluation index system of core competence of neonatal specialist nurses / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To construct the evaluation index system of the core competence of neonatal specialist nurses, so as to provide reference for clinical training of neonatal specialist nurses.Methods:From January 2020, through literature review, theoretical analysis, interview, Delphi method and superiority chart, the evaluation index and weight of core competence of neonatal specialist nurses were determined.Results:Totally 28 experts in China were invited for 3 rounds of consultation. The effective recovery rate of the questionnaires was 93.33%(28/30) in the first round. The effective recovery rate of the questionnaires was 100.00%(28/28) in the second and third rounds. The authority coefficient of the experts was 0.85 in the third round. The Kendall′s coefficients of concordance of the first-level indexes, second-level indexes and third-level indexes were 0.150, 0.221 and 0.161, respectively. The final evaluation index system of the core competence of neonatal specialist nurses included 5 first-level indicators, 17 second-level indicators and 58 third-level indicators.Conclusions:The evaluation index system of the core competence of neonatal specialist nurses constructed in this study has certain scientific, reliable and clinical application value, which is conducive to the training of newborn specialized nurses in China.

Application of four intraocular lens calculation formulas in patients with super-high myopia complicated with cataract / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To evaluate the accuracy of SRK/T, Haigis, Barrett Universal II and Wang-Koch modified SRK/T formula in the operation of cataract complicated by super-high myopia.METHODS: A total of 44 cases(52 eyes)with super-high myopia complicated with cataract who underwent phacoemulsification with tension ring implantation combined with intraocular lens implantation in our hospital from January 2020 to June 2021 were collected. SRK/T, Haigis, Barrett Universal Ⅱ formula and Wang-Koch modified SRK/T formula were used to calculate the postoperative reserved diopter before surgery, and the actual diopter was measured by comprehensive optometry at 3mo after surgery. The mean absolute refractive error(MAE)of four formulas was obtained to evaluate the accuracy of the calculation formula.RESULTS: The MAE of SRK/T formula, Haigis formula, Barrett Universal Ⅱ formula and Wang-Koch modified SRK/T formula were 0.86(0.56, 1.20), 0.79(0.56, 1.16), 0.68(0.30, 0.87), 0.65(0.43, 0.75)D, respectively, and MAE of SRK/T formula and Haigis formula were significantly higher than those of Barrett Universal Ⅱ formula and Wang-Koch modified SRK/T formula(P<0.01). According to preoperative corneal curvature(K), enrolled patients were divided into K >46D group(12 eyes), 44D< K ≤46D group(24 eyes), and K ≤44D group(16 eyes). The MAE of SRK/T formula and Haigis formula were significantly higher than those of Barrett Universal Ⅱ formula and Wang-Koch modified SRK/T formula in the three groups(P<0.01). According to preoperative axial length(AL), patients were divided into AL ≤30 mm group(24 eyes)and AL >30mm group(28 eyes). The MAE of SRK/T formula and Haigis formula in two groups were significantly higher than those of Barrett Universal Ⅱ formula and Wang-Koch modified SRK/T formula(P<0.05).CONCLUSIONS: Wang-Koch modified SRK/T formula and Barrett Universal Ⅱ formula are more accurate in predicting the degree of intraocular lens in patients with super-high myopia complicated with cataract.

Peripheral BDNF Regulates Somatosensory-Sympathetic Coupling in Brachial Plexus Avulsion-Induced Neuropathic Pain / 神经科学通报·英文版

Brachial plexus avulsion (BPA) is a combined injury involving the central and peripheral nervous systems. Patients with BPA often experience severe neuropathic pain (NP) in the affected limb. NP is insensitive to the existing treatments, which makes it a challenge to researchers and clinicians. Accumulated evidence shows that a BPA-induced pain state is often accompanied by sympathetic nervous dysfunction, which suggests that the excitation state of the sympathetic nervous system is correlated with the existence of NP. However, the mechanism of how somatosensory neural crosstalk with the sympathetic nerve at the peripheral level remains unclear. In this study, through using a novel BPA C7 root avulsion mouse model, we found that the expression of BDNF and its receptor TrκB in the DRGs of the BPA mice increased, and the markers of sympathetic nervous system activity including α1 and α2 adrenergic receptors (α1-AR and α2-AR) also increased after BPA. The phenomenon of superexcitation of the sympathetic nervous system, including hypothermia and edema of the affected extremity, was also observed in BPA mice by using CatWalk gait analysis, an infrared thermometer, and an edema evaluation. Genetic knockdown of BDNF in DRGs not only reversed the mechanical allodynia but also alleviated the hypothermia and edema of the affected extremity in BPA mice. Further, intraperitoneal injection of adrenergic receptor inhibitors decreased neuronal excitability in patch clamp recording and reversed the mechanical allodynia of BPA mice. In another branch experiment, we also found the elevated expression of BDNF, TrκB, TH, α1-AR, and α2-AR in DRG tissues from BPA patients compared with normal human DRGs through western blot and immunohistochemistry. Our results revealed that peripheral BDNF is a key molecule in the regulation of somatosensory-sympathetic coupling in BPA-induced NP. This study also opens a novel analgesic target (BDNF) in the treatment of this pain with fewer complications, which has great potential for clinical transformation.

Bletilla striata polysaccharide improves toxic and side effects induced by 5-FU: an untargeted metabolomics study / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to analyze the effect of Bletilla striata polysaccharide(BSP) on endogenous metabolites in serum of tumor-bearing mice treated with 5-fluorouracil(5-FU) by untargeted metabolomics techniques and explore the mechanism of BSP in alleviating the toxic and side effects induced by 5-FU. Male BALB/C mice were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a 5-FU group, and a 5-FU + BSP group, with eight mice in each group. Mouse colon cancer cells(CT26) were transplanted into the mice except for those in the normal group to construct the tumor-bearing mouse model by subcutaneous injection, and 5-FU chemotherapy and BSP treatment were carried out from the second day of modeling. The changes in body weight, diarrhea, and white blood cell count in the peripheral blood were recorded. The mice were sacrificed and sampled when the tumor weight of mice in the model group reached approximately 1 g. TUNEL staining was used to detect the cell apoptosis in the small intestine of each group. The proportions of hematopoietic stem cells and myeloid progenitor cells in bone marrow were measured by flow cytometry. Five serum samples were selected randomly from each group for untargeted metabolomics analysis. The results showed that BSP was not effective in inhibiting colon cancer in mice, but diarrhea, leukopenia, and weight loss caused by 5-FU chemotherapy were significantly improved after BSP intervention. In addition, apoptotic cells decreased in the small intestinal tissues and the percentages of hematopoietic stem cells and myeloid progenitor cells in bone marrow were significantly higher after BSP treatment. Metabolomics results showed that the toxic and side effects of 5-FU resulted in significant decrease in 29 metabolites and significant increase in 22 metabolites in mouse serum. Among them, 19 disordered metabolites showed a return to normal levels in the 5-FU+BSP group. The results of pathway enrichment indicated that metabolic pathways mainly involved pyrimidine metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, and steroid hormone biosynthesis. Therefore, BSP may ameliorate the toxic and side effects of 5-FU in the intestinal tract and bone marrow presumably by regulating nucleotide synthesis, inflammatory damage, and hormone production.

Anemoside B4 regulates fatty acid metabolism reprogramming in mice with colitis-associated cancer / 中国中药杂志

The study aimed to investigate the effect of anemoside B4(B4) on fatty acid metabolism in mice with colitis-associated cancer(CAC). The CAC model was established by azoxymethane(AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate(DSS) in mice. Mice were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, and low-, medium-, and high-dose anemoside B4 groups. After the experiment, the length of the mouse colon and the size of the tumor were measured, and the pathological alterations in the mouse colon were observed using hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. The slices of the colon tumor were obtained for spatial metabolome analysis to analyze the distribution of fatty acid metabolism-related substances in the tumor. The mRNA levels of SREBP-1, FAS, ACCα, SCD-1, PPARα, ACOX, UCP-2, and CPT-1 were determined by real-time quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR). The results revealed that the model group showed decreased body weight(P<0.05) and colon length(P<0.001), increased number of tumors, and increased pathological score(P<0.01). Spatial metabolome analysis revealed that the content of fatty acids and their derivatives, carnitine, and phospholipid in the colon tumor was increased. RT-qPCR results indicated that fatty acid de novo synthesis and β-oxidation-related genes, such as SREBP-1, FASN, ACCα, SCD-1, ACOX, UCP-2, and CPT-1 mRNA expression levels increased considerably(P<0.05, P<0.001). After anemoside B4 administration, the colon length increased(P<0.01), and the number of tumors decreased in the high-dose anemoside B4 group(P<0.05). Additionally, spatial metabolome analysis showed that anemoside B4 could decrease the content of fatty acids and their derivatives, carnitine, and phospholipids in colon tumors. Meanwhile, anemoside B4 could also down-regulate the expression of FASN, ACCα, SCD-1, PPARα, ACOX, UCP-2, and CPT-1 in the colon(P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.001). The findings of this study show that anemoside B4 may inhibit CAC via regulating fatty acid metabolism reprogramming.

Prevalence of HCV Antibody and its Associated Factors: A Study from Sentinel Hospitals in China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#The prevalence and related factors of serum anti-HCV in different regions and hospitals have not been studied extensively in China. We used routine screening data to determine the prevalence of HCV antibody in hospital patients, evaluate the epidemic trend of hepatitis C and formulate screening strategies.@*METHODS@#Patient information and HCV antibody testing results were collected from January 2017 to December 2019 in 77 HCV sentinel hospitals in China. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the characteristics and associations.@*RESULTS@#HCV antibody prevalence rates were distinct among patients in different departments, with a range of 0.33%-6.93%. Patients who were admitted to the liver disease-related departments (a OR = 10.76; 95% CI, 10.27-11.28), Internal Medicine (a OR = 2.87; 95% CI, 2.75-3.00), and Department of Surgery (a OR = 1.95; 95% CI, 1.87-2.04), were more likely to be tested for HCV antibody positive. HCV antibody prevalence was associated with patients aged 45 years and older (a OR = 2.74; 95% CI, 2.69-2.80), testing in infetious disease hospitals (a OR = 2.33; 95% CI, 2.26-2.40) and secondary hospitals (a OR = 1.72; 95% CI, 1.69-1.75). Patients in sentinel hospitals of the Northeast (a OR = 12.75; 95% CI, 12.40-13.11), the Central (a OR = 1.65; 95% CI, 1.61-1.70), and the West (a OR = 1.78; 95% CI, 1.73-1.83) China had higher HCV prevalence than those who were in the Eastern coastal area.@*CONCLUSION@#Those who were over 45 years old and saw doctors for liver diseases, and invasive diagnosis and treatment should be referred to HCV antibody testing.

The neural basis underlying primary dysmenorrhea: evidence from neuroimaging and animal model studies / 生理学报

Primary dysmenorrhea (PDM), cyclic menstrual pain in the absence of pelvic anomalies, is characterized by acute and chronic gynecological pain disorders in childbearing age women. PDM strongly affects the quality of life of patients and leads to economic losses. PDM generally do not receive radical treatment and often develop into other chronic pain disorders later in life. The clinical treatment status of PDM, the epidemiology of PDM and chronic pain comorbidities, and the abnormal physiological and psychological characteristics of patients with PDM suggest that PDM not only is related to the inflammation around the uterus, but also may be related to the abnormal pain processing and regulation function of patients' central system. Therefore, exploring the brain neural mechanism of PDM is indispensable and important to understand the pathological mechanism of PDM, and is also a hotspot of brain science research in recent years, which will bring new inspiration to explore the target of PDM intervention. Based on the progress of the neural mechanism of PDM, this paper systematically summarizes the evidence from neuroimaging and animal model studies.

Effect of Tongdu Tiaoshen electroacupuncture pretreatment on PPARγ-mediated pyroptosis of cerebral cortex in rats with cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of Tongdu Tiaoshen (promoting the circulation of the governor vessel and regulating the spirit) electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment on pyroptosis mediated by peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) of the cerebral cortex in rats with cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury (CIRI) and explore the potential mechanism of EA for the prevention and treatment of CIRI.@*METHODS@#A total of 110 clean-grade male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham-operation group, a model group, an EA group, an EA + inhibitor group and an agonist group, 22 rats in each group. In the EA group, before modeling, EA was applied to "Baihui" (GV 20), "Fengfu" (GV 16) and "Dazhui" (GV 14), with disperse-dense wave, 2 Hz/5 Hz in frequency, 1 to 2 mA in intensity, lasting 20 min; once a day, consecutively for 7 days. On the base of the intervention as the EA group, on the day 7, the intraperitoneal injection with the PPARγ inhibitor, GW9662 (10 mg/kg) was delivered in the EA + inhibitor group. In the agonist group, on the day 7, the PPARγ agonist, pioglitazone hydrochloride (10 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally. At the end of intervention, except the sham-operation group, the modified thread embolization method was adopted to establish the right CIRI model in the rats of the other groups. Using the score of the modified neurological severity score (mNSS), the neurological defect condition of rats was evaluated. TTC staining was adopted to detect the relative cerebral infarction volume of rat, TUNEL staining was used to detect apoptosis of cerebral cortical nerve cells and the transmission electron microscope was used to observe pyroptosis of cerebral cortical neural cells. The positive expression of PPARγ and nucleotide-binding to oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) in the cerebral cortex was detected with the immunofluorescence staining. The protein expression of PPARγ, NLRP3, cysteinyl aspartate specific protease-1 (caspase-1), gasdermin D (GSDMD) and GSDMD-N terminal (GSDMD-N) in the cerebral cortex was detected with Western blot. Using the quantitative real-time fluorescence-PCR, the mRNA expression of PPARγ, NLRP3, caspase-1 and GSDMD of the cerebral cortex was detected. The contents of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 in the cerebral cortex of rats were determined by ELISA.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the sham-operation group, the mNSS, the relative cerebral infarction volume and the TUNEL positive cells rate were increased (P<0.01), pyroptosis was severe, the protein and mRNA expression levels of PPARγ, NLRP3, caspase-1 and GSDMD were elevated (P<0.01); and the protein expression of GSDMD-N and contents of IL-1β and IL-18 were increased (P<0.01) in the model group. When compared with the model group, the mNSS, the relative cerebral infarction volume and the TUNEL positive cells rate were decreased (P<0.01), pyroptosis was alleviated, the protein and mRNA expression levels of PPARγ were increased (P<0.01), the protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1 and GSDMD were decreased (P<0.01), the protein expression of GSDMD-N was reduced (P<0.01); and the contents of IL-1β and IL-18 were lower (P<0.01) in the EA group and the agonist group; while, in the EA + inhibitor group, the protein expression of PPARγ was increased (P<0.01), the protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3 and GSDMD were decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05), the mRNA expression of caspase-1 was reduced (P<0.01); and the contents of IL-1β and IL-18 were lower (P<0.01). When compared with the EA + inhibitor group, the mNSS, the relative cerebral infarction volume and the TUNEL positive cells rate were decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01), pyroptosis was alleviated, the protein and mRNA expression levels of PPARγ were increased (P<0.01), the protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1 and GSDMD were decreased (P<0.01), the protein expression of GSDMD-N was reduced (P<0.01); and the contents of IL-1β and IL-18 were declined (P<0.01) in the EA group. Compared with the agonist group, in the EA group, the relative cerebral infarction volume and the TUNEL positive cells rate were increased (P<0.05, P<0.01), the mRNA expression of PPARγ was decreased (P<0.01) and the protein expression of GSDMD-N was elevated (P<0.05); and the contents of IL-1β and IL-18 were higher (P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#Tongdu Tiaoshen EA pretreatment can attenuate the neurological impairment in the rats with CIRI, and the underlying mechanism is related to the up-regulation of PPARγ inducing the inhibition of NLRP3 in the cerebral cortex of rats so that pyroptosis is affected.

Professor ZHUANG Li-xing's experience of mind-regulation acupuncture for psychosomatic disorders / 中国针灸

Professor ZHUANG Li-xing's diagnosis and treatment method and manipulation key points of mind-regulation acupuncture for psychosomatic disorders are summarized. Professor ZHUANG proposes that psychosomatic disorders can be subdivided into "mind-body disorder" and "body-mind disorder". The former requires treatment aimed at regulating the mind. The main acupoints are Sishenzhen, Shenting (GV 24), Yintang (GV 24+), Shenmen (HT 7) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6). The additional acupoints are Suliao (GV 25), Shuigou (GV 26), Shenmai (BL 62), Zhaohai (KI 6), Hegu (LI 4) and Taichong (LR 3), etc. The latter requires treatment aimed at improving the original diseases, supplemented by regulating the mind (row acupuncture on the governor vessel). Acupoint selection is based on the theories of brain-mind, and the emphasis is placed on the governor vessel; in the meanwhile, regulating zangfu and qi-blood should be valued. After the arrival of qi, the Daoqi Tongjing method (the specific technique for directing qi and preserving essence) is applied, combined with auricular point sticking and fire needling at affected part to enhance the curative effect.

Clinical application and pharmacokinetic study of nanocarriers in drug delivery system / 药学学报

Nanotechnology has shown obvious advantages in the field of medical treatment and diagnosis. Through the encapsulation of nano carriers, drugs not only enhance the therapeutic effect and reduce toxic and side effects, but also become intelligent responsive targeted drug systems through the modification on the surface of nano carriers. However, due to the obstacles in relevant basic research, production conditions, cost, clinical trials, and the lack of pharmacokinetic research on various drug loading systems, few nano systems have been used in therapy. In order to solve the above problems, this paper reviewed and analyzed the research progress of nano carriers in drug delivery, including their auxiliary role and characteristics, types and functions, pharmacokinetics, application prospects and challenges.

Surgical Treatment of Talar Chondroblastoma via Partial Posterior Medial Malleolar Osteotomy: A Case Report / 대한족부족관절학회지

During bone tumor resection, many cases require medial malleolar osteotomy to achieve adequate access to the operative field. Various osteotomy methods have been developed to address this issue, including oblique, transverse, reverse V-shape, and step-cut osteotomies.However, medial malleolar osteotomy has several drawbacks, such as the excessive disruption of the joint surface, unstable screw fixation when fixing the medial malleolus, and iatrogenic medial ankle joint arthritis due to articular displacement during the reduction of the osteotomy site. In addition, there is a possibility of injury to the posterior tibial artery, tibial nerve, or posterior tibialis tendon if the osteotomy range is too aggressive. Therefore, the authors propose a new osteotomy method, which has shown promising clinical results, namely, partial posterior medial malleolar osteotomy. This method minimizes articular involvement and provides adequate access to the operative field during talar body bone tumor resection.