Implication practice of “Internet Plus” new technology in chronic diseases management in community / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective  To introduce and evaluate the practice of “Internet Plus” new technology for health management of chronic diseases in community in Yichang, and to provide reference for chronic disease patients' health management in community. Methods  Data of hypertensive patients were collected from the national basic public health service system, the big data intelligent sorting system for chronic disease patients in Yichang City, and the basic public health service system in urban areas in Yichang from 2016 to 2020. Data on the discovery, sorting and filing, standardized management rate and blood pressure control of urban hypertension patients were analyzed. The application effect of “Internet Plus” new technology in chronic disease community health management was evaluated. Results  From 2016 to 2020, 15 934 patients with hypertension were found and their health records were established through big and intelligent data in Yichang City, accounting for 93.54% (15 934 / 17 035) of the total. The rate of standardized management in each district increased year by year, with an increase of 8.71% in 2020 compared with 2016, and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=1273.30, P2=867.14, P<0.001). Conclusion  Data exchange and sharing among medical institutions at all levels can strengthen the health management of chronic diseases in the community. The “Internet Plus” new technology, integrating the Internet, big data, cloud computing and intelligent terminal technology, can effectively improve the detection, management and treatment rate of chronic diseases, and provide a new direction for the health management of chronic diseases.

Epidemiological Survey of Hemoglobinopathies Based on Next-Generation Sequencing Platform in Hunan Province, China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#This study was aimed at investigating the carrier rate of, and molecular variation in, α- and β-globin gene mutations in Hunan Province.@*METHODS@#We recruited 25,946 individuals attending premarital screening from 42 districts and counties in all 14 cities of Hunan Province. Hematological screening was performed, and molecular parameters were assessed.@*RESULTS@#The overall carrier rate of thalassemia was 7.1%, including 4.83% for α-thalassemia, 2.15% for β-thalassemia, and 0.12% for both α- and β-thalassemia. The highest carrier rate of thalassemia was in Yongzhou (14.57%). The most abundant genotype of α-thalassemia and β-thalassemia was -α 3.7/αα (50.23%) and β IVS-II-654/β N (28.23%), respectively. Four α-globin mutations [CD108 (ACC>AAC), CAP +29 (G>C), Hb Agrinio and Hb Cervantes] and six β-globin mutations [CAP +8 (C>T), IVS-II-848 (C>T), -56 (G>C), beta nt-77 (G>C), codon 20/21 (-TGGA) and Hb Knossos] had not previously been identified in China. Furthermore, this study provides the first report of the carrier rates of abnormal hemoglobin variants and α-globin triplication in Hunan Province, which were 0.49% and 1.99%, respectively.@*CONCLUSION@#Our study demonstrates the high complexity and diversity of thalassemia gene mutations in the Hunan population. The results should facilitate genetic counselling and the prevention of severe thalassemia in this region.

Effects of sodium iodide symporter co-expression on proliferation and cytotoxic activity of chimeric antigen receptor T cells in vitro / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of co-expression of sodium iodide symporter (NIS) reporter gene on the proliferation and cytotoxic activity of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells in vitro.@*METHODS@#T cells expressing CD19 CAR (CAR-T cells), NIS reporter gene (NIS-T cells), and both (NIS-CAR-T cells) were prepared by lentiviral infection. The transfection rates of NIS and CAR were determined by flow cytometry, and the cell proliferation rate was assessed using CCK-8 assay at 24, 48 and 72 h of routine cell culture. The T cells were co-cultured with Nalm6 tumor cells at the effector-target ratios of 1∶2, 1∶1, 2∶1 and 4∶1 for 24, 48 and 72 h, and the cytotoxicity of CAR-T cells to the tumor cells was evaluated using lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. ELISA was used to detect the release of IFN-γ and TNF-β in the co-culture supernatant, and the function of NIS was detected with iodine uptake test.@*RESULTS@#The CAR transfection rate was 91.91% in CAR-T cells and 99.41% in NIS-CAR-T cells; the NIS transfection rate was 47.83% in NIS-T cells and 50.24% in NIS- CAR-T cells. No significant difference in the proliferation rate was observed between CAR-T and NIS-CAR-T cells cultured for 24, 48 or 72 h (P> 0.05). In the co-cultures with different effector-target ratios, the tumor cell killing rate was significantly higher in CAR-T group than in NIS-CAR-T group at 24 h (P < 0.05), but no significant difference was observed between the two groups at 48 h or 72 h (P>0.05). Higher IFN-γ and TNF-β release levels were detected in both CAR-T and NIS-CAR-T groups than in the control group (P < 0.05). NIS-T cells and NIS-CAR-T cells showed similar capacity of specific iodine uptake (P>0.05), which was significantly higher than that in the control T cells (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The co-expression of the NIS reporter gene does not affect CAR expression, proliferation or tumor cell-killing ability of CAR-T cells.

Exploration of nanofiltration conditions for separation of alcohol precipitation liquid during preparation of Reduning Injection by Box-Behnken design combined with flux attenuation / 中国中药杂志

This study employed Box-Behnken design combined with flux attenuation to explore the nanofiltration conditions for separation of alcohol precipitation liquid during the preparation of Reduning Injection and discussed the applicability of nanofiltration in the separation of the liquid with high-concentration ethanol. The effects of nanofiltration molecular weight cut-off(MWCO) and pH on the rejection of chlorogenic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, and 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid were consistent with the principles of pore size sieving and charge effect, respectively. The rejection of the three phenolic acids was reduced by concentration polarization effect caused by trans-membrane pressure(TMP). The swelling of membrane surface decreased the pore size and membrane flux for effective separation. Chlorogenic acid and 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid were more sensitive to pH and ethanol concentration than 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid. A certain correlation existed between the compound structure and the separation factors of nanofiltration, and the separation rules were associated with the comprehensive effect of charge effect, pore size sieving, concentration polarization, steric hindrance and so on.

Application of Nanopore Sequencing Technology in the Clinical Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Infectious diseases are an enormous public health burden and a growing threat to human health worldwide. Emerging or classic recurrent pathogens, or pathogens with resistant traits, challenge our ability to diagnose and control infectious diseases. Nanopore sequencing technology has the potential to enhance our ability to diagnose, interrogate, and track infectious diseases due to the unrestricted read length and system portability. This review focuses on the application of nanopore sequencing technology in the clinical diagnosis of infectious diseases and includes the following: (i) a brief introduction to nanopore sequencing technology and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) sequencing platforms; (ii) strategies for nanopore-based sequencing technologies; and (iii) applications of nanopore sequencing technology in monitoring emerging pathogenic microorganisms, molecular detection of clinically relevant drug-resistance genes, and characterization of disease-related microbial communities. Finally, we discuss the current challenges, potential opportunities, and future outlook for applying nanopore sequencing technology in the diagnosis of infectious diseases.

Analysis of epidemiological characteristics and clinical features of 480 hospitalized patients with dengue fever in Guangdong Province in 2019 / 中华传染病杂志

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of hospitalized patients with dengue fever in Guangdong Province in 2019, so as to provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment of dengue fever.Methods:The general data, laboratory examination data, clinical manifestations and prognosis data of 480 inpatients with dengue fever admitted to Eight People′s Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University between January 4 and October 31, 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. The clinical and onset characteristics of patients with dengue fever were described.Results:Among 480 dengue patients, 442(92.1%) were dengue fever, 38(7.9%) were severe dengue, and 136(28.3%) had underlying diseases. The peak age of onset was mainly in young adults aged 20 to 49 years old, accounting for 66.0%(317/480) in total. The seasonal peak was mainly in August to October. There were 399(83.1%) local cases and 61(12.7%) imported cases. The most common clinical manifestations were fever (98.1%, 471/480), chills (72.9%, 350/480), headache (58.5%, 281/480) and bone/joint/muscle pain (67.1%, 322/480), followed by digestive tract symptoms and respiratory tract symptoms. Among 446 serum samples, 358 (80.3%) were dengue virus (DENV)-1, 54 (12.1%) were DENV-2, 34 (7.6%) were DENV-3. The main laboratory tests of the patients were leucopenia (65.8%, 316/480), low hematocrit (30.2%, 145/480), thrombocytopenia (48.3%, 232/480), neutropenia (44.8%, 215/480), elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (37.7%, 181/480) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (59.4%, 285/480). Treatment mainly adopted symptomatic support treatment and active prevention of complications. The length of stay was (5.8±3.1) days (range 1.0-38.0 days). A total of 461(96.0%) patients were cured or improved.Conclusions:In 2019, the majority of dengue fever patients in Guangdong Province are young adults aged 20 to 49 years old, and the proportion of severe patients is high, with DENV-1 infection as the main type. After symptomatic support treatment and active prevention of complications, most of the dengue fever patients have a good prognosis.

Chemical constituents of triterpenoid saponins from Glycyrrhiza glabra / 药学学报

Ten triterpenoid saponins were isolated and purified from the water extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra by polyamide resin combined with macroporous resin column chromatography, ODS medium pressure column chromatography and semi-preparative RP-HPLC. Their structures were elucidated by physicochemical properties, NMR and MS spectra, and determined as 3β-O-[β-D-glucuronpyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-glucuronpyranosyl]-30β-O-β-D-glucuronpyranosyl-oleanane-11-oxo-12(13)-ene (1), 3β-O-[β-D-glucuronpyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-glucuronpyranosyl]-30β-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-oleanane-11-oxo-12(13)-en-22β,30-diol (2), uralsaponin C (3), licorice-saponin A3 (4), licorice-saponin P2 (5), 22β-acetoxyl-glycyrrhizin (6), macedonoside A (7), 29-hydroxyl-glycyrrhizin (8), licorice-saponin G2 (9), glycyrrhizin (10). Compounds 1 and 2 are two new compounds and named as licorice-saponin R3 and licorice-saponin S3.

Clinical features and risk factors associated with severe COVID-19 patients in China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly spread throughout the world. In this study, we aimed to identify the risk factors for severe COVID-19 to improve treatment guidelines.@*METHODS@#A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted on 313 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Patients were classified into two groups based on disease severity (nonsevere and severe) according to initial clinical presentation. Laboratory test results and epidemiological and clinical characteristics were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to detect potential risk factors associated with severe COVID-19.@*RESULTS@#A total of 289 patients (197 nonsevere and 92 severe cases) with a median age of 45.0 (33.0, 61.0) years were included in this study, and 53.3% (154/289) were male. Fever (192/286, 67.1%) and cough (170/289, 58.8%) were commonly observed, followed by sore throat (49/289, 17.0%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that patients who were aged ≥ 65 years (OR: 2.725, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.317-5.636; P = 0.007), were male (OR: 1.878, 95% CI: 1.002-3.520, P = 0.049), had comorbid diabetes (OR: 3.314, 95% CI: 1.126-9.758, P = 0.030), cough (OR: 3.427, 95% CI: 1.752-6.706, P < 0.001), and/or diarrhea (OR: 2.629, 95% CI: 1.109-6.231, P = 0.028) on admission had a higher risk of severe disease. Moreover, stratification analysis indicated that male patients with diabetes were more likely to have severe COVID-19 (71.4% vs. 28.6%, χ2 = 8.183, P = 0.004).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The clinical characteristics of those with severe and nonsevere COVID-19 were significantly different. The elderly, male patients with COVID-19, diabetes, and presenting with cough and/or diarrhea on admission may require close monitoring to prevent deterioration.

Textual Research on Origin of Alismatis Rhizoma in China Pharmacopoeia / 中国实验方剂学杂志

This paper origin studies the origin of Alismatis Rhizoma in Chinese pharmacopoeia， and puts forward some suggestions for modification. Through the changes in the records of the source of Alismatis Rhizoma in the various versions of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and the records of Flora of China and Materia Medica of China，it is found that the source of Alismatis Rhizoma in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia is confused. Specifically， the Chinese name of Alismatis Rhizoma does not correspond to the Latin name. As a common Chinese herbal medicine，Alismatis Rhizoma has a large market circulation. Many classic Chinese medicine prescriptions released by China Food and Drug Administration contain Alismatis Rhizoma. The development of the classic Chinese medicine prescriptions will further increase the market circulation of Alismatis Rhizoma. As a major national move to promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine， the study for classic Chinese medicine prescriptions requires defining the origin of the medicinal materials used，and the confused origin of Alismatis Rhizoma recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia seriously hinder the development of the classics. Therefore，in order to regulate the origin of Alismatis Rhizoma， ensure the clinical efficacy and promote the development of classic Chinese medicine prescriptions，the confused origin of Alismatis Rhizoma in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia has to be resolved as soon as possible. Based on the analysis of the changes of Alismatis Rhizoma's producing areas in the past dynasties， it is found that the producing areas of Alismatis Rhizoma have continuous changed from Wei and Jin dynasties to present， and finally formed the current situation of Sichuan as the main producing area. In comparison of chemical composition，origin and market circulation of Alismatis Rhizoma in Sichuan Province that is the most productive， and Fujian Province that is the best quality， it is found that the two species are different in every aspects. Nowadays，Alisma plantago-aquatica occupies the majority of the market， which doesn't conform to Alisma orientale as specified in the 2015 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Therefore， through textual research and analysis， it is suggested that both A. plantago-aquatica and A. orientale. Shall be used as the origin of Alismatis Rhizoma. In the 2015 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia，Cassiae Semen，Schizonepetae Herba，Aisaematis Rhizoma，Fibraureae Caulis and Ajugae Herba have the same problem. This paper provides ideas for the revision of sources of traditional Chinese medicine.

Clinical characteristics and CT imaging features of patients with different clinical types of coronavirus disease 2019 / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and CT imaging features of patients with different clinical types of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), so as to provide a reference for the treatment and evaluation of COVID-19.Methods:The clinical data of 278 patients with COVID-19 admitted to Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital from January 20th to February 10th in 2020 were collected. The patients were divided into mild, ordinary, severe and critical types. The differences of clinical symptoms and signs, laboratory examination indexes and CT image features of lung in different clinical types were analyzed and compared, and the relationship between clinical and imaging features and clinical types of diseases were analyzed.Results:Among the 278 patients with COVID-19, 130 were male (46.8%) and 148 were female (53.2%), of whom 88.8% (247/278) were 20 to 69 years old. 238 (85.6%) patients combined one or more basic diseases. The source of cases was mainly imported cases ( n = 201, 72.3%), of whom 89 cases were imported from Wuhan, accounting for 44.3% of all imported cases. With the aggravation of the disease, the male composition ratio, age and the number of basic diseases of patients gradually increased, and the incidences of fever, dry cough, chilly or chills, and fatigue in severe and critical patients were significantly higher than those in the mild and ordinary ones. The white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil counts (NEU) and proportions (NEU%) of the severe and critical patients were higher than those of the mild and ordinary patients [WBC (×10 9/L): 5.7±3.1, 6.5±2.4 vs. 5.4±1.7, 4.9±1.6; NEU (×10 9/L): 4.4±3.1, 4.9±2.5 vs. 2.8±1.2, 2.9±1.3; NEU%: 0.72±0.13, 0.73±0.14 vs. 0.51±0.12, 0.59±0.11; all P < 0.01], while the lymphocyte count (LYM) and ratio (LYM%), platelet count (PLT) were lower than those in the mild and ordinary patients [LYM (×10 9/L): 1.0±0.4, 1.2±0.8 vs. 2.1±0.9, 1.5±0.6; LYM%: 0.21±0.11, 0.20±0.12 vs. 0.40±0.11, 0.32±0.11; PLT (×10 9/L): 177.1±47.8, 157.7±51.6 vs. 215.3±59.7, 191.8±64.3; all P < 0.05]. The level of albumin (Alb) was the lowest in the critical patients and the level of total bilirubin (TBil) was the highest, which was statistically significant as compared with the mild, ordinary and severe patients [Alb (g/L): 33.0±5.8 vs. 42.8±4.4, 39.6±5.1, 34.4±4.2; TBil (μmol/L): 20.1±12.8 vs. 12.0±8.7, 10.9±6.3, 12.2±8.3; both P < 0.01]. Lactate dehydration (LDH) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in the severe and critical patients were significantly higher than those in the mild and ordinary patients [LDH (μmol·s -1·L -1): 5.6±2.2, 5.0±2.9 vs. 2.8±0.9, 3.3±1.2; cTnI (μg/L): 0.010 (0.006, 0.012), 0.010 (0.006, 0.012) vs. 0.005 (0.003, 0.006), 0.005 (0.001, 0.008); both P < 0.05]. C-reactive protein (CRP) level of severe patients were higher than that in the mild, ordinary and critical patients [mg/L: 43.3 (33.2, 72.1) vs. 22.1 (16.2, 25.7), 29.7 (19.8, 43.1), 25.8 (23.0, 36.7), P < 0.01]. The level of procalcitonin (PCT) in the severe and critical patients was higher than that in the mild and ordinary patients [μg/L: 0.17 (0.12, 0.26), 0.13 (0.09, 0.24) vs. 0.06 (0.05, 0.08), 0.05 (0.04, 0.09), P < 0.01]. The typical CT imaging features were as follows: the ordinary type mainly showed the single or multiple ground glass shadows on the chest image; the severe type mainly showed the multiple ground glass shadows, infiltration shadows or solid transformation shadows. Compared with the ordinary patients, the lesions increase, and the scope of the lesion expanded to show double lungs. Critical type was mainly manifested as diffuse consolidation of both lungs with multiple patchy density increase shadows, multiple leafy patchy density increase shadows were seen on each leaf, most of them were ground glass-like density, and some were shown separately lung consolidation. Conclusions:Men, advanced aged, and combining multiple underlying diseases are high-risk populations of COVID-19, and they should pay close attention to the risk of progressing to severe or critical type. CT imaging features could be used as an important supplement when diagnosing severe and critical COVID-19.

Analysis of quality difference based on Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus in genuine region / 中国中药杂志

This work is to establish the fingerprint of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus by HPLC-ELSD method, and to analyze the simulated wildness degree of A. membranaceus var. mongholicus in the genuine region of Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Gansu. Compared with wild A. membranaceus var. mongholicus, the quality differences of A. membranaceus var. mongholicus in the genuine region were analyzed by identification of chromatographic peaks and similarity evaluation, cluster analysis(CA), principal components analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA). HPLC fingerprints of A. membranaceus var. mongholicus in different genuine regions are established. The qualitative analysis of mass spectrometry identified 18 components. The similarity evaluation shows that the similarity of 32 batches of A. membranaceus var. mongholicus samples was 0.688-0.993. Among them, the similarity of samples in Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia is 0.688-0.993, 0.835-0.989, 0.934-0.988, respectively and the similarity of samples in Gansu is 0.729-0.876 except No. 25 sample. The results of CA show that the samples of A. membranaceus var. mongholicus can be grouped into four categories according to the production area except the No. 11 and No. 25 samples. The results of PCA indicate that 32 batches of A. membranaceus var. mongholicus samples can be clustered according to quality and origin, and the quality of A. membranaceus var. mongholicus in Inner Mongolia is the closest to the wild breed. The results of OPLS-DA indicate that there are six components that can distinguish the wild and domestic A. membranaceus var. mongholicus, which are malonylastragaloside Ⅰ, astragaloside Ⅰ, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glycoside-6″-O-malonate, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glycoside, formononetin-7-O-β-D-glycoside-6″-O-malonate, and astrapterocarpan-3-O-β-D-glycoside-6″-O-malonate. The established method can be used to analyze differences between A. membranaceus var. mongholicus origin and planting environment, and can provide references for the protection and replacement of wild A. membranaceus var. mongholicus resources, and the cultivation, processing and production of A. membranaceus var. mongholicus.

Quality characterization of Angong Niuhuang Pills based on characteristic spectrum of natural musk/bezoar and four herbal medicines / 中草药

Objective: To establish an Angong Niuhuang Pills (ANP) characteristic spectrum analysis method, and to comprehensively characterize the quality properties and characteristics of ANP, and then to apply it to the quality detection and analysis of 10 batches of ANP, and to find out the specificity of the quality characterization of ANP. Methods: The UPLC-PDA multi-wavelength was used in the method, and a Waters Cortecs shields RP18 Column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.6 μm) was used, the mobile phase was acetonitrile and 0.3% phosphoric acid solution, the detection wavelength was set at 240, 262, 330, 360, 274, and 440 nm, the column temperature was kept at 38 ℃, and the flow rate was 0.2 mL/min. Results: The results showed that the established analytical method can simultaneously determine 13 index components (including geniposide, genipin1-gentiobioside, crocin I, crocin II, berberine hydrochloride, coptis hydrochloride, palmatine chloride, epiberberine, baicalin, wogonoside, baicalein, wogonin and curcumin) in ANP, and a total of 35 characterstic peaks were identified in ANP. It included natural musk characteristic peak and natural bovis calculus characteristic peak which can identify the natural properties of raw materials. The mean values of the 13 index components in 10 batches of ANP were 2.87, 1.14, 0.40, 0.03, 3.17, 0.94, 0.74, 0.58, 10.01, 1.62, 0.34, 0.17, 0.05 mg/g, respectively. The RSD values ranged from 4.19% to 20.81%. All the 10 batches of ANP could be detected with 35 characteristic peaks, the average area values of natural musk and natural bovis calculus characteristic peaks were 0.031 and 0.003, and the RSD values ranged from 1.5% to 26.79%. Conclusion: According to the analysis of characteristic spectrum, the quality of finished products of 10 batches of ANP was relatively stable, and all showed the specific quality characterization of raw materials of natural musk, natural bovis calculus and Curcumae Radix; According to the analysis of the content of index components, the large fluctuation of the index components in 10 batches of samples mainly comes from Scutellaria baicalensis and Curcumae Radix, while the content of crocin I in Gardeniae Fructus and four alkaloids in Coptidis Rhizoma were relatively stable.

Comparative study of water characteristic components of Glycyrrhiza uralensis from three geographical regions by chemical pattern recognition combined with muti-component qualitative and quantitative analysis / 中国中药杂志

Thirty-two batches of cultivated and wild Glycyrrhiza uralensis were obtained from three geographical regions. Comparative study of water characteristic components of G. uralensis from three geographical origins was conducted by PCA,OPLS-DA chemical pattern recognition combined with LC-TOF/MS and muti-component analysis. The similarity of fingerprints of 32 batches of medicinal materials ranged from 0. 903 to 0. 999. Patterns recognition could be used to distinguish cultivated G. uralensis in Gansu and Xinjiang areas from cultivated and wild plants in Inner Mongolia. Then a total of thirty-one common constituents were identified by LC-TOF/MS analysis coupled with standard compounds information. The contents of four flavonoid glycosides and five saponins were determinated by HPLC and compared using One-way ANOVA. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the contents of 5 triterpenoid saponins among the three regions,but the contents of 4 flavonoid saponins showed the trend of Inner Mongolia >Gansu≈Xinjiang( P<0. 05). In the same Inner Mongolia region,the contents of 4 flavonoid glycosides and 5 triterpenoid saponins in wild plant was significantly higher than that in cultivated plants( P<0. 01). In addition,the contents of liquiritin,isoliquiritin,licorice-saponin A_3,22β-acetoxyl-glycyrrhizic acid and uralsaponin B in Gansu and Xinjiang were obviously lower than those in Inner Mongolia,but the contents of glycyrrhizic acid,the main component of G. uralensis,were not different in the three geographical regions. In Inner Mongolia,the contents of liquiritin,isoliquiritin,licorice-saponin A_3,licorice-saponin G_2 and glycyrrhizic acid in wild plants were significantly higher than those in cultivated plants. In conclusion,qualitative/quantitative analysis of multi-index components combined with pattern recognition could effectively evaluate the quality of cultivated and wild licorice in different regions. It was helpful for us to understand the reality of licorice in different regions,and provided scientific basis for the development and comprehensive utilization of licorice resources.

Overexpression of autophagy-related gene 3 promotes autophagy and inhibits salinomycin-induced apoptosis in breast cancer MCF-7 cells / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To study the effects of the overexpression of autophagy-related gene 3 (ATG3) on autophagy and salinomycin-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells and explore the underlying mechanisms.@*METHODS@#We used the lentivirus approach to establish a breast cancer cell line with stable overexpression of ATG3. Western blotting, immunofluorescence staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to analyze the effect of ATG3 overexpression on autophagy in breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Using the AKT/mTOR agonists SC79 and MHY1485, we analyzed the effect of AKT/mTOR signal pathway activation on ATG3 overexpression-induced autophagy. Western blotting and flow cytometry were used to analyze the effect of autophagy on apoptosis of the ATG3-overexpressing cells treated with salinomycin and 3-MA (an autophagy inhibitor).@*RESULTS@#In ATG3-overexpressing MCF-7 cells, ATG3 overexpression obviously promoted autophagy, inhibited the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, significantly weakened salinomycin-induced apoptosis ( < 0.01), caused significant reduction of the levels of the pro-apoptotic proteins cleaved-caspase 3 ( < 0.01) and Bax ( < 0.05), and enhanced the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 ( < 0.05). The inhibition of autophagy obviously weakened the inhibitory effect of ATG3 overexpression on salinomycin-induced apoptosis.@*CONCLUSIONS@#ATG3 overexpression promotes autophagy possibly by inhibiting the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway to decrease salinomycin-induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, suggesting that autophagy induction might be one of the mechanisms of drug resistance in breast cancer cells.

The effect of vitamin D on sperm motility and the underlying mechanism / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Vitamin D deficiency is a common health issue around the world. We therefore evaluated the associations of semen quality with both serum and seminal plasma vitamin D levels and studied the mechanisms underlying these by incubating spermatozoa with 1,25(OH)2D In vitro. Two hundred and twenty-two men were included in our study. Vitamin D was detected using an electrochemiluminescence method. Spermatozoa used for In vitro experiments were isolated by density gradient centrifugation. Positive relationships of serum 25(OH)D with semen volume and seminal plasma fructose were identified. Seminal plasma 25(OH)D level showed no relationship with serum 25(OH)D level, while it was inversely associated with sperm concentration and positively correlated with semen volume and sperm kinetic values. In vitro, sperm kinetic parameters increased after incubation with 1,25(OH)2D, especially upon incubation for 30 min with it at a concentration of 0.1 nmol l-1. Under these incubation conditions, the upward migration of spermatozoa increased remarkably with increasing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration. The concentration of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and the activity of protein kinase A (PKA) were both elevated, and the PKA inhibitor, N-[2-(p-Bromocinnamylamino)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide dihydrochloride (H89) reversed the increase of ATP production. The concentrations of cytoplasmic calcium ions and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) were both enhanced, while mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) inhibitor, Ruthenium 360 (Ru360) did not reverse the increase of ATP production. Therefore, seminal plasma vitamin D may be involved in regulating sperm motility, and 1,25(OH)2D may enhance sperm motility by promoting the synthesis of ATP both through the cAMP/PKA pathway and the increase in intracellular calcium ions.

The correlation of molecular structure and nanofiltration mass transfer behavior of alkaloids / 药学学报

Based on the charge repulsion and solution-diffusion effect in nanofiltration separation, the correlation among mass transfer behavior, solution environment and molecular structure of three typical alkaloids from medicine was analyzed by nanofiltration mass mathematical model. The experiment revealed a linear relationship between ln[(1-Ro)·Jv/Ro] and Jv, and the regression coefficients were all greater than 0.9. Compared with the ultrafiltration separation behavior conforming to molecular sieve, the mass transfer coefficient of three alkaloids under different pH was pH 3.00 < pH 7.00 < pH 10.00. As the pH changed, the state of alkaloid transit from ionic state to a free state, the alkaloid could easily approach the membrane surface and pass through the nanofiltration membrane with charge repulsion and solution-diffusion effects, and the results were verified by the membrane adsorption tendency. The nanofiltration mass transfer of alkaloids is related to the state and molecular weight. In the ionic state, the charge effect produces separation behavior, and the molecular state is related to the molecular weight. The separation mechanism of nanofiltration for alkaloids was clarified further by analyzing the correlation of nanofiltration mass transfer behavior and molecular structure. The results of nanofiltration technology provide references for separation of alkaloids at room temperature with fast separation and low energy consumption.

Secondary metabolites from Colletotrichum fioriniae F18, an endophytic fungus isolated from the medicinal plant Mahonia fortunei / 药学学报

Chemical investigation on the rice culture of an endophytic fungus Colletotrichum fioriniae F18, inhabiting in the stems of the medicinal plant Mahonia fortunei, led to the isolation of nine compounds. They included a new indole alkaloid, makomotindoline B (1), and two known indole derivatives, 3-indoleacetic acid methyl ester (2) and N-acetyltryptamine (3), together with six known aromatic compounds, 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acetic acid (4), 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)phenol (5), 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)acetic acid (6), 4-hydroxyphenethyl 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)acetate (7), regiolone (8) and N-phenethylacetamide (9). The structures of these compounds were elucidated based on the analysis of spectroscopic data including MS and NMR. The absolute configuretion of compound 1 was determined by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculation. Antibacterial activity assay indicated that compounds 1-9 had no antibacterial activities against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as no quorum sensing inhibitory (QSI) activity for Chromobacterium violaceum.

Effects of TGF-β1 on the expression and secretion of cytokines induced by Aβ in hippocampal neuron and microglia co-cultures / 中国应用生理学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the neuroprotective effects of transforming growth factor beta 1(TGF-β1) on the expression and secretion of cytokines induced by Aβ in hippocampal neurons and microglial co-cultures.@*METHODS@#Hippocampal neurons and microglia obtained from SD rat were co-cultured. TGF-β1 was applied on day 5 after the neurons and microglia co-cultures were incubated at the concentrations of 5 or 20 ng/ml, Aβ was added 1 h following TGF-β1 application at a concentration of 5 μmol/L. They were incubated for 72 h and then assessed for further studies. Western blot analyses were employed to examine the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS); Real-time PCR and ELISA were used to detect the mRNA expression and secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).@*RESULTS@#In the hippocampal neuron-microglia co-cultures, Aβ induced upregulation of iNOS, TNF-α and IL-1β, downregulation of IGF-1. TGF-β1 pretreatment ameliorated the pro-inflammatory effects caused by Aβ.@*CONCLUSIONS@#TGF-β1 significantly inhibits the increase in inflammatory cytokines and the decrease in neurotrophic factor which are caused by Aβ-induced microglia activation.

Enhanced separation behavior of ephedrine in organic solution by nanofiltration mass transfer model / 中国中药杂志

Based on the nanofiltration mass transfer model, the enhanced separation behavior of ephedrine in organic solution was studied. In the experiment, the sensitive region of ethanol concentration and pH on the rejection of ephedrine was screened out by Box-Behnken central composite experiment design. Furthermore, to analyze the separation regularity of ephedrine and organic solution, the correlation between mass transfer coefficient and concentration of organic solvent was fitted with the changed organic solution by nanofiltration mass transfer mathematical model. Experiments showed the enhanced separation behavior, the decrease in the mass transfer coefficient while the increase in ethanol concentration from 20% to 40%, MWCO at 450 and pH 6.0. Under the same conditions, the enhanced separation behavior was appeared as the solvent changed into methanol and acetonitrile, the enhanced effect was positively correlated with the concentration of the three common organic solvents, and the effect order was acetonitrile>ethanol>methanol. This study took ephedrine as an example, and explored the mechanism of nanofiltration separation in the environment of organic solution, so as to provide references for nanofiltration separation for heat-sensitive traditional Chinese medicine of alkaloid.

Reaearch of the association of epicardial fat volume indexed to body surface area with the risk of coronary heart disease and vascular remodeling / 医学研究生学报

Objective Epicardial fat volume(EFV)is the risk factor of coronary heart disease(CHD)and positive remod-el of coronary artery.This study aimed to investigate the association of the unit surface area Epicardial fat volume(Epicardial fat volume indexed to the body surface area,EFVi)with the risk of coronary heart disease(CHD)and vascular remodeling. Methods A total of 208 consecutive patients with suspected CHD underwent coronary computed tomography angiography(CTA)were selected between December 2016 and December 2017 in cardiology department, Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Area Command. They were divided into CHD group(n=135)and non-CHD group(n=73). 135 CHD group patients were divided into 2 subgroups according to the type of vascular Remodeling-positive remodeling group[vascu-lar remodeling index(RI)>1.05,n=56]and non-positive remode-ling group[vascular remodeling index(RI)<1.05,n=79]. Clinical data was collected and peripheral blood lipid was detected in the same period;EFV and RI were determined by coronary CTA and software on a workstation[Syngo MMWP(VE32B)];.EFVi was calculated and the association with plate property and vascular remodelingwas explored;To investigate the risk factor of vascular remodeling Results The EFVi and EFV[(128.91±52.22)cm3,(74.12±28.77) cm3/m3]of CHD group were obviously higher than that of non-CHD group[(76.14±30.40)cm3,(45.41±16.97)cm3/m3](P<0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that EFVi(OR=1.06,95% CI:1.02-1.10),LDL-C(OR=2.56,95% CI:1.06-6.12),EFV (OR=1.05,95% CI:1.02-1.07)were the risk factors of CHD.Compared with the positive remodeling group[(128.91±52.22)cm3, (74.12±28.77)cm3/m3]of CHD group were obviously higher than that of non-CHD group[(17.25±6.43),(38.15±10.56)μm3], the fiber volume[(23.66±9.05)μm3]and calcification volume[(182.75±46.51)μm3]were significantly higher in non-positive re-modeling group. While EFVi[(68.31±25.16)cm3/m3]was significantly lower than the positive remodeling group[(92.15±31.04) cm3/m3](P<0.05). Hypertension(OR=2.78,95% CI:1.12-6.88),TG(OR=1.96,95% CI:1.04-3.70),LDL-C(OR=3.91, 95% CI:2.58-7.51)and EFVi(OR=1.02,95% CI:1.01-1.31)were high risk factors of vascular remodeling(P<0.05). Conclusion EFVi can be used as an important predictor of coronary heart disease risk and coronary vascular positive remodeling.