Identification, expression and protein interaction analysis of Aux/IAA and ARF gene family in Senna tora L / 药学学报

The early response of plant auxin gene family Aux/IAA (auxin/indole-3-acetic acid) and its interaction with auxin response factor (ARF) are important pattern to regulate plant growth and development. This work identified 28 StoIAA and 24 StoARF members based on the whole genome data of the medicinal plant Senna tora L., which were classified into 10 and 8 subfamilies, respectively. Phylogenetic tree and collinearity analysis showed that S. tora has close evolutionary relationship with the IAA and ARF homologous genes of Glycine max, Medicago truncatula, and the segment duplication events dominate the expansion of StoIAA and StoARF. Gene structure analysis showed that the vast majority of StoIAA and StoARF contain characteristic conserved domain. Transcriptome data showed that StoIAAs and StoARFs were expressed in leaves, roots and seeds, some members had tissue specific expression. The StoIAA and StoARF promoter region most contain functional elements related to stress response, growth and development, hormone induction and secondary metabolism. In addition, gene expression analysis showed that many StoIAAs and StoARFs can quickly respond to drought and salt stress and exhibited same expression patterns under both stress condition. The yeast two-hybrid experiment confirmed that StoARF8 and StoARF10 exhibit varying degrees of interaction with multiple StoIAA proteins, respectively. The above results provide a basis for further biological functional analysis of the Aux/IAA and ARF gene family of S. tora.

Factors influencing the development of executive function in adolescents / 中国学校卫生

Abstract@#Executive function is an advanced cognitive process aimed at the flexible coordination, optimization, and control of the cognitive processes of task solving in order to accomplish a specific task, ensuring that the individual produces effective behaviors, including inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. Given the sensitivities and specificities that characterize an individual s physical and mental development during adolescence, this period is critical for the development of executive function in adolescents. In the paper, the influencing factors of adolescents executive function development are systematically described from three dimensions, namely, biology, environment and lifestyle; by analyzing the mechanisms and differences in the effects of different influencing factors, this editorial provides a scientific basis for adolescents executive function improvement and intervention.

A new strategy for evaluating antitumor activity in vitro with time-dimensional characteristics of RTCA technology / 中国药理学通报

Aim To analyze the anti-A549 and HI299 lung ade-nocarcinoma activities via using examples of baicalin, astragalo-side, hesperidin and cisplatin based on real time cellular analysis (RTCA) technology, and to build a new strategy for EC50 e-valuation reflecting the time-dimensional characteristic. Methods Using RTCA Software Pro for data analysis and GraphPad Prism and Origin Pro plotting, the in vitro anti-A549 and H1299 lung adenocarcinoma activities of baicalin, astragaloside, hesperidin, and cisplatin were characterized using the endpoint method and time dimension, respectively. Results (X) There were significant differences in EC50 values of A549 and H1299 cells at 24 h and 48 h endpoint methods. (2) The correlation coefficient of the curve fitted with the four-parameter equation was > 0. 9, and the dynamic change of EC50 remained relatively stable (the linear fitting of EC50 at adjacent 4 points I slope 1

A case-crossover study on association between short-term atmospheric NO2 exposure and outpatient visits due to pediatric neurological system conditions in Shijiazhuang / 环境与职业医学

Background Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a crucial component of traffic pollutants, has been shown in studies to exert toxic effects on the nervous system. However, there is a limited body of research examining the relationship between NO2 exposure and neurological disorders in children. Objective To explore the impact of short-term NO2 exposure on the outpatient visits due to pediatric neurological diseases in Shijiazhuang. Methods From 2013 to 2021, we collected outpatient data related to neurological diseases at the Children's Hospital in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province. We also collected air pollution data and meteorological data of the same city. The air pollution data included daily average concentrations of inhalable particles (PM10), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2), NO2, carbon monoxide (CO), and daily maximum 8-hour average concentration of ozone (O3). The meteorological data comprised daily average atmospheric pressure, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and sunshine duration. Employing a time-stratified case-crossover design, we used conditional logistic regression models to analyze the association between NO2 and pediatric outpatient visits for neurological diseases. Stratification analyses were conducted based on gender (male, female) and age groups (0-6 years, 7-14 years). Results The study included a total of 154348 valid pediatric outpatient visits for neurological diseases. The daily average concentration of NO2 was 49.3 μg·m−3 for the study period. The results from the single-pollutant model indicated that NO2 increased the risk of pediatric neurological outpatient visits, with the highest association observed at lag0. Specifically, for every 10 μg·m⁻³ increase in atmospheric NO2 exposure, there was a 1.40% increase (95%CI: 1.05%, 1.74%) in pediatric neurological outpatient visits. The stratification analyses revealed that increased atmospheric NO2 exposure was associated with an elevated risk of neurological outpatient visits for girls (ER=1.54, 95%CI: 1.01, 2.08) and children aged 7-14 years (ER=2.35, 95%CI: 1.68, 3.02). Even after introducing PM2.5 (ER=1.96, 95%CI: 1.49, 2.43), SO2 (ER=2.09, 95%CI: 1.62, 2.55), and O3 (ER=1.40, 95%CI: 1.06, 1.74) to the models, the impact of NO2 exposure on pediatric neurological outpatient visits remained statistically significant. The results of the multi-pollutant model also indicated a significant association (ER=2.53, 95%CI: 1.97, 3.08). Conclusion The effect of short-term exposure to atmospheric NO2 on the outpatient visits of children with neurological diseases in Shijiazhuang is acute and independent, especially for children aged 7-14.

Effect of Direct-acting Antivirals Treatment on Renal Function Among HCV-infected Patients / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

； ObjectiveTo explore the effect of direct-acting antiviral treatment on renal function in patients with chronic hepatitis C. MethodsA total of 123 HCV-infected patients receiving DAAs treatment at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2017 to December 2021 were included in this study. To explore the renal function in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with direct-acting antivirals， serum creatinine values were collected before， during and after the treatment， which were used to estimate the eGFR by the MDRD equation to assess the changes in renal function. ResultsOf the 123 patients enrolled， 67.5%（n=83）were male， and the mean age of participants was （50±11） years old. The mean follow-up period was 24 weeks . Comorbidities included cirrhosis in 26.8%， and diabetes in 10.6%. Meanwhile， 11.4% of the cohort had eGFR < 60 mL/（min ·1.73 m2）， 33.3% of the cohort had eGFR 60 to 90 mL/（min ·1.73 m2）， and 55.3% had eGFR≥90 mL/（min ·1.73 m2）. No decrease in renal function was seen among all the HCV-infected patients at the end of treatment or the follow-up period after treatment. However， compared with the eGFR at the baseline， eGFR in CKD2 patients in the follow-up period was improved 【（88.65±15.52） mL/（min ·1.73 m2）vs （78.12 ±7.60） mL/（min ·1.73 m2）， P< 0.001】. And 14.6% （n=18） of patients experienced progressive deterioration of renal function. Logistic regression analysis showed that diabetes could predict the deterioration of renal function （OR=4.663， P=0.016）. ConclusionsOur study shows renal function is not impair among HCV-infected patients following DAAs treatment， and renal function in CKD2 patients have improvements. However， HCV-infected patients with diabetes mellitus are at a high risk of renal impairment and closely monitoring of renal function is still needed.

Mechanism of Yiqi Jiedu Formula Against Ischemic Stroke Based on Microbial-gut-brain Axis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanism of the Yiqi Jiedu formula （YQ） in treating ischemic stroke （IS） from the perspective of the microbial-gut-brain axis （MGBA）. MethodRats were randomly divided into five groups， with six in each group， including sham surgery group， model group， and low， medium， and high dose YQ groups （1， 5， and 25 mg·kg-1）. Except for the sham surgery group， all other groups were established with a middle cerebral artery occlusion （MCAO） model using the thread occlusion method. The success of modeling was determined through neurobehavioral scoring， and the protective effect of YQ on IS was evaluated. Then， the changes in gut microbiota before and after MCAO modeling and YQ administration were compared using 16S rDNA sequencing technology， and the possible biological pathways related to the effect of this formula were analyzed. The expression of inflammatory factors such as interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-17A （IL-17A）， and interleukin-10 （IL-10） in serum was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Western blot was used to detect the expression of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and Occludin in brain and intestinal tissue， and hematoxylin-eosin staining （HE） was used to observe pathological changes in the cerebral cortex and colon， so as to validate the possible mechanism of action. ResultYQ significantly improved the neurobehavioral score of MCAO rats （P<0.01） and played a good regulatory role in intestinal microbial disorders caused by enriched pathogens and opportunistic pathogens during the acute phase. Among them， significantly changed microorganisms include Morgentia， Escherichia Shigella， Adlercreutzia， and Androbacter. Bioinformatics analysis found that these bacteria may be related to the regulation of inflammation in the brain. Compared with the blank group， the detection of inflammatory factors in the serum of IS model rats showed an increase in inflammatory factors IL-6 and IL-17A （P<0.01） and a decrease in the content of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the content of inflammatory factors IL-6 and IL-17A in the serum of the treatment group decreased （P<0.05）， and that of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 increased （P<0.01）. The expression results of barrier proteins ZO-1 and Occludin in brain and intestinal tissue showed that the expression levels of both decreased in IS model rats （P<0.05）， while the expression levels of both increased in the treatment group （P<0.05）. ConclusionAcute cerebral ischemia can lead to an imbalance of intestinal microbiota and damage to the intestinal barrier， and it can increase intestinal permeability. YQ can regulate intestinal microbiota imbalance caused by ischemia， inhibit systemic inflammatory response， and improve the disruption of the gut-blood brain barrier， preventing secondary cascade damage to brain tissue caused by inflammation. The MGBA may be an important mechanism against the IS.

Recent advances in small-molecule inhibitors targeting influenza virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase / 药学学报

Influenza virus causes serious threat to human life and health. Due to the inherent high variability of influenza virus, clinically resistant mutant strains of currently approved anti-influenza virus drugs have emerged. Therefore, it is urgent to develop antiviral drugs with new targets or mechanisms of action. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase is directly responsible for viral RNA transcription and replication, and plays key roles in the viral life cycle, which is considered an important target of anti-influenza drug design. From the point of view of medicinal chemistry, this review summarizes current advances in diverse small-molecule inhibitors targeting influenza virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, hoping to provide valuable reference for development of novel antiviral drugs.

Establishment and validation of bioactivity measurement method for recombinant human midkine / 药学学报

To establish and optimize a method for the detection of recombinant human midkine (rhMK) activity and verify its methodology, cell counting kit-8 (cck-8) method was used to measure the proliferation activity of rat knee chondrocytes. The specificity, accuracy, precision, linearity and robustness of the method were also verified in this study. The established method was proven to have good specificity because the buffer of rhMK and recombinant human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist have no obvious active effect; the recoveries of the samples with relative activities of 50%, 75%, 100%, 125%, 150% were in the range of 80.0% to 124.0% by statistical analysis, the relative standard deviations (RSD) of relative potency were all within 20%, the linear correlation coefficient, R2 ≥ 0.98, suggesting that the accuracy, precision and linearity of the method were good; the robustness correlation coefficient, R2 ≥ 0.92 and the ratio of maximum to minimum of sigmoidal dose-response were no less than 1.5, indicating that robustness of the methods was good. In conclusion, a bioactivity measurement method for rhMK was established and fully validated in this study and it provides a reliable method for the bioactivity analysis of rhMK routine samples during the development. This study was approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Shanghai Model Organisms Center, Inc. (approval number: 2019-0008-06).

Electrotaxis of alveolar epithelial cells in direct-current electric fields / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

PURPOSE@#This study aims to elucidate the electrotaxis response of alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) in direct-current electric fields (EFs), explore the impact of EFs on the cell fate of AECs, and lay the foundation for future exploitation of EFs for the treatment of acute lung injury.@*METHODS@#AECs were extracted from rat lung tissues using magnetic-activated cell sorting. To elucidate the electrotaxis responses of AECs, different voltages of EFs (0, 50, 100, and 200 mV/mm) were applied to two types of AECs, respectively. Cell migrations were recorded and trajectories were pooled to better demonstrate cellular activities through graphs. Cell directionality was calculated as the cosine value of the angle formed by the EF vector and cell migration. To further demonstrate the impact of EFs on the pulmonary tissue, the human bronchial epithelial cells transformed with Ad12-SV40 2B (BEAS-2B cells) were obtained and experimented under the same conditions as AECs. To determine the influence on cell fate, cells underwent electric stimulation were collected to perform Western blot analysis.@*RESULTS@#The successful separation and culturing of AECs were confirmed through immunofluorescence staining. Compared with the control, AECs in EFs demonstrated a significant directionality in a voltage-dependent way. In general, type Ⅰ alveolar epithelial cells migrated faster than type Ⅱ alveolar epithelial cells, and under EFs, these two types of cells exhibited different response threshold. For type Ⅱ alveolar epithelial cells, only EFs at 200 mV/mm resulted a significant difference to the velocity, whereas for, EFs at both 100 mV/mm and 200 mV/mm gave rise to a significant difference. Western blotting suggested that EFs led to an increased expression of a AKT and myeloid leukemia 1 and a decreased expression of Bcl-2-associated X protein and Bcl-2-like protein 11.@*CONCLUSION@#EFs could guide and accelerate the directional migration of AECs and exert antiapoptotic effects, which indicated that EFs are important biophysical signals in the re-epithelialization of alveolar epithelium in lung injury.

Research progress of Helicobacter pylori vaccine / 细胞与分子免疫学杂志

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is one of most common pathogens causing gastrointestinal disorder including gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer and gastric cancer, etc. It has been verified as class I carcinogen by WHO. Nowadays, combination antibiotics and proton pump inhibitor are mainly used to erase Hp in clinical application. However, with the increased resistance of Hp, the vaccine against Hp might become the best strategy to eradicate Hp. Elements including urease, virulence factor, outer membrane protein, flagella, play an important role in Hp infection, colonization and reproduction. They have become potential candidate antigens in the development of Hp vaccine, as reported in previous studies. Presently, these antigens-centric vaccines have been tested in animal models. Therefore, this article reviews the studies on Hp vaccine with urease, virulence genes, outer membrane protein and flagella as their candidate antigens, in an attempt to provide insights for research in this regard.

Medicinal evolution and modern research progress on Mume Fructus / 中国中药杂志

Prunus mume is an edible and medicinal material, and Mume Fructus is its processed product, which was first recorded in Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica(Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing). It is an effective drug for stopping diarrhea with astringents and promoting fluid production to quiet ascaris. By consulting the ancient herbal works of the past dynasties, modern codes, and other rela-ted literature, this paper sorted out the medicinal evolution of Mume Fructus, examined the ancient efficacy of Mume Fructus and the main indications, and summarized the inclusion of Mume Fructus in national and provincial standards. It is recorded in the ancient herbal works of the past dynasties that Mume Fructus can be processed by various methods such as roasting, stir-frying or micro-frying, stir-frying with charcoal, single steaming, steaming with wine, and steaming after soaking in wine or vinegar, and prepared into pills, powders, and ointments, which are used in the treatment of fatigue, diabetes, malaria, dysentery, ascariasis, and other diseases. Mume Fructus has been included in nine editions of Chinese Pharmacopoeia and 19 provincial and municipal preparation specifications. The processing method of Mume Fructus is determined, namely, clean P. mume should be softened by moistening in water or steaming and pitted. By reviewing the effects of processing on its chemical composition, pharmacological effects, and its modern clinical application, this paper identified the following issues. The ancient application methods of Mume Fructus are diverse but less commonly used in modern times, there is a lack of standardized research on the processing, and the research on the changes caused by the difference in Mume Fructus before and after processing is not deep. Therefore, it is necessary to further investigate the change pattern of its chemical composition before and after processing and its correlation between its medicinal activity to standardize the processing technology and provide a solid basis for the use of Mume Fructus in parts and its quality control.

Adjuvant rice optimization of rice-steamed Rehmanniae Radix and its anti-osteoporosis effect / 中国中药杂志

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of various adjuvant rice on the quality of rice-steamed Rehmanniae Radix(RSRR) with Japonica rice, millet, yellow rice, black rice, and glutinous rice as raw materials, and analyze the anti-osteoporosis effect of RSRR by the optimal adjuvant rice. On the basis of the established UPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of the content of catalpol and rehmannioside D, comprehensive weighted scoring method was employed to evaluate the effect of various auxiliary rice on the quality of RSRR with the content of catalpol and rehmannioside D, character score, and taste score as indicators to optimize adjuvant rice. The osteoporosis model was induced by ovariectomy in rats. SD rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group, a positive control group, and low-dose and high-dose groups of Rehmanniae Radix, RSRR, steamed Rehmanniae Radix, and Epimedii Folium-RSRR. After treatment for 12 weeks, body weight, bone calcium content, and bone mineral density were mea-sured. The results showed that Japonica rice was selected as the optimal adjuvant due to the highest comprehensive score of RSRR steamed by Japonica rice. Rehmanniae Radix, RSRR, steamed Rehmanniae Radix, as well as Epimedii Folium-RSRR, could improve osteoporosis by increasing bone calcium content and bone mineral density. RSRR was superior to Rehmanniae Radix in improving osteo-porosis. However, there was no significant difference between RSRR and steamed Rehmanniae Radix. This study confirmed that Japo-nica rice was the optimal adjuvant rice of RSRR and verified the anti-osteoporosis effect of RSRR, which laid a foundation for further research on the pharmacological action and mechanism of RSRR.

Prokaryotic expression, polyclonal antibody preparation, spatio-temporal expression profile and functional analysis of c-Myc of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) / 生物工程学报

c-Myc protein encoded by c-Myc (cellular-myelocytomatosis viral oncogene) gene regulates the related gene expression through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, and has received extensive attention in recent years. The purpose of this study was to express Helicoverpa armigera c-Myc gene (Ha-c-Myc) by using prokaryotic expression system, prepare the polyclonal antibody, examine the spatio-temporal expression profile of Ha-c-Myc, and investigate the possible function of Ha-c-Myc in regulating H. armigera sterol carrier protein-2 (SCP-2) gene expression. The Ha-c-Myc gene was amplified by PCR and cloned into a prokaryotic expression plasmid pET-32a(+). The recombinant plasmid pET-32a-Ha-c-Myc was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21. IPTG was used to induce the expression of the recombinant protein. Protein was purified by Ni2+-NTA column and used to immunize New Zealand rabbits for preparing the polyclonal antibody. The Ha-c-Myc expression levels in different developmental stages (egg, larva, prepupa, pupa, and adult) of H. armigera and different tissues (midgut, fat body, head, and epidermis) of the prepupa were determined by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Ha-c-Myc siRNA was synthesized and transfected into H. armigera Ha cells. The relative mRNA levels of Ha-c-Myc and HaSCP-2 in Ha cells were detected by qRT-PCR. Results showed that the pET-32a-Ha-c-Myc recombinant plasmid was constructed. The soluble Ha-c-Myc protein of about 65 kDa was expressed in E. coli. The polyclonal antibody was prepared. Western blotting analysis suggested that the antibody had high specificity. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that the titer of the antibody was high. Ha-c-Myc gene expressed at all developmental stages, with high levels in the early and late instars of larva, and the prepupal stage. Tissue expression profiles revealed that Ha-c-Myc expressed in various tissues of prepupa, with high expression level in the midgut, but low levels in the epidermis and fat body. RNAi results showed that the knockdown of Ha-c-Myc expression significantly affected transcription of HaSCP-2, leading to a 50% reduction in HaSCP-2 mRNA expression level. In conclusion, the Ha-c-Myc was expressed through a prokaryotic expression system, and the polyclonal anti-Ha-c-Myc antibody was obtained. Ha-c-Myc may promote the expression of HaSCP-2 and play an important role in the lipid metabolism of H. armigera. These results may facilitate further study on the potential role and function mechanism of Ha-c-Myc in H. armigera and provide experimental data for exploring new targets of green pesticides.

Neutralizing Antibody Responses against Five SARS-CoV-2 Variants and T Lymphocyte Change after Vaccine Breakthrough Infections from the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 Variant in Tianjin, China: A Prospective Study / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate whether Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection after receiving the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine could create a strong immunity barrier.@*METHODS@#Blood samples were collected at two different time points from 124 Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infected patients and 124 controls matched for age, gender, and vaccination profile. Live virus-neutralizing antibodies against five SARS-CoV-2 variants, including WT, Gamma, Beta, Delta, and Omicron BA.1, and T-lymphocyte lymphocyte counts in both groups were measured and statistically analyzed.@*RESULTS@#The neutralizing antibody titers against five different variants of SARS-CoV-2 were significantly increased in the vaccinated population infected with the Omicron BA.1 variant at 3 months after infection, but mainly increased the antibody level against the WT strain, and the antibody against the Omicron strain was the lowest. The neutralizing antibody level decreased rapidly 6 months after infection. The T-lymphocyte cell counts of patients with mild and moderate disease recovered at 3 months and completely returned to the normal state at 6 months.@*CONCLUSION@#Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infection mainly evoked humoral immune memory in the original strain after vaccination and hardly produced neutralizing antibodies specific to Omicron BA.1. Neutralizing antibodies against the different strains declined rapidly and showed features similar to those of influenza. Thus, T-lymphocytes may play an important role in recovery.

Professor SUN Shen-tian's experience in acupuncture treatment of depression based on "psychosomatic medicine" / 中国针灸

This paper introduces professor SUN Shen-tian's clinical thoughts and his characteristics of acupuncture techniques for the treatment of depression based on "psychosomatic medicine". Professor SUN, the master of traditional Chinese medicine, believes that depression refers to comorbidity of "heart mind" and "body", resulting from the "body-mind" disharmony, specially dominated by the emotional disorder. This disease is located in the brain, with the injury of mind and closely related to the heart and liver dysfunction. In pathogenesis, the dysfunction of brain mind and the unhealthy conditions of body and mind are involved. The treatment should focus on "regulating the mind, improving the intelligence, co-modulating the abdominal and brain functions and treating the physical and mental disorders". Baihui (GV 20), Ningshen (Extra) and emotional area on the head are selected as the main points to benefit the intelligence and calming down the mind; the abdominal region 1 and region 8 of "Sun's abdominal acupuncture" are used as the main points of the abdomen to regulate the brain functions. The point prescription is modified according to the symptoms and etiologies. The repeated transcranial acupuncture stimulation and electroacupuncture at low frequency (2 Hz) are crucial to the therapeutic effect. Reliving anxious emotions is specially considered before acupuncture, and the mind is protected and deqi is consolidated during acupuncture.

Research progress on influence of PM2.5 on allergic rhinitis / 环境与职业医学

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is one of the main chronic inflammatory diseases that pose a global threat. Its symptoms persist for a long time, recur, and seriously affect the physical and mental health of the patients. Existing research has shown that the occurrence and development of AR are related to genetic and environmental factors. In recent years, the harm of air pollution to human health has received increasing attention, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main harmful component of air pollutants. Its small particle size makes it easy to absorb various harmful substances, enter the respiratory tract, damage the nasal mucosa, and participate in the occurrence and development process of AR. At present, a large number of epidemiological studies have confirmed that PM2.5 is positively related to the incidence rate and severity of symptoms of AR, but its exact mechanism is still unclear. Therefore, studying the mechanism of PM2.5 exposure on AR damage is expected to provide new clues for exploring the pathogenesis and deterioration of AR. This article reviewed the epidemiological studies and toxicological mechanisms of PM2.5 exposure and AR in recent years; discussed the potential biological mechanisms of PM2.5 induced AR occurrence and development, including nasal mucositis damage, oxidative stress, and immune damage. Furthermore, a new research direction was proposed, which suggested that neuroimmune disorders and bacterial imbalance may be involved in the progression of AR and play a certain role in the toxic effects induced by PM2.5. We aim to provide ideas and a theoretical basis for developing effective measures to prevent and treat AR.

Construction and preliminary application of drug carrier system based on yeast membrane vesicles / 药学学报

As an edible eukaryotic microorganism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae has the characteristics of high safety, rapid proliferation, low cost, easy transformation, etc. It has been widely used to produce vaccines, antibodies, insulin, etc. Up to now, yeast components, such as cell wall and yeast microcapsules, have been widely used in the treatment of tumors, inflammatory virus infection, post-traumatic osteoarthritis and other diseases. Among them, the components of yeast cell membrane are relatively simple and stable, which are easy to be extracted on a large scale. Therefore, yeast cell membrane material was used to construct yeast membrane vesicle nanosystem, and its biomedical application was preliminarily explored. In this study, Saccharomyces cerevisiae membrane vesicle (SMV) was prepared by co-extrusion method, and the particle size and surface potential of SMV, drug loading and release characteristics, stability, cell safety, and in vitro therapeutic effect were investigated. The results showed that the average particle size of SMV was 185.1 nm. Curcumin and silica nanoparticles were effectively encapsulated by co-incubation and ultrasonic methods, and the characteristics of cell membrane proteins were maintained. Moreover, SMV had good stability and biocompatibility. In addition, SMV could be effectively uptaken by macrophages RAW 264.7, and curcumin loaded SMV could effectively eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS). In conclusion, the yeast plasma membrane vesicles prepared in this study could effectively deliver curcumin drugs and encapsulate nanoparticles, and could be effectively absorbed by macrophages and effectively eliminate ROS, providing new ideas and new methods for biomedical applications of yeast membrane materials.

Screening of anti-SARS-CoV-2 ligands from Chinese herbs based on a dual-target surface plasmon resonance biosensor / 药学学报

The epidemic of COVID-19 has brought great challenges to the global public health prevention and control system combined with clinical diagnosis and treatment system, and it makes the development of effective antiviral drugs an important task in current pharmaceutical research. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has played an important role in the prevention and control of COVID-19. Due to its numerous chemical components and various structural types, TCM becomes a natural library for searching for lead compounds against SARS-CoV-2. In this study, a novel dual-target surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor was developed for S protein receptor binding domain (SRBD) and angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) which are two key proteins in the process of SARS-CoV-2 invading cells according to characteristics of synergistic effects of multiple components and comprehensive regulation of multiple targets of TCM. The SPR biosensor was applied to screen and identify active components from six TCMs, and daidzin from Puerariae Lobatae Radix was identified to bind with SRBD and ACE2. The affinity constant (KD) of daidzin and ACE2 was 5.18 μmol·L-1 through the SPR affinity assay. Competitive ELISA assay showed that daidzin could inhibit the binding of SRBD and ACE2, and the inhibition rate of daidzin (20 μmol·L-1) was 38.6%. Molecular docking experiments further confirmed that daidzin had the best binding near the binding region of SRBD-ACE2 complex. This study shows that the dual-target SPR screening system is accurate and efficient, and is particularly suitable for screening of complex drug systems and effective substances study of TCM. It provides a material basis for exploring the mechanism of TCM active constituents against SARS-CoV-2, and provides a source of lead compounds for the development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs.

Identification and analysis of R1-MYB gene family in Rheum palmatum L. based on full-length transcriptome sequencing / 药学学报

As one kind of v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog (MYB) transcription factors, R1-MYB (MYB-related) family plays an important role in plant growth and development, as well as environmental stress and hormone signal transduction. In this study, R1-MYB family genes in Rheum palmatum L. were systematically screened based on full-length transcriptome sequencing analysis. Firstly, the physicochemical, protein domain and molecular evolution characteristics of the coding proteins were analyzed. Furthermore, the tissue expression levels of R1-MYB genes were analyzed by RNA-seq. We also investigated the expression pattern of RpMYB24 in response to various hormones and abiotic stresses. The results showed that a total of 49 R1-MYB genes were identified, which mainly encoded thermally stable hydrophilic proteins. Most of the deduced proteins were predicted to locate in nucleus. Each protein had a large proportion of random curl and α helix, and also had the W-type conserved amino acids which were the signature of MYB. R1-MYB family members were distributed in five subgroups, including circadian clock associated 1 (CCA1)-like, I-box (GATAAG)-like, CAPRICE (CPC)-like, telomere repeat binding factor (TRF)-like and TATA binding protein (TBP)-like, and the number of CCA1-like was the majority. RNA-seq revealed that 49 R1-MYB genes were differentially expressed in roots, rhizomes and leaves of R. palmatum, and the expression levels of 15 and 23 genes in roots and rhizomes were higher than those in leaves, respectively. RpMYB24 transcript was induced by abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment, and could also significantly respond to injury, low temperature and high temperature stresses except drought stress. This study systematically identified the R1-MYB family genes and their molecular characteristics, better for further gene functional validation, and then provide a scientific basis for the transcriptional regulation mechanism research into rhubarb quality formation.

Effects of different feeding patterns on physical and nutritional status of infants aged 6‒12 months / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveTo analyze the effects of different feeding patterns on the physical and nutritional status of children aged 6‒12 months， so as to provide reference for promoting scientific feeding and health development of infants and young children. MethodsChildren born between December 2019 and February 2020 and who had completed three follow-up visits at 6‒， 9‒ （8‒10 months） and 12‒ （11‒14 months） months old in all of the 13 communities of Minhang， Shanghai were selected. The subjects’ basic information was investigated by questionnaires. The indicators including feeding pattern， physical development （body weight， body length， head circumference） and nutritional status （the detection rate of overweight， obesity， low body weight， growth retardation， emaciation and iron deficiency anemia） were followed up in the outpatient department， with iron deficiency anemia only monitored at the 6‒ and 12‒ months old. According to different feeding patterns， the groups of 6‒ months old were divided into three groups of exclusive breast feeding （EBF）， mixed feeding （MF） and artificial feeding （AF）， while 9‒ and 12‒ months old were divided into MF and AF groups. The differences of basic information and follow-up results among the groups were analyzed. ResultsA total of 470 children were included， including 130 （27.66%）， 288 （61.28%） and 52 （11.06%） respectively in EBF， MF and AF groups at the 6‒ months old，and 319 （67.87%） and 196 （41.70%） in MF group at the 9‒ and 12‒ months old. There was no significant difference in the other follow-up results among the groups. The detection rate of iron deficiency anemia in 6‒ months old EBF （13.08%） was higher than that in MF group （5.90%） and AF group （1.92%） （χ2=8.40， P=0.010）， while it was still higher in 12‒ months old MF group （9.69%） than in AF group （2.92%） （χ2=9.68， P=0.002）. ConclusionThere is no significant difference in body weight，body length， head circumference， and the detection rates of overweight， obesity， low body weight， growth retardation and emaciation among the groups of different feeding patterns in the children aged 6‒12 months. The detection rate of iron deficiency anemia in the EBF and MF groups is significantly higher than that in the AF groups of children aged 6‒ and 12‒ months old.