Role of SIRTl/Nrf2/HO-l pathway in attenuation of learning and memory impairment by sevoflurane postcondition in a mouse model of hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation / 中国药理学通报

Aim To explore the role of SIRT1/Nrf2 / HO-1 in alleviating the cognitive function impairment by sevoflurane treatment in a mouse model of postoperative cerebral reperfusion. Methods C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into five groups: sham operation group, hemorrhagic shock reperfusion group, sevoflurane postconditioning group, sevoflurane postcondition-ing + SIRT1 inhibitor group and sevoflurane postconditioning + Nrf2 inhibitor group. Mice were subjected to Morris water maze test after cerebral ischemia reperfusion. The ATP, superoxide dismutase (SOD), ROS and MDA contents in tissue of mice were detected. SIRT1, Nrf2 and HO-1 proteins in tissue were detected by Western blot. Results After hemorrhagic shock, the learning and memory ability of mice was reduced.ATP and SOD concentration in hippocampus was reduced , MDA and ROS concentration increased, and the SIRT, Nrf2 and HO-1 concentration was reduced. Sevoflurane improved the cognitive dysfunction and oxi-dative damage in postoperative mice, and the neuro-protective effect of sevoflurane on hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation mice was weakened followed with SIRT1 and Nrf2 inhibitors. Conclusion Sevoflurane probably alleviates the oxidative reaction damage and cognitive impairment caused by cerebral reperfusion in mice through SIRT1/Nrf2/H0-1 pathway.

Biallelic mutations in WDR12 are associated with male infertility with tapered-head sperm / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Teratozoospermia is a rare disease associated with male infertility. Several recurrent genetic mutations have been reported to be associated with abnormal sperm morphology, but the genetic basis of tapered-head sperm is not well understood. In this study, whole-exome sequencing (WES) identified a homozygous WD repeat domain 12 (WDR12; p.Ser162Ala/c.484T>G) variant in an infertile patient with tapered-head spermatozoa from a consanguineous Chinese family. Bioinformatic analysis predicted this mutation to be a pathogenic variant. To verify the effect of this variant, we analyzed WDR12 protein expression in spermatozoa of the patient and a control individual, as well as in the 293T cell line, by Western blot analysis, and found that WDR12 expression was significantly downregulated. To understand the role of normal WDR12, we evaluated its mRNA and protein expression in mice at different ages. We observed that WDR12 expression was increased in pachytene spermatocytes, with intense staining visible in round spermatid nuclei. Based on these results, the data suggest that the rare biallelic pathogenic missense variant (p.Ser162Ala/c.484T>G) in the WDR12 gene is associated with tapered-head spermatozoa. In addition, after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a successful pregnancy was achieved. This finding indicates that infertility associated with this WDR12 homozygous mutation can be overcome by ICSI. The present results may provide novel insights into understanding the molecular mechanisms of male infertility.

Advances in cGAS-STING pathway and its inhibitors in immune and inflammatory diseases / 中国药理学通报

The cGAS-STING signaling pathway is one of the main pathways of immune defense against many types of pathogens. cGAS catalyzes the production of the second messenger cGAMP (cyclic GMP-tVMP) by recognizing plasma DNA and cGAMP subsequently binds to the interferon gene stimulating factor (STING). The pathway induces the production of type I interferon (IFN-I) and activates the innate immune system. The activation of the cGAS-STI]NG pathway could facilitate self-protection,thus STI]NG agonists for tumor immunotherapy have attracted much attention in recent years,and several drug candidates have been in clinical trials. Meanwhile,aberrant activation of cGAS-STI]NG could lead to autoimmune diseases and has attracted extensive interest in developing its inhibitors. This paper summarizes the mechanism and regulatory sites of the cGAS-STI]NG pathway,and outlines the research progress of cGAS-STING pathway-related immune and inflammatory diseases and its inhibitors.

Treatment advice of small molecule antiviral drugs for elderly COVID-19 / 中国药理学通报

COVID-19 has been prevalent for three years. The virulence of SARS-CoV-2 is weaken as it mutates continuously. However, elderly patients, especially those with underlying diseases, are still at high risk of developing severe infections. With the continuous study of the molecular structure and pathogenic mechanism of SARS-CoV-2, antiviral drugs for COVID-19 have been successively marketed, and these anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs can effectively reduce the severe rate and mortality of elderly patients. This article reviews the mechanism, clinical medication regimens, drug interactions and adverse reactions of five small molecule antiviral drugs currently approved for marketing in China, so as to provide advice for the clinical rational use of anti-SARS-CoV-2 in the elderly.

Study on antidepressant effects of Nrf2/HO-l of volatile oil from Chai Dang Bo drug-group on OB model rats and its mechanism / 中国药理学通报

Aim To confirm the antidepressant effect of the volatile oil part of the disassembled prescription drugs (Chai Hu, Dang Gui and Bo He, referred to as CDB) from Xiaoyao Powder and investigate its mechanism via Nrf2/H0-1 signaling pathway on OB model rats. Methods GC-MS analysis of the main components of volatile oil part of CDB was performed. The rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group, fluoxetine hydrochloride group (FLX, 10 mg • kg

Expression of MSI1 and HER2 in mammary Paget's disease and their correlation with clinicopathological features and prognosis / 中华病理学杂志

Objective: To investigate the expression of MSI1 and HER2 in mammary Paget's disease, and the correlation between the expression levels of MSI1 and HER2 and the clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of the patients. Methods: Clinical data and paraffin-embedded specimens of 34 pairs of mammary Paget's disease and underlying breast cancer were collected at the Department of Pathology, Affiliated Lianyungang Oriental Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from March 2011 to December 2019. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of MSI1 and HER2 in mammary Paget's disease and the accompanying breast cancer, and to analyze the correlation between the expression levels of MSI1 and HER2 and their clinicopathologic features, as well as their influence on prognosis. Results: In mammary Paget's disease, the positive rate of MSI1 was 91.2% (31/34) and the positive rate of HER2 was 88.2% (30/34); the expression of MSI1 and HER2 was positively correlated (P=0.001, r=0.530). The expression of MSI1 was positively correlated with menopausal status (r=0.372, P=0.030) and lymph node metastasis (r=0.450, P=0.008). HER2 expression was positively correlated with menopausal status (r=0.436, P=0.010), and negatively correlated with ER expression (r=-0.365, P=0.034). The co-expression of MSI1 and HER2 was positively correlated with age (r=0.347, P=0.044) and menopausal status (r=0.496, P=0.003), and negatively correlated with ER expression (r=-0.461, P=0.006). Conclusions: MSI1 and HER2 are highly expressed in mammary Paget's disease and their expression levels are positively correlated. The correlation analysis between clinicopathological features and prognosis suggests that both of them may be involved in the occurrence and development of mammary Paget's disease and are potential therapeutic targets for mammary Paget's disease.

Relationship between pyroptosis and cardiovascular diseases and traditional Chinese medicine prevention and treatment research / 中国中药杂志

Pyroptosis is a programmed cell death initiated by the activation of caspases, which is involved in the development and progression of several cardiovascular diseases. The gasdermins, a protein family, are key executive proteins in the development of pyroptosis, which increase cell membrane permeability, mediate the release of inflammatory factors, and aggravate the inflammatory injury. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has shown unique therapeutic advantages in cardiovascular diseases with multi-component and multi-target characteristics. Currently, the effective prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases based on the theory of pyroptosis become a new research hotspot in this field. Based on the theories of TCM and modern medicine, this study summarized the role of pyroptosis in cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, diabetic cardiomyopathy, hypertension, and myocarditis. The role of TCM, including active monomers, crude extracts, and compound preparations, in cardiovascular protection through the regulation of pyroptosis was also summarized, providing a theoretical basis for the clinical prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases by TCM.

Mechanism of essential oil from Schizonepeta tenuifolia in treatment of depression based on network pharmacology and experimental verification / 中国中药杂志

This paper aimed to explore the antidepressant effect of the essential oil from Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq.(EOST) on the treatment of depression and its mechanism by using a combination of network pharmacology and the mouse model of lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced depression. The chemical components in EOST were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometer(GC-MS), and 12 active components were selected as the study objects. The targets related to EOST were obtained by Traditional Chinese Medicines Systems Pharmacology(TCMSP) and SwissTargetPrediction database. The targets related to depression were screened out through GeneCards, Therapeutic Target Database(TTD), and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM) database. The Venny 2.1 was applied to screen out the common targets of EOST and depression. The targets were imported into Cytoscape 3.7.2 to generate "drug-active component-diease-target" network diagram. The protein-protein interaction(PPI) network was constructed using STRING 11.5 database and Cytoscape 3.7.2, and the core targets were screened out. DAVID 6.8 database was used for Gene Ontology(GO) func-tional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, and subsequently the enrichment results were visualized through the bioinformatics platform. The mouse model of depression was induced by intraperitoneally injecting with LPS in mice. Before modeling, mice were administrated orally with EOST. The antidepressant effect of EOST was evalua-ted by tail suspension test(TST), forced swimming test(FST), and novelty suppressed feeding test(NSFT) after modeling. The content of interleukin(IL)-1β was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), and the protein expression levels of IL-1β and pro IL-1β in the hippocampus were determined by Western blot. There were 12 main components and 179 targets in EOAT, of which, 116 targets were related to depression, mainly involved in neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, calcium signaling pathway, and cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP) signaling pathway. Biological processes such as synaptic signal transduction, G-protein coupled receptor signaling pathway, and chemical synaptic transmission were involved. Molecular functions such as neurotransmitter receptor activity, RNA polymerase Ⅱ transcription factor activity, and heme binding were involved. In mice experiments, the results showed that EOST at 100 mg·kg~(-1) and 50 mg·kg~(-1) significantly shortened the immobility time in TST and FST as well as the feeding latency in NSFT compared with the model group, decreased the levels of serum IL-1β and NO, and reduced the protein expression levels of IL-1β and pro IL-1β in the hippocampus. In conclusion, EOST shows a good antidepressant effect in a multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway manner. The mechanism may be attributed to the fact that EOST can down-regulate the protein expression levels of IL-1β and pro IL-1β, decrease the release of inflammatory factors, and reduce neuroinflammation response.

Value for combination of T1WI star -VIBE with TWIST -VIBE dynamic contrast -enhanced MRI in distinguishing lung nodules / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVES@#With the increasing detection rate of lung nodules, the qualitative problem of lung nodules has become one of the key clinical issues. This study aims to evaluate the value of combining dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI based on time-resolved imaging with interleaved stochastic trajectories-volume interpolated breath hold examination (TWIST-VIBE) with T1 weighted free-breathing star-volumetric interpolated breath hold examination (T1WI star-VIBE) in identifying benign and malignant lung nodules.@*METHODS@#We retrospectively analyzed 79 adults with undetermined lung nodules before the operation. All nodules of patients included were classified into malignant nodules (n=58) and benign nodules (n=26) based on final diagnosis. The unenhanced T1WI-VIBE, the contrast-enhanced T1WI star-VIBE, and the DCE curve based on TWIST-VIBE were performed. The corresponding qualitative [wash-in time, wash-out time, time to peak (TTP), arrival time (AT), positive enhancement integral (PEI)] and quantitative parameters [volume transfer constant (Ktrans), interstitium-to-plasma rate constant (Kep), and fractional extracellular space volume (Ve)] were evaluated. Besides, the diagnostic efficacy (sensitivity and specificity) of enhanced CT and MRI were compared.@*RESULTS@#There were significant differences in unenhanced T1WI-VIBE hypo-intensity, and type of A, B, C DCE curve type between benign and malignant lung nodules (all P<0.001). Pulmonary malignant nodules had a shorter wash-out time than benign nodules (P=0.001), and the differences of the remaining parameters were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). After T1WI star-VIBE contrast-enhanced MRI, the image quality was further improved. Compared with enhanced CT scan, the sensitivity (82.76% vs 80.50%) and the specificity (69.23% vs 57.10%) based on MRI were higher than that of CT (both P<0.001).@*CONCLUSIONS@#T1WI star-VIBE and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI based on TWIST-VIBE were helpful to improve the image resolution and provide more information for clinical differentiation between benign and malignant lung nodules.

Evaluation of Renal Impairment in Patients with Diabetic Kidney Disease by Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the factors related to renal impairment in patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) from the perspective of integrated Chinese and Western medicine.@*METHODS@#Totally 492 patients with DKD in 8 Chinese hospitals from October 2017 to July 2019 were included. According to Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) staging guidelines, patients were divided into a chronic kidney disease (CKD) 1-3 group and a CKD 4-5 group. Clinical data were collected, and logistic regression was used to analyze the factors related to different CKD stages in DKD patients.@*RESULTS@#Demographically, male was a factor related to increased CKD staging in patients with DKD (OR=3.100, P=0.002). In clinical characteristics, course of diabetes >60 months (OR=3.562, P=0.010), anemia (OR=4.176, P<0.001), hyperuricemia (OR=3.352, P<0.001), massive albuminuria (OR=4.058, P=0.002), atherosclerosis (OR=2.153, P=0.007) and blood deficiency syndrome (OR=1.945, P=0.020) were factors related to increased CKD staging in patients with DKD.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Male, course of diabetes >60 months, anemia, hyperuricemia, massive proteinuria, atherosclerosis, and blood deficiency syndrome might indicate more severe degree of renal function damage in patients with DKD. (Registration No. NCT03865914).

Unilateral interlaminar approach 270° circular spinal canal decompression under the iLESSYS Delta for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis in the elderly / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the clinical effect of unilateral interlaminar approach 270° circular spinal canal decompression under the Interlaminar Endoscopic Surgical System(iLESSYS) Delta for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) in the elderly.@*METHODS@#Total of 29 patients with LSS treated with the iLESSYS Delta from December 2018 to January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, including 12 males and 17 females with an average age of (71.52±10.82) years old ranging from 63 to 83 years old. All patients had definite intermittent claudication, mainly neurogenic symptoms of both lower limbs. All patients had single-level spinal stenosis, including L3,4 5 cases, L4,5 21 cases, and L5S1 3 cases. Visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and modified Macnab assessment criteria were used to evaluate pain, low back pain dysfunction index and clinical efficacy, respectively.@*RESULTS@#All 29 cases were successfully completed. The operation time was (73.45±5.89) min, the intraoperative blood loss was (9.93±0.83) ml, the hospital stay was (4.03±0.41) days, and the follow-up was more than 12 months. The VAS scores of low back pain before surgery and 1 day, 1 month, 3 months, 1 year after surgery were 2.31±0.88, 1.45±0.62, 1.21±0.61, 1.10±0.55, 1.03±0.49;VAS of leg pain were 6.48±0.49 0.56, 1.97±0.61, 1.31±0.59, 1.17±0.59, 1.10±0.55;ODI scores were 38.41±2.74, 18.14±1.17, 5.17±0.53, 5.07±0.45, 4.90±0.48;low back and leg pain VAS score and ODI score have statistically significant differences between preoperative and postoperative follow-up time points (P<0.05). The MacNab efficacy evaluation at 1-year follow-up:excellent in 22 cases, good in 5 cases and fair in 2 cases.@*CONCLUSION@#The clinical effect of unilateral interlaminar approach 270° circular spinal canal decompression under the iLESSYS Delta for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis in the elderly is satisfactory, with the advantages of less trauma and less bleeding, large microscopic operation space, sufficient decompression, and ideal post-operative recovery, and at the same time, it can minimize the damage to the stable structure of the lumbar spine, which is an ideal surgical method for the treatment of elderly lumbar spinal stenosis.

Mechanism of HES1 regulating herceptin resistance in gastric cancer cells by ferroptosis / 药学学报

Drug resistance of cancer cells is the main causes of chemotherapy failure, and gene mutation or function loss is key factor to induce drug resistance. Previous studies have shown that hairy and enhancer of split 1 (HES1) is up-regulated in herceptin-resistant gastric cancer cells, and inhibition of its activity can reverse its resistance while the potential mechanism has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we employed CRISPR/Cas9 to establish HES1 knock-out cell line (△HES1/NCI N87R) to investigate the functions of HES1 in herceptin resistance of NCI N87R cells and its potential mechanisms. We investigated proteomics profiling of △HES1/NCI N87R cells based on quantitative proteomics. Gene ontology analysis was conducted by GeneSet Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Metascape database, and pathway enrichment analysis was done using GeneAnalytics database. The selected molecules were quantified by Western blot and some pathways were verified by using inhibitors. The results showed that the resistance to herceptin of △HES1/NCI N87R cells decreased compared to NCI N87R cells. Proteomic data demonstrated that the expression of 1 263 genes changed significantly in △HES1/NCI N87R cells, among which 761 genes were up-regulated while 502 ones down-regulated comparing with NCI N87R cells. Pathway analysis showed that ferroptosis, fatty acid β-oxidation, autophagy and glutathione metabolism, etc. exhibited notable changes in △HES1/NCI N87R cells. The functional studies showed that the levels of iron ion and malondialdehyde increased, and glutathione decreased in △HES1/NCI N87R cells. It was further found that Fer-1, a ferroptosis inhibitor, could reverse the expression of pTP53, solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) in △HES1/NCI N87R cell, and reduce the sensitivity of △HES1/NCI N87R cells to herceptin. It is suggested that HES1 regulated the resistance of NCI N87R cells to herceptin through TP53/SLC7A11/GPX4 signaling pathway, and targeting TP53/SLC7A11/GPX4 signal axis mediated by HES1 is a potential strategy to reverse herceptin resistance in gastric cancer.

Design and practice of SPOC mixed teaching based on MOOC in general medical courses / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Taking "count down your weight—start from 'diet'" as an example, this article discusses the design and practice of SPOC (small private online course) mixed teaching based on MOOC (massive open online course) in general medical courses. By designing teaching methods and teaching content, and using formative evaluation methods, the SPOC mixed teaching was implemented for 201 students from Sichuan University in the spring of 2020. According to the teaching evaluation and preliminary teaching effect, students generally believed that teaching resources were relatively abundant and the communication effects were generally recognized, as well as, it could significantly improve students' interest in and effect of general medical courses.

Research progress on the relationship between Nogo protein and myocardial fibrosis / 解剖学报

Nogo protein is the fourth member of reticulin famity. Nogo mRNA produced by encoding gene transcription, forms three different RNA transcripts due to different promoter and splicing modes, namely Nogo-A, Nogo-B and Nogo-C protein. Nogo protein was first found in the central nervous system, and then proved to be widely expressed in peripheral tissues such as heart, liver and vascular endothelium. Studies have shown that Nogo protein can participate in the regulation of myocardial fibrosis through RhoA/Rho-associated kinase(ROCK) pathway, endoplasmic reticulum stress, Sce61 a and other signaling pathways. In this paper, the relationship between Nogo-A, Nogo-B, Nogo-C and myocardial fibrosis is briefly introduced.

Synergistic antibacterial effect of ursolic acid combined with fusidic acid on Staphylococcus aureus / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

AIM: To explore the antibacterial activity and underlying mechanism of ursolic acid combined with fusidic acid against Staphylococcus aureus (SA) ATCC29213 and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ATCC43300 in vitro. METHODS: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the combined use of ursolic acid and fusidic acid on SA, MRSA was determined by the micro broth dilution method and the micro checkerboard method, and the partial inhibitory concentration index (FICI) was calculated to determine the combined effect. And the bactericidal effect of fusidic acid combined with ursolic acid was studied by the time-killing curves. The agar double dilution method was used to determine the anti-drug resistance mutation concentration (MPC) and anti-drug resistance mutation selection window (MSW) of fusidic acid alone and in combination with ursolic acid. The viable count of biofilm carrier were determined by serial dilution method and the semi-quantitative biofilm by crystal violet staining method. RESULTS: The combined use of ursolic acid and fusidic acid for SA and MRSA FICI were 0.312 5 and 0.375, respectively. The time-killing curve showed that 1MIC ursolic acid combined with 1MIC fusidic acid has a synergistic bactericidal effect on SA and MRSA. The MPC of fusidic acid to MRSA was 256 μg/mL and the MSW was 256. After fusidic acid combined with ursolic acid, the MPC decreased to 8 μg/mL. The combined group was significantly reduced compared to the fusidic acid group. The semi-quantitative and biofilm bacterial counts of combined group were markedly decreased compared to the fusidic acid group after the biofilm cultivate for 48 h and 72 h.CONCLUSION: The combined use of UA and FA has a synergistic effect on SA and MRSA.

An optimized culture method of primary hippocampal neurons in SD rats / 中国药理学通报

Aim To establish a stable and efficient method for the primary culture of hippocampal neurons from serum-free fetal rats.so as to obtain hippoeampal neurons with higher purity and better vitality.Methods The hippocampal tissues of SI) rat fe¬tus rats on the ( 18 ± 1) day of pregnancy were cultured by Neu- robasal or DMEM/F12 medium and divided into serum-free cul-ture group, fetal bovine serum culture group and 5-fluoro-2'de- oxyuridine culture group.After cells of three groups were cul¬tured for 12 hours, all medium was changed to Neurobasal medi¬um.When the neurons in FUI)R culture group were cultured to 3 days.FLDR was added to inhibit the growth of glial cells.'Hie growing status of hippo cam pal neurons at different culture time points was observed,neuronal activity was detected,cell apopto¬sis was assessed, and the purity of hippocampal neurons was i- dentified.Results Compared with 10% serum culture group, the neurons cultured in serum-free culture group showed higher viability,lower apoptosis rate and higher purity; FUI)R reduced cell viability and increased cell apoptosis.Conclusions 'Hie neurons cultured by serum-free culture have good activity and high purity, instead of adding glial cell inhibitors, which is a fea¬sible and optimized primary culture method for hippocampal neu¬rons.

Development and validation of a prognostic model based on SEER data for patients with esophageal carcinoma after esophagectomy / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To develop a nomogram to predict the long-term survival of patients with esophageal cancer following esophagectomy.@*METHODS@#We collected the data of 7215 patients with esophageal carcinoma from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database during the period from 2004 and 2016. Of these patients, 5052 were allocated to the training cohort and the remaining 2163 patients to the internal validation cohort using bootstrap resampling, with another 435 patients treated in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery of Jinling Hospital between 2014 and 2016 serving as the external validation cohort.@*RESULTS@#In the overall cohort, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year cancer-specific mortality rates were 14.6%, 35.7% and 41.6%, respectively. Age (≥80 years vs < 50 years, P < 0.001), gender (male vs female, P < 0.001), tumor site (lower vs middle segment, P=0.013), histology (EAC vs ESCC, P=0.012), tumor grade (poorly vs well differentiated, P < 0.001), TNM stage (Ⅳ vs Ⅰ, P < 0.001), tumor size (> 50 mm vs 0-20 mm, P < 0.001), chemotherapy (yes vs no, P < 0.001), and LNR (> 0.25 vs 0, P < 0.001) were identified as independent risk factors affecting long-term survival of the patients. The nomograms established based on the model for predicting the survival probability of the patients at 1, 3 and 5 years after operation showed a C-index of 0.726 (95% CI: 0.714-0.738) for predicting the overall survival (OS) and of 0.735 (95% CI: 0.727-0.743) for cancer-specific survival (CSS) in the training cohort. In the internal validation cohort, the C-index of the nomograms was 0.752 (95% CI: 0.738-0.76) for OS and 0.804 (95% CI: 0.790-0.817) for CSS, as compared with 0.749 (95% CI: 0.736-0.767) and 0.788 (95%CI: 0.751-0.808), respectively, in the external validation cohort. The nomograms also showed a higher sensitivity than the TNM staging system for predicting long-term prognosis.@*CONCLUSION@#This prognostic model has a high prediction efficiency and can help to identify the high-risk patients with esophageal carcinoma after surgery and serve as a supplement for the current TNM staging system.

Qi-Tai-Suan, an oleanolic acid derivative, ameliorates ischemic heart failure via suppression of cardiac apoptosis, inflammation and fibrosis / 中国天然药物

Although anti-thrombotic therapy has been successful for prevention of deaths from acute myocardial infarction (MI), by far, there are few preventive and therapeutic options for ischemic heart failure (IHF) after MI. Qi-Tai-Suan (QTS) is an oleanolic acid (OA) derivative which once underwent a clinical trial for treating hepatitis. In this study, we investigated the potential cardioprotective effect of QTS on IHF. IHF mouse model was constructed by coronary artery ligation in male C57BL/6J mice, and the protective effects of QTS on IHF were examined by echocardiography measurement, histological and TUNEL analysis, etc. We found that QTS exhibited promising cardioprotective effect on IHF. QTS treatment significantly improved cardiac function of IHF mice and the symptoms of heart failure. Notably, QTS had much better oral bioavailability (F = 41.91%) in mice than its parent drug OA, and took effects mainly as its original form. Mechanistically, QTS ameliorated ischemic heart failure likely through suppression of cardiac apoptosis, inflammation and fibrosis. Taken together, QTS holds great promise as a preventive and therapeutic agent for ischemic heart failure and related diseases.

RUNX3 regulates trastuzumab resistance of gastric cancer cells: a metabolomic analysis based on UPLC-Q Exactive Focus Orbitrap mass spectrometry / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the role of Runt-related transcription factor 3 (RUNX3) in metabolic regulation of trastuzumab-resistant gastric cancer cells and investigate the mechanism of RUNX3 knockdown-mediated reversal of trastuzumab resistance.@*METHODS@#We performed a metabolomic analysis of trastuzumab-resistant gastric cancer cells (NCI N87R) and RUNX3 knockdown cells (NCI N87R/RUNX3) using ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with Q Exactive Focus Orbitrap mass spectrometry (MS). Multivariate combined with univariate analyses and MS/MS ion spectrums were used to screen the differential variables. MetaboAnalyst 5.0 database was employed for pathway enrichment analysis. Differential metabolites-genes regulatory relationships were constructed based on OmicsNet database. The changes in GSH/GSSG and NADPH/NADP ratios in NCI N87R/RUNX3 cells were measured using detection kits.@*RESULTS@#The metabolic profile of NCI N87R cells was significantly altered after RUNX3 knockdown, with 81 differential metabolites identified to contribute significantly to the classification, among which 43 metabolites were increased and 38 were decreased (P < 0.01). In NCI N87R cells, RUNX3 knockdown resulted in noticeable alterations in 8 pathways involving glutamine metabolism, glycolysis, glycerophospholipid, nicotinate-nicotinamide and glutathione metabolism, causing also significant reduction of intracellular GSH/GSSG and NADPH/NADP ratios (P < 0.01). The differential metabolites-genes network revealed a regulatory relationship between the metabolic molecules and genes.@*CONCLUSION@#RUNX3 reverses trastuzumab resistance in gastric cancer cells by regulating energy metabolism and oxidation-reduction homeostasis and may serve as a potential therapeutic target for trastuzumab-resistant gastric cancer.

Investigation on clinical application and management of food for special medical purpose in China's 592 medical institutions in 2020 / 中华临床营养杂志

Objective:To understand the current situation of clinical application and management of food for special medical purpose (FSMP) in China's medical institutions.Methods:A questionnaire was developed based on literature review, consultation with experts and multiple discussions to investigate the application and management of FSMP in hospitals. The survey was conducted in secondary and tertiary general or specialized hospitals in China. The accountable person of Clinical Nutrition Department in each hospital filled in the questionnaire with the guidance from provincial quality control center.Results:A total of 592 hospitals across 30 provinces/municipalities participated in the survey. The majority (40.5%) of prescription for FSMP with approved batch number was given by clinical nutrition departments, nutritional risk screening was conducted before using FSMP as enteral nutrition in 64.0% of the hospitals, consent from patients or their families prior to initial FSMP use was required in 94.8% of the hospitals, follow-up after FSMP use was carried out in 86.5% of the hospitals, 79.2% of the hospitals maintained electronic or paper documentation of the clinical application of enteral nutrition preparations, 41.6% of the hospitals had no organization or institution to supervise the standardized application of FSMP.Conclusion:In the future, we should strengthen the construction of FSMP professional team, establish convenient and efficient nutrition diagnosis and treatment information module, and set up special institutions to implement FSMP standardized management.