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OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the effect of manual acupuncture on endometrial blood flow parameters by three-dimensional (3D) power Doppler ultrasound in women undergoing in vitro fertilization embryo transfer (IVF-ET).@*METHODS@#Seventy patients undergoing IVF-ET were equally randomized into traditional or sham acupuncture treatment group for totally 4 days (from the day of oocyte aspiration to the day of embryo transfer) of treatment by random envelope method at the Reproductive Medicine Center and Outpatient Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medicine College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January 2013 to December 2015. Patients in the traditional acupuncture group accepted traditional acupuncture methods with manual acupuncture, and Zhongji (CV3), Qihai (CV 6), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Taichong (LR 3), Tianshu (ST 25), Guilai (ST 29) and Zusanli (ST 36) were chosen. Patients at the sham acupuncture group accepted shallow acupuncture methods at 4 non-meridian points at each shoulder and upper arm. Outcome measures included endometrial ultrasonic indices such as vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI) and vascularization flow index (VFI), endometrial thickness and volume, subendometrial VI (sVI), subendometrial FI (sFI), subendometrial VFI (sVFI), implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, abortion rate, live birth rate and number of live births.@*RESULTS@#Finally, 34 patients in the traditional acupuncture group and 35 in the sham acupuncture group completed this trial. VI, FI and VFI of the traditional acupuncture group were significantly higher than those in the sham acupuncture group (P<0.05). No significant differences were found in endometrial thickness, endometrial volume, sVI, sFI, sVFI, implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, abortion rate, live birth rate and number of live births (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Manual acupuncture performed after oocyte aspiration and before transplantation improved the endometrial blood flow parameters VI, RI and VFI in women who underwent IVF-ET, instead of sVI, sFI and sVFI. Therefore, acupuncture might be beneficial in women undergoing IVF-ET by increasing endometrial blood flow and endometrial receptivity. (Registration No. ChiCTR2100053354).
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Pregnancy , Humans , Female , Fertilization in Vitro/methods , Single-Blind Method , Embryo Transfer , Pregnancy Rate , Acupuncture Therapy , Endometrium/blood supplyABSTRACT
Based on the interaction between supramolecule of traditional Chinese medicine and enterobacteria, the material basis of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and Coptidis Rhizoma was explored. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used to characterize the morphological differences of Rhubarb single decoction, Coptis single decoction and Rhubarb and Coptis co-decoction. An in vitro antibacterial model (E. coli, E. faecium and B. subtilis) was established to evaluate the damage effect of the combination of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and Coptidis Rhizoma on enterobacteria. Ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was used to analyze the changes of chemical components of single decoctions and co-decoctions. The co-decoction of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and Coptidis Rhizoma was turbid after decocting. The spherical particles of 300-400 nm were observed under SEM, and the co-decoction was more uniform and stable than that of single decoction. The interaction between supramolecules formed after the combination of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and Coptidis Rhizoma and enterobacteria was significantly different from that of single decoction. In the process of interaction between supramolecules and enterobacteria, the spherical state was maintained, and the medicinal ingredients in Coptidis Rhizoma or Rhei Radix et Rhizoma were blocked, which could effectively alleviate the damage to enterobacteria. This study provided a reference for subsequent studies on the regulation of intestinal flora homeostasis by the combination of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and Coptidis Rhizoma.
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Small-molecule phenolic substances widely exist in animals and plants, and have some shared biological activities. The metabolism of phenylalanine and tyrosine in the human body, and especially the metabolism of catecholamine neurotransmitters, produces endogenous small-molecule phenols. Endogenous small-molecule phenolic substances are functionally related to the important physiological processes and the occurrence of mental diseases in humans and some animals, which are systematically sorts and summarized in this review. Integrating the previous experimental research and literature analysis on natural small-molecule phenols by our research group, the understanding of the hypothesis that "small-molecule phenol are pharmacological signal carriers" was deepened. Based on above, the concept of "phenolomics" was further proposed, analyzed the research direction and research content which can bring into the knowledge framework of phenolomics. The induction of phenolomics will provide wider perspectives on explaining the pharmacological mechanism of drugs, discovering new drug targets, and finding biomarkers of mental diseases.
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Objective:To investigate the risk factors for posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and construction of prediction model.Methods:The retrospective case-control study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 116 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent hepatectomy in the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from January 2019 to January 2022 were collected. There were 99 males and 17 females, aged (59±10)years. Observation indicators: (1) occurrence of PHLF; (2) analysis of factors influencing the occurrence of PHLF; (3) construction and evaluation of prediction model for PHLF. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and comparison between groups was conducted using the t test. Measurement data with skewed distri-bution were represented as M( Q1, Q3), and comparison between groups was conducted using the rank sum test. Count data were described as absolute numbers, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test or Fisher exact probability. The univariate analysis was conducted using the corresponding statistical methods based on data type. Multivariate analysis was conducted using the Logistic regression model with forward method. The regression coefficient was used to construct the prediction model. The receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn, and the area under curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the predictive ability of prediction model. Results:(1) Occurrence of PHLF. Of the 116 patients, there were 27 cases with PHLF and 89 cases without PHLF, respectively. Of the 27 patients with PHLF, 13 cases underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy and 14 cases underwent open hepatectomy. (2) Analysis of factors influencing the occurrence of PHLF. Results of multivariate analysis showed preoperative portal vein tumor thrombus and preoperative indocyanine green retention at 15 minutes (ICG R15) ≥10% were independent risk factors influencing the occurrence of PHLF ( odds ratio=13.463, 4.702, 95% confidence interval as 3.140-57.650, 1.600-13.800, P<0.05). (3) Construction and evaluation of prediction model for PHLF. According to the multivariate analysis, preoperative portal vein tumor thrombus and preoperative ICG R15 were included to construct the prediction model for predicting the occurrence of PHLF in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The AUC, sensitivity, specificity of prediction model was 0.750 (95% confidence interval as 0.654-0.846, P<0.05), 0.551, 0.852, respectively. Conclusions:Preoperative portal vein tumor thrombus and preoperative ICG R15 ≥10% are independent risk factors influen-cing the occurrence of PHLF. The prediction model based on these two factors has good efficacy in predicting PHLF of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
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【Objective:】 To compare and analyze the trends and hotspots in the field of medical ethics at home and abroad, and explore their teaching enlightenment for medical ethics in China. 【Methods:】 The relevant papers indexed in CNKI and Web of Science database from December 31, 2011 to December 31, 2022 were retrieved with "medical ethics" as the key word. The bibliometric method was used to compare and analyze the research trends, keyword co-occurrence, and changes of research hotspots of medical ethics at home and abroad. 【Results:】 A total of 1,187 Chinese and English papers were included. Medical ethics education and bioethics were the common research topics both domestically and internationally. The research topics in China focused on ethical teaching and the ethical principles in clinical practice, and the research hotspots in the past two years were curriculum ideological and political education, teaching practice, etc. Foreign research focused on ethical issues in clinical practice, and in the past two years, the hotspots were clinical trial ethics, informed consent, and so on. 【Conclusion:】 Medical ethics research at home and abroad has different emphasis, with domestic research being theoretical oriented and foreign research being practical oriented. By deepening the content of courses, improving the sustainable education system, and strengthening interdisciplinary cooperation, the development of ethical education in China can be promoted. This paper can provide reference for improving the education system of medical ethics in China and pointing out the direction of further research on medical ethics.
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Aim To investigate the effect of terpinen-4-ol (T40) on inflammatory injury of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) induced by high glucose based on the improvement of autophagic flow disorder and involved molecular signals. Methods The scratch test was used to analyze the migration ability of VSMCs, the levels of IL-1β and IL-6 in cell culture supernatant were measured by ELISA, the expression levels of inflammation-related proteins NF-κb p65, p-NF-κb p65, IL-1β, IL-18 and autophagy-related proteins p62, LC3-HYLC3-I, Beclinl, p-Beclinl were de-tected by Western blot. Results T40 inhibited migration of VSMCs induced by high glucose, reduced the secretion and release of pro-inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-6, inhibited the expression of p-NF-κb p65/ NF-κb p65, IL-1β, IL-18, downregulated the expression of p62, LC3-TJ/LC3- I and p-Beclinl at same time. After interfering the autophagic flux of VSMCs with autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) , T40 pre-treatment significantly inhibited the protein expression levels of the above inflammatory factors and autophagy-related signals which mediated by CQ. Conclusion T40 inhibits the inflammatory injury of VSMCs induced by high glucose through improving the autophagic flow disorder.
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Aim To investigate the effect of PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway in the treatment of physicion-8-O-β-D-monoglu-coside(PMG) on acute liver injury induced by carbon tetracloride(CCl 4) in mice . Methods Mice were randomly assigned into control group, model group, PMG low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups and Bifendate groups. After the continuous intervention with PMG for three days, CCl 4oil solution was intraperitoneally injected to establish acute liver injury mouse models, and samples were collected sixteen hours later. HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of liver tissue. Hoechst 33342 staining was used to detect the number of apoptotic hepatocytes. Western blot was employed to detect the expression levels of caspase-3, PI3K, p-PI3K, AKT, p-Akt, IκB, p-IκB total protein and the nuclear protein NF-κB p65 in mouse liver tissue. The proportion of Th17 cells in mouse liver tissue was detected by FACS. Results After three days of PMG treatment, the pathological injury of liver tissue was relieved, the apoptosis of liver cells and the protein levels of caspase-3(P<0.01) were induced compared with model group.PMG could significantly decrease the nuclear expression of NF-κB p65 in the liver of mice with acute liver injury(P<0.05 or P<0.01). The phosphorylation levels of PI3K, AKT and IκB significantly decreased by PMG(P<0.05 or P <0.01). Otherwise, the proportion of Th17 cells in liver tissue was significantly reduced after PMG treatment(P<0.01). Conclusion PMG can alleviate CCl4 - induced acute liver injury through PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway.
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AIM: To investigate the correlation between xanthelasma palpebrarum(XP)and the genetic factor of hypercholesterolemia and provide a basis for the elucidation of the pathogenesis of xanthelasma palpebrarum.METHODS: A total of 29 patients with XP who treated in the ophthalmology department of Foshan Sanshui District People's Hospital from November 2019 to January 2021 were selected. Peripheral blood was drawn, and the Next Generation Sequencing(NGS)technology was used to detect the genetic mutations of patients, while blood lipids of XP patients were analyzed.RESULTS: Gene mutations were detected in 21 patients with XP, among which 13 cases had hypercholesterolemia and 8 cases had normal cholesterol levels. Genes including STAP1, APOB, LDLRAP1, LDLR, PCSK9 and APOE mutated, and the types of gene mutation included 3-UTR mutation, in-frame deletion, missense mutation, 5-UTR mutation, synonymous mutation, intronic mutation, alternative splice variant, non coding transcript exon variant, and non coding transcript variant.CONCLUSION: There is a correlation between genetic factors of hypercholesterolemia and XP.
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OBJECTIVES@#Firefighters are prone to suffer from psychological trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the workplace, and have a poor prognosis after PTSD. Reliable models for predicting PTSD allow for effective identification and intervention for patients with early PTSD. By collecting the psychological traits, psychological states and work situations of firefighters, this study aims to develop a machine learning algorithm with the aim of effectively and accurately identifying the onset of PTSD in firefighters, as well as detecting some important predictors of PTSD onset.@*METHODS@#This study conducted a cross-sectional survey through convenient sampling of firefighters from 20 fire brigades in Changsha, which were evenly distributed across 6 districts and Changsha County, with a total of 628 firefighters. We used the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) to process data sets and used grid search to finish the parameter tuning. The predictive capability of several commonly used machine learning models was compared by 5-fold cross-validation and using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC-AUC), accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score.@*RESULTS@#The random forest model achieved good performance in predicting PTSD with an average AUC score at 0.790. The mean accuracy of the model was 90.1%, with an F1 score of 0.945. The three most important predictors were perseverance, forced thinking, and reflective deep thinking, with weights of 0.165, 0.158, and 0.152, respectively. The next most important predictors were employment time, psychological power, and optimism.@*CONCLUSIONS@#PTSD onset prediction model for Changsha firefighters constructed by random forest has strong predictive ability, and both psychological characteristics and work situation can be used as predictors of PTSD onset risk for firefighters. In the next step of the study, validation using other large datasets is needed to ensure that the predictive models can be used in clinical setting.
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Humans , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis , Firefighters/psychology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Algorithms , Machine LearningABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to investigate the role and mechanism of terpinen-4-ol (T4O) on high glucose (HG) -induced calcification in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC). To investigate the role of T4O on HG-induced calcium deposition, osteogenic phenotypic transformation and mitochondrial dynamics in VSMC, Mdivi-1, a mitochondrial dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp-1) inhibitor, was used to analyze the correlation between mitochondrial dynamics and VSMC calcification and the role of T4O. Alizarin red S staining was used to observe calcium salt deposition and flow cytometry to detect intracellular Ca2+ content; Western blot and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression of phenotypic switching-related markers α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and Runt related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and mitochondrial dynamics-related markers mitofusin 1 (MFN1), mitofusin 2 (MFN2) and Drp-1. The results showed that low and high doses of T4O could inhibit HG-induced down-regulation of α-SMA, MFN1 and MFN2 expression levels, and up-regulation of BMP2, Runx2 and Drp-1 expression levels, reduce intracellular Ca2+ content and calcium salt deposition, and effectively inhibit HG-induced VSMC calcification and mitochondrial dynamics disorders. The T4O group, Mdivi-1 group and T4O+Mdivi-1 group were able to up-regulate the expression levels of HG-induced α-SMA, MFN1 and MFN2, down-regulate the protein expression levels of BMP2, Runx2 and Drp-1, and inhibit calcium salt deposition, and there was no significant difference between the above indexes in the T4O and T4O+Mdivi-1 groups. The above findings suggest that T4O can inhibit the expression level of Drp-1, regulate the disturbance of mitochondrial dynamics, and suppress HG-induced VSMC calcification.
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Taking berberine (BBR) as an example, to study whether the supramolecular hydrogel formed by berberine and lotus root starch (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn; LRS), a natural polysaccharide, affects the inhibition to Staphylococcus aureus and the ability of biofilm clearance. The chemical structure and rheological properties of BBR@LRS gel were characterized by infrared spectroscopy and rheometer. The in vitro release of supramolecular hydrogel was observed at pH = 1.2 and pH = 7.4. Broth dilution method and biofilm clearence experiment were used to observe the bacteriostasis and biofilm clearance respectively. Cytotoxicity test and in vitro hemolysis test were used to evaluate the biosafety preliminarily. The results showed that the LRS polysaccharide hydrogel could encapsulate BBR, and there was an interaction between them. The BBR@LRS gel had good rheological properties and biosafety, and played a role in solubility enhancement and slow release of BBR, which was stronger than BBR in inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and clearing biofilm. This study provides reference for the effect of natural polysaccharide supramolecular hydrogels on biological functions of active components of traditional Chinese medicine.
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An ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q Exactive-Orbitrap MS) method for the simultaneous determination of 15 compounds (taurocholic acid, 7-keto-3α,12-α-dihydroxycholanic acid, glycocholic acid, 3-oxo-7α,12α-hydroxy-5β-cholanoic acid, taurochenodeoxycholic acid, 3α-hydroxy-7-oxo-5β-cholanic acid, hyocholic acid, sodium taurodeoxycholate, hyodeoxycholic acid, cholic acid, glycochenodeoxycholic acid, glycodeoxycholic acid, taurolithocholic acid sodium salt, chenodeoxycholic acid, deoxycholic acid) in Niuhuang Jiangya Pills was established. The separation was performed on a Thermo Fisher Scientfic Bremen HYPERSIL GOLD C18 column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.9 μm). Methanol and water (containing 0.1% formic acid)were adopted as the mobile phase by gradient elution．MS detection was performed with multiple reaction monitoring mode．The results showed that fifteen compounds had a good linearity within their respective concentration ranges (r > 0.999 0). The average recovery rates were 93.7%- 105.2% (n = 9). The established method was used to determine the content of 15 batches of samples, and the results showed that the content of cholic acid was quite different. The present study provides an important reference for the overall quality control of Niuhuang Jiangya Pills.
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Objective:To construct and verify the nomogram prediction model based on inflammatory indicators, underlying diseases, etiology and the British Thoracic Society modified pneumonia score (CURB-65 score) in adults with severe community acquired pneumonia (CAP).Methods:The clinical data of 172 adult inpatients first diagnosed as CAP at Taikang Xianlin Drum Tower Hospital from January 2018 to December 2021 were divided into severe and non-severe diseases groups according to the severity of their conditions. The baseline conditions (including gender, age, past history, comorbidities and family history), clinical data (including chief symptoms, onset time, CURB-65 score), first laboratory results on admission (including whole blood cell count, liver and kidney function, blood biochemistry, coagulation function, microbiological culture results) and whether the antimicrobial therapy was adjusted according to the microbiological culture results were recorded in both groups. Univariate analysis was used to screen for differential indicators between severe and non-severe patients. After covariate analysis, multi-factor Logistic regression analysis was performed based on the Aakaike information criterion (AIC) forward stepwise regression method to rigorously search for risk factors for constructing the model. Based on the results of the multi-factor analysis, a nomogram prediction model was constructed, and the discriminatory degree and calibration degree of the model were assessed using the receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) and calibration curve.Results:A total of 172 adult CAP patients were included, 48 in severe group and 124 in non-severe group. The median age was 74 (57, 83) years old, onset time was 5.0 (3.0, 10.0) days, total number of comorbidities was 3 (2, 5), including 58 cases (33.7%) with hypertension and 17 (9.9%) with heart failure, 113 (65.7%) with CURB-65 score≤1, 34 cases (19.8%) had a CURB-65 score = 2 and 25 cases (14.5%) had a CURB-65 score≥3. Univariate analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences between the two groups in age, smoking history, CURB-65 score, heart rate, onset time, total comorbidity, pathogenic microorganisms, fibrinogen (FIB), D-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Multi-factor Logistic regression analysis showed that hypertension [odds ratio ( OR) = 3.749, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.411 to 9.962], heart failure ( OR = 4.616, 95% CI was 1.116 to 19.093), co-infection ( OR = 2.886, 95% CI was 1.073 to 7.760), history of smoking ( OR = 8.268, 95% CI was 2.314 to 29.537), moderate to high CURB-65 score ( OR = 4.833, 95% CI was 1.892 to 12.346), CRP ( OR = 1.012, 95% CI was 1.002 to 1.022), AST ( OR = 1.015, 95% CI was 1.001 to 1.030) were risk factors for severe CAP (all P < 0.05). The filtered indicators were included in the nomogram model, and the results showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for the model to identify patients with severe adult CAP was 0.896, 95% CI was 0.840 to 0.937 ( P < 0.05), and the calibration curve showed that the predicted probability of severe CAP was in good agreement with the observed probability (Hosmer-Lemeshow test: χ2 = 6.088, P = 0.665). Conclusions:The nomogram model has a good ability to identify patients with severe adult CAP and can be used as a comprehensive and reliable clinical diagnostic tool to provide a evidence for timely intervention in the treatment of adults with severe CAP.
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Brain metastasis is a common complication of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. About 25%-55% of patients with NSCLC will develop brain metastases, and the occurrence of brain metastasis predicts a poor prognosis. Traditionally, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and surgery are the main treatment options for NSCLC patients with brain metastases. In recent years, with the emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), the survival of NSCLC patients with brain metastases has been significantly improved. This article reviews the research progress of ICI treatment for NSCLC patients with brain metastases in order to provide new treatment strategies.
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Objective:To study the difference in the extraction efficiency of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) nucleic acid by using magnetic beads method, centrifugal column method and one-step method.Methods:On March 5, 2021, 10 throat swabs were collected from the staff working in the nucleic acid sampling room in Department of Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Taikang Xianlin Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University. The positive quality control samples were mixed into the swabs and used as mock positive samples. The RNA was extracted from simulated positive samples and their diluted samples by using magnetic beads method, centrifugation column method and one-step method. The purity ( A260/ A280 ratio) and concentration of the nucleic acid obtained were measured by micro-uv photometry, and fluorescence quantitative PCR was performed to compare the CT value and extraction efficiency. The three methods were used to extract the simulated weak positive specimens and to compare the difference of CT values after amplification. The measurement data that followed normal distribution were expressed by xˉ±s, the t test was used for comparing in the same group, and single factor analysis of variance was used for comparing among multiple groups. A P value smaller than 0.05 indicated a significant difference. Results:2019-nCoV nucleic acid extracted by magnetic bead method, centrifugal column method and one-step method could amplify positive results. There was no significant difference between the CT value of RNA amplification extracted by magnetic bead method and one-step method ( t=? 0.995 , P=0.376). The CT values of orf1ab gene amplified by centrifugal column method, magnetic bead method and one-step method were 29.28±0.06, 30.82±0.14 and 29.79±0.01 respectively ( F=11.196 , P=0.041). The CT values of E gene were 28.52±0.40, 27.33±0.78 and 27.38±0.13 respectively ( F=3.407, P=0.169). The CT values of N gene were 28.61±1.02, 27.24±0.20 and 27.25±0.47, respectively ( F=2.880 , P=0.020). The CT values of human genes extracted by centrifugal column method, magnetic bead method and one-step method were 19.68±0.36, 20.14±0.06 and 20.58±0.49 respectively, which was statistically significant ( F=4.904, P=0.048). The CT value of amplified human gene was affected by the dilution of human samples twice. The CT value of undiluted samples was smaller than that of diluted samples twice, with a difference of 2.95±0.22, which was statistically significant ( t=?3.025, P=0.039). The extraction time of one-step method, magnetic bead method and centrifugal column method were (15.00±1.50), (20.00±1.50) and (40.00±5.5) min respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( F=688 , P=0.027). Conclusions:Magnetic bead method, centrifugal column method and one-step method can be used to extract 2019-nCoV nucleic acid, for the centrifugal column method has a higher extraction efficiency than the magnetic bead method and the one-step method. The one-step method is the fastest, followed by the magnetic bead method and the centrifugal column method. A large number of clinical samples can be processed using the magnetic bead method and one-step method. One-step rapid nucleic acid test can also be performed on samples from emergency and fever clinics. It is not recommended to dilute specimens for testing. In order to improve the detection rate, extracting RNA from highly suspected samples with negative initial nucleic acid test by centrifugal column method is suggested.
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Aim To study the effect of Morinda officinalis on serum metabolisms in ovariectomized osteoporosis rats based on metabonomics, and explore the mechanism of Morinda officinalis in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.Methods Forty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group and Morinda officinalis group.The Morinda officinalis group was given Morinda officinalis water extract by gavage.The model group and sham operation group were given normal saline by gavage.The bone mineral density(BMD)of the right femur was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; the maximum load of the tibia bending at three points and the lumbar compression was measured by universal material testing machine.The endogenous metabolites of ovariectomized osteoporosis rats were identified by serum metabonomics, and the potential differential metabolites were screened and identified..Results The BMD and maximum load of the model group decreased significantly, while the Morinda officinalis group increased significantly compared with the model group.The serum metabolic spectrum of the sham operation group was completely separated from that of the model group, and the Morinda officinalis group was close to the sham operation group, suggesting that the body had a tendency to return to normal after intervention of Morinda officinalis.28 metabolites and 5 metabolic pathways were identified to be related to ovariectomized osteoporosis.Morinda officinalis could regulate the contents of stearic acid, uracil and other metabolites, which were related to the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, the metabolism of pyrimidine and so on.Conclusion Morinda officinalis can prevent ovariectomized osteoporosis by regulating the lipid metabolism and nucleic acid metabolism.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of modified Xiaoyaosan on central dopamine transporter （DAT）/protein kinase C （PKC）-dependent signaling pathway in hyperprolactinemia （HPRL） rats. MethodHPRL rat model was established by chronic combined stress combined with intraperitoneal injection of metoclopramide. Ninety-six rats were randomly divided into six groups， namely， the blank group， model group， western medicine （bromocriptine， 0.001 g·kg-1·d-1） group， and high-， medium-， and low-dose （60， 30， 15 g·kg-1·d-1） modified Xiaoyaosan groups. After 14 days of administration， the serum prolactin （PRL） content was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay， the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase （TH） in rat hypothalamus by immunohistochemistry， and the protein expression of DAT and PKC in hypothalamus by Western blot. ResultCompared with the blank group， the model group exhibited significantly increased PRL and DAT （P<0.01）， but decreased TH and PKC （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， bromocriptine and modified Xiaoyaosan at the medium dose significantly lowered the content of PRL （P<0.01）. The modified Xiaoyaosan at the medium and high doses elevated the expression of TH （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expression levels of PKC in the medium- and low-dose modified Xiaoyaosan groups and the western medicine group were significantly increased （P<0.01）， while the DAT expression levels in the high-， medium-， and low-dose modified Xiaoyaosan groups and the western medicine group were decreased （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe modified Xiaoyaosan is able to up-regulate the expression of TH and down-regulate the level of DAT through PKC-dependent signaling pathway， thereby regulating the PRL.
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ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Fuzi Lizhongwan alleviating the damage of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy （CIPN） mice caused by cisplatin based on mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） signaling pathway. MethodA total of 40 female KM mice were randomized into blank group （distilled water， ig）， model group （distilled water， ig）， Fuzi Lizhongwan group （3.5 g·kg-1， ig）， and aspirin group （0.026 g·kg-1， ig）. Cisplatin （3 mg·kg-1， ip， 5 days） was used to induce CIPN in mice. Administration began while modeling and lasted 12 days. The general conditions and behaviors of mice were observed. After the last administration， samples were collected. Pathological changes of the soles were observed based on hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Biochemical assay was employed to determine the levels of serum superoxide dismutase （SOD）， hydrogen peroxide （H2O2）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， and nitric oxide （NO）， enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） the content of interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， and glutathione peroxidase-3 （GPX-3） in kidney tissue， and Western blotting the expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 （ERK1/2）， phosphorylated-ERK1/2 （p-ERK1/2）， p38 MAPK， and phosphorylated-p38 MAPK （p-p38 MAPK） in kidney tissue. ResultCompared with the blank group， model group demonstrated obvious pathological damage on the soles， hyperkeratosis of the epidermis with a basketweave pattern， atrophy of stratum spinosum， reduction of cells， and intracellular edema. Compared with the model group， Fuzi Lizhongwan significantly alleviated the pathological damage of the skin tissue of the soles. The model group showed lower body weight， mechanical pain threshold， thermal pain threshold （P<0.01）， and SOD activity （P<0.05）， higher content of H2O2， MDA， and NO （P<0.01）， and higher expression of IL-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α （P<0.01） than the blank group. Fuzi Lizhongwan group demonstrated higher body weight， mechanical pain threshold， thermal pain threshold （P<0.01）， and SOD activity （P<0.05）， lower content of H2O2， MDA， and NO （P<0.05）， and lower expression of IL-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α （P<0.01） than the model group. The expression of ERK1/2， p-ERK1/2， p38 MAPK， and p-p38 MAPK increased significantly （P<0.01） in the model group compared with that in the blank group， while the expression decreased significantly （P<0.01） in the Fuzi Lizhongwan group compared with that in the model group. ConclusionFuzi Lizhongwan can relieve the neurological injury of cisplatin-induced CIPN mice and increase the pain threshold of mice， possibly by regulating the MAPK signaling pathway and inhibiting inflammatory response and oxidative stress.
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Acute lung injury is a common critical respiratory disease， which can further develop into acute respiratory distress syndrome （ARDS） with a high fatality rate， but there is no effective drug at present. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） signaling pathway is involved in cell proliferation， metabolism， survival， and motility through phosphorylation of numerous downstream effector molecules. It plays an important role in the development of acute lung injury by regulating mitochondrial function， apoptosis， autophagy， oxidative stress， and inflammatory response. The active ingredients in Chinese medicinals alleviate acute lung injury by targeting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. There has been an explosion of research on the treatment of acute lung injury by active ingredients in Chinese medicinals via PI3K/Akt signaling pathway， which is of great clinical research value. The article presented the first summary of studies exploring the correlation between PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and acute lung injury in recent years and summed up the protective effect of the active ingredients in Chinese medicinals against acute lung injury via PI3K/Akt signaling pathway， providing innovative mindsets and strategies for clinical application of active ingredients in Chinese medicinals in the treatment of acute lung injury.
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OBJECTIVE@#To assess the efficacy and safety of mulberry twig alkaloids (Sangzhi alkaloids, SZ-A) for treatment of type 2 diabetes in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter clinical trial.@*METHODS@#A total of 200 patients were randomized to receive SZ-A (n=100) or placebo (n=100) for 16 weeks. The data analysis system for electronic data capture clinical trial central randomization system was used for randomization and dispensing of drugs. The primary outcome was the change in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level. The secondary outcome included the proportions of cases with HbA1c <7.0% and HbA1c <6.5%, fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial blood glucose (PBG), area under curve for the PBG (AUC0-2h), body weight, and body mass index (BMI). Adverse events (AEs), severe adverse events (SAEs), treatment-related adverse events (TAEs), gastrointestinal disorders (GDs), blood pressure, routine blood tests, and liver and kidney function were monitored.@*RESULTS@#Compared with baseline, the change of HbA1c at week 16 was -0.80% (95% CI: -0.98% to -0.62%) and -0.09% (95% CI: -0.27% to 0.09%) in SZ-A group and placebo group, respectively. The proportion of patients with HbA1c <7% and <6.5% was higher in the SZ-A group than in the placebo group (46.8% vs. 21.6% and 29.9% vs. 10.8%). The observed values and changes in FBG, 1 h-PBG, 2 h-PBG, and AUC0-2h differed significantly between groups (P<0.001), but differences were not significant in body weight and BMI (P>0.05). The incidence rates of AEs, TAEs, and GDs differed significantly between groups (P=0.010, P=0.005, and P=0.006, respectively), whereas the incidence rates of SAEs showed no significant differences between groups (P=1.000).@*CONCLUSION@#SZ-A are effective and safe for treatment of type 2 diabetes. The protocol was registered in http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=60117 (ChiCTR2000038550).