cAMP-Epac1 signaling is activated in DDAVP-induced endolymphatic hydrops of guinea pigs

Abstract Objective To explore whether Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP)-Epac1 signaling is activated in 1-Desamino-8-D-arginine-Vasopressin-induced Endolymphatic Hydrops (DDAVP-induced EH) and to provide new insight for further in-depth study of DDAVP-induced EH. Methods Eighteen healthy, red-eyed guinea pigs (36 ears) weighing 200-350 g were randomly divided into three groups: the control group, which received intraperitoneal injection of sterile saline (same volume as that in the other two groups) for 7 consecutive days; the DDAVP-7d group, which received intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg/mL/kg DDAVP for 7 consecutive days; and the DDAVP-14d group, which received intraperitoneal injection of 10 μg/mL/kg DDAVP for 14 consecutive days. After successful modeling, all animals were sacrificed, and cochlea tissues were collected to detect the mRNA and protein expression of the exchange protein directly activated by cAMP-1 and 2 (Epac1, Epac2), and Repressor Activator Protein-1 (Rap1) by Reverse Transcription (RT)-PCR and western blotting, respectively. Results Compared to the control group, the relative mRNA expression of Epac1, Epac2, Rap1A, and Rap1B in the cochlea tissue of the DDAVP-7d group was significantly higher (p< 0.05), while no significant difference in Rap1 GTPase activating protein (Rap1gap) mRNA expression was found between the two groups. The relative mRNA expression of Epac1, Rap1A, Rap1B, and Rap1gap in the cochlea tissue of the DDAVP-14d group was significantly higher than that of the control group (p< 0.05), while no significant difference in Epac2 mRNA expression was found between the DDAVP-14d and control groups. Comparison between the DDAVP-14d and DDAVP-7d groups showed that the DDAVP-14d group had significantly lower Epac2 and Rap1A (p< 0.05) and higher Rap1gap (p < 0.05) mRNA expression in the cochlea tissue than that of the DDAVP-7d group, while no significant differences in Epac1 and Rap1B mRNA expression were found between the two groups. Western blotting showed that Epac1 protein expression in the cochlea tissue was the highest in the DDAVP-14d group, followed by that in the DDAVP-7d group, and was the lowest in the control group, showing significant differences between groups (p< 0.05); Rap1 protein expression in the cochlea tissue was the highest in the DDAVP-7d group, followed by the DDAVP-14d group, and was the lowest in the control group, showing significant differences between groups (p< 0.05); no significant differences in Epac2 protein expression in the cochlea tissue were found among the three groups. Conclusion DDAVP upregulated Epac1 protein expression in the guinea pig cochlea, leading to activation of the inner ear cAMP-Epac1 signaling pathway. This may be an important mechanism by which DDAVP regulates endolymphatic metabolism to induce EH and affect inner ear function. Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine 2011 Levels of Evidence Level 5.

Research progress in transcriptional and immunological biomarkers associated with tuberculosis infection / 中华预防医学杂志

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that poses a serious threat to human health. About a quarter of the world's population were infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 2020, and the majority of them were latently infected. Approximately 5%-10% of the population with latent tuberculosis infection may progress to active TB disease. Identifying latent TB infection from active TB by biomarkers and screening people with latent TB infection at high risk of progression for preventive treatment by biomarkers that can reliably predict the progression is one of the most effective strategies to control TB. This article reviews the progress of research on transcriptional and immunological biomarkers for identifying TB infection and predicting the progression from latent infection to active TB, with the aim of providing new ideas for tuberculosis control.

Multidisciplinary approach for the management of term pregnancy complicated by Eisenmenger syndrome / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Pregnancy in patients with Eisenmenger syndrome (ES) is associated with high maternal mortality rates of 30%‒50%, or even up to 65% in the case of a cesarean section (Yuan, 2016). Here, we report a case of term pregnancy complicated with ES and severe pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH), which was managed by a multidisciplinary team (MDT) and resulted in an uncomplicated delivery via elective cesarean section. The goal of this study is to emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary approach in the management of pregnancy with ES, which can profoundly improve maternal and infant outcomes.

Research Progressin the Relationship between Interleukin-6 and Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / 中国医学科学院学报

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is one of the main diseases causing low back pain,which seriously affects the quality of life of patients.Recent studies have discovered that interleukin-6 (IL-6) is highly expressed in the tissues and cells of degenerative intervertebral disc and is closely related to the occurrence and development of IDD.However,the signaling pathway and role of IL-6 in IDD remain to be understood.Therefore,this article reviews the recent studies about the signaling pathway and role of IL-6 in IDD,aiming to facilitate the clinical work and subsequent research progress.

Clinical Impact of Drug Adherence of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Children with Ph-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Purpose@#This study aimed to explore the impact of ABL1–tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) adherence on the survival of chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) children and clarify the potential predictors of patients’ prognosis from TKIs intake practices. @*Materials and Methods@#Ninety newly diagnosed Ph+ ALL patients who received TKIs were enrolled. We collected the baseline characteristics and adverse events in all children; moreover, TKIs adherence was measured by an eight-item Morisky medication adherence scale (MMAS-8). Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) analysis were performed, and risk factors for PFS and OS were evaluated. @*Results@#Among all patients, 69 cases were regarded as adherers, while 21 were non-adherers. The median duration of TKIs interruption was significantly prolonged in the non-adherence group than in the adherence group (13 [0-101] vs. 56 [11-128], p < 0.001). Additionally, dose reduction occurred in 55.2% of non-adherers versus 23.0% of adherers (p=0.002). The PFS and OS in adherers were significantly higher versus non-adherers (p=0.020 and p=0.039). MMAS-8 score was an independent risk factor for PFS (p=0.010) and OS (p=0.031). Among non-adherers, the median OS was only 23.1% (4.2%-42%) in patients aged ≤ 10 years versus 54.4% (38.8%-70%) in adolescents. Most of the patients who experienced TKIs non-adherence suffered pancytopenia. @*Conclusion@#TKIs adherence during treatment significantly influenced the survival of pediatric Ph+ ALL patients, and non-adherers with age ≤ 10 years were more vulnerable to TKIs disruption. The cumulative TKIs dose should be especially emphasized to patients with age ≤ 10 years, which may result in an inferior achievement of relevant treatment milestones.

Effect of autologous fat transplantation on facial contouring / 中华医学美学美容杂志

Objective:To explore the application experience of autologous fat transplantation in improving the facial contour of young cosmetic patients.Methods:From October 2017 to October 2020, the plastic surgery department of Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital admitted 10 young cosmetic patients with poor facial contours, including 1 male and 9 females, aged 18-35 years, with an average of 28 years. Autologous subcutaneous fat was harvested by liposuction and static purification and then injected into the areas with poor facial contour with an amount of 10%-30% over.Results:The facial contour of 10 young cosmetic patients was well improved, and there were no postoperative complications such as facial asymmetry, local uneven skin, skin infection and necrosis or fat embolism. 8 cases were filled once and 2 cases were filled twice. The patients were followed up for 6-24 months and the postoperative effect was good. The excellent and good rate evaluated by patients, plastic surgeon and the third party doctor was more than 80%.Conclusions:The use of autologous fat to improve the facial contour of young cosmetic patients is easy to operate with less trauma and good effect, which is worthy of promotion.

Difference of urinary protein components and the correlation between urinary protein quantification and glomerular filtration rate in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia / 中华妇产科杂志

Objective:To investigate the difference of urinary protein components in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia (PE) with different degrees of proteinuria and the correlation between 24-hour urinary protein quantification and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).Methods:Clinical data of 101 PE pregnant women who were delivered in Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from July 2018 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. According to 24-hour urinary protein quantification, they were divided into 3 groups, including 40 cases of mild proteinuria group (24-hour urinary protein quantification ≤2.0 g), 21 cases of moderate proteinuria group (2.0 g<24-hour urinary protein quantification ≤5.0 g), 40 cases of severe proteinuria group (24-hour urinary protein quantification >5.0 g). The general clinical data, urinary protein index and renal function index of PE pregnant women in 3 groups were compared. The eGFR was calculated based on age, serum creatinine (sCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum albumin (sAlb). Correlation analysis was conducted between 24-hour urinary protein quantification and each index of eGFR.Results:(1) General clinical data: the median PE onset week (31 weeks) and delivery gestational week [(36.4±3.6) weeks] of PE pregnant women in the mild proteinuria group were later than those in the moderate proteinuria group [median PE onset: 22 weeks, delivery: (32.2±4.2) weeks] and severe proteinuria group [median PE onset: 25 weeks, delivery: (29.6±3.4) weeks]; systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase levels and the incidence of fetal growth restriction were lower than those in the moderate and severe proteinuria groups; median newborn birth weight (3 150 g) was higher than those in the moderate proteinuria group (1 305 g) and the severe proteinuria group (1 042 g), respectively. The differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). (2) Urinary protein index: the 24-hour urinary protein quantification, urinary microalbumin (mAlb) and urinary transferrin (TRF) levels of PE pregnant women in the mild proteinuria group, moderate proteinuria group and severe proteinuria group were increased successively, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The median urinary α1-microglobulin (α1-MG) level of PE pregnant women in the severe proteinuria group (50 mg/L) was significantly higher than those in the mild proteinuria group (17 mg/L) and moderate proteinuria group (22 mg/L; all P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the mild proteinuria group and the moderate proteinuria group ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the median urinary β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) level among the 3 groups ( P=0.632). (3) Renal function index: sAlb and eGFR of PE pregnant women in the mild proteinuria group, moderate proteinuria group and severe proteinuria group were successively decreased, and BUN was successively increased, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The sCr level of PE pregnant women in the severe proteinuria group was significantly higher than those in the mild proteinuria group and the moderate proteinuria group (all P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the mild proteinuria group and the moderate proteinuria group ( P>0.05). (4) Correlation analysis: the 24-hour urinary protein quantification of PE pregnant women was significantly negatively correlated with eGFR ( r=-0.645, P<0.001), and was correlated with the variables sAlb ( r=-0.549, P<0.001), sCr ( r=0.582, P<0.001) and BUN ( r=-0.657, P<0.001) in the eGFR calculation formula. The 24-hour urinary protein quantification were significantly negatively correlated with the gestational weeks of PE onset, gestational weeks of termination of pregnancy and newborn birth weight (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The protein composition in the urine of PE pregnant women with different degrees of proteinuria is not different, but the protein level is significantly different. There is a significant negative correlation between the increase of 24-hour urinary protein quantification and the decrease of eGFR.

Type III secretory protein SINC of Chlamydia psittaci promotes host cell autophagy by activating the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of SINC, a secreted protein of Chlamydia psittaci, on autophagy of host cells and the role of MAPK/ERK signaling pathway in mediating SINC-induced autophagy.@*METHODS@#RAW 264.7 cells treated with recombinant SINC were examined for changes in expression levels of LC3-II, Beclin-1, phosphorylated and total ERK1/2 using Western blotting. The expression level of LC3 in the treated cells was detected using immunofluorescence analysis, and the formation of autophagosomes and autolysosomes was observed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effect of pretreatment with U0126 (a specific ERK inhibitor) on the expression levels of LC3-II and Beclin-1 in RAW 264.7 cells exposed to different concentrations of SINC was examined using Western blotting, and LC3 puncta in the cells was detected with immunofluorescence analysis.@*RESULTS@#The expression levels of LC3-II and Beclin-1 were the highest in RAW 264.7 cells treated with 2 μg/mL SINC for 12h. Immunofluorescence analysis showed exposure to SINC significantly increased the number of cells containing LC3 puncta, where the presence of autophagosomes and autolysosomes was detected. Exposure to 2 μg/mL SINC for 15 min resulted in the most significant increase of the ratios of p-ERK1/2/ERK1/2 in RAW 264.7 cells. Pretreatment of the cells with U0126 prior to SINC exposure significantly decreased the ratio of p-ERK1/2/ERK1/2, lowered the expression levels of LC3-II and Beclin-1, and decreased LC3 aggregation in the cells.@*CONCLUSIONS@#SINC exposure can induce autophagy in RAW 264.7 cells by activating the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.

Lipid analysis of coronary atherosclerotic plaques and the mechanism of restenosis after coronary endarterectomy / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective:To analyze the lipid composition of coronary atherosclerotic plaques and explore the mechanism of its influence on the medium and long-term efficacy of coronary endarterectomy(CE).Methods:From January 2018 to December 2019, a total of 50 patients with diffuse coronary artery disease(DCAD)and hyperlipidemia in Beijing Anzhen Hospital were enrolled to undergo coronary artery bypass grafting combined with anterior descending CE. After the informed consent was signed before the operation, the coronary endarterectomy plaque tissue and blood plasma samples were taken during the operation. Patients were further examined by coronary atherosclerosis T1-weighted characterization(CATCH) and power domain non-orthogonal multiple access(NOMA)postoperatively to analyze middle and long-term coronary restenosis risks. They were divided into high-risk group(restenosis rate >25%, study group) and matched low-risk group(control group). Lipid and molecular biological analysis were performed in the two groups to detect the tissue and cytochrome P450 3A4 enzyme(CYP3A4) content of plaque samples.Results:8 patients were enrolled in each group. The lipid analysis showed that and tissue samples from patients in the study group had a significantly higher level of 4α- Hydroxycholesterol(4α-OHC)as compared to the control group(0.050 μmol/g vs. 0.016 μmol/g, P<0.05). Further, 12 months after the operation, CATCH results showed that the patency rate of the control group was better than that of the study group[coronary artery stenosis rate(9.01±1.9)% vs.(22. 31±2.3)%, P<0.05]. Comparison of CYP3A4 content showed that: the CYP3A4 in blood plasma for the study group was higher than that in the control group[immediate(0.88±0.05)ng/ml vs.(0. 45±0.03) ng/ml and(2. 08± 0.40) ng/ml vs.(1. 58± 0.16)ng/ml, P<0.05]. Conclusion:High expression of 4 α- OHC may accelerate atherosclerosis(AS) after CE and cause restenosis in the middle and long term; It was also confirmed that 4 α- OHC is a biomarker of CYP3A4, which suggests for further investigation of the mechanism of progression after CE.

Impact of Yuyetang on Cognitive Impairment of Rats with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Based on Regulation of Ghrelin Level / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the regulatory effect of Yuyetang on Ghrelin level in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM）-induced cognitive impairment （DCI） and explore the pathway in the prevention and treatment of DCI. MethodThe T2DM model was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin （STZ） combined with the high-fat and high-sugar diet （STZ）. The model rats were divided into model group， metformin group （200 mg·kg-1）， and low-，medium-， and high-dose Yuyetang groups（4.575，9.15， 18.3 g·kg-1）according to the blood glucose， with 10 rats in each group. A normal group was also set up. The rats were administered with corresponding drugs by gavage for 30 days， and the body weight and blood glucose of the rats in each group were observed and recorded. After drug intervention， the learning and memory abilities of rats were tested by the Morris water maze. After the test， the whole brains of rats were sampled for hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining to observe the pathological changes in the hippocampal CA1 region， and the expression of Ghrelin in gastric tissues and hippocampal CA1 region was detected by immunohistochemistry. ResultCompared with the normal group ， the model group showed increased blood glucose（P<0.01），reduced body weight（P<0.01），prolonged escape latency（P<0.05，P<0.01）， shortened retention time and movement distance in the target area，decreased number of platform crossings（P<0.01）， abnormal morphology and structure of cells with disordered arrangement and reduced number in the hippocampal CA1 region， and decreased expression of Ghrelin in the serum，hippocampal CA1 region， and gastric tissues（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the medium- and high-dose Yuyetang groups showed increased body weight， while all Yuyetang groups showed reduced blood glucose（P<0.01）， shortened escape latency （P<0.05）， prolonged retention time and movement distance in the target area，increased platform crossings （P<0.05， P<0.01）， improved morphology and structure of cells， increased number of normal cell in the hippocampal CA1 region， and elevated Ghrelin levels in the serum， gastric tissues， and hippocampal CA1 region（P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionYuyetang can effectively improve the cognitive ability of DCI rats， and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of Ghrelin levels in the serum， hippocampal CA1 region， and gastric tissues.

Baihutang Syndrome and Treatment： A New Interpretation Based on Six Dimensional Syndrome Differentiation Theory / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Six dimensional syndrome differentiation theory， put forward by professor GU Xiao-hong at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine based on her theoretical teaching and clinical experience， emphasizes that the syndrome differentiation should be carried out from six dimensions including etiology， disease location， disease stage， disease condition， pathology， and disease nature， which is conducive to clinical thinking training and formation of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. The differentiation and treatment of Baihutang syndrome frequently seen in cold damage and warm disease still need to be explored. Guided by the six dimensional syndrome differentiation theory coupled with diverse viewpoints of cold damage and warm disease schools， this paper summarized and reinterpreted the understandings and thoughts of GU Xiao-hong and YU He， warm disease specialists of two generations. Considering the lung-stomach dysfunction caused by the internal invasion of exogenous pathogens， Baihutang syndrome was staged into Qi aspect. In this stage， exuberant pathogens and sufficient healthy Qi allowed the prevailing of internal heat and the consumption of body fluid， manifested as high fever， profuse sweating， thirst， and the pulse corresponding to interior excess and heat syndrome. This paper also pointed out that the Baihutang syndrome involved both lung and stomach， and the adoption of Baihutang contributed to preventing tu from restricting shui in the case of extreme excess of Yang brightness and protecting the kidney Yin. As revealed by the dynamic analysis of prognosis of Baihutang syndrome based on the six dimensional syndrome differentiation theory， even though the Baihutang syndrome could be present in both cold damage and warm disease， the specific disease stage， transmission and change， condition， prognosis， pathology， and medication differed. On this basis， a series of prescriptions have been modified from Baihutang， which has expanded the application scope of Baihutang and enriched its research value， thus better promoting its clinical application.

Influence of Thickness and Width of Bioabsorbable Vascular Stent on Local Hemodynamics / 中国医疗器械杂志

The study reconstructed vascular model by the realistic Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) data to investigate the influence of the local hemodynamics caused by different thickness and width of bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BRS) implantation in Left Anterior Descending (LAD) artery. The study explored the relationship between the stent structure and thrombus, and the result can provide a valuable reference for the optimal design of BRS.

Analysis of medication regularity and pharmacodynamic characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine treatment in 444 severe cases of COVID-19 / 中国中药杂志

The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) is developing rapidly and posing great threat to public health. There is no effective intervention for the severe patients, and their prognosis is poor. It is worth noting that in the fight against COVID-19, China has always put equal emphasis on both Chinese and Western medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine has played an important role in the whole process. It is of great significance to discuss the rules and characteristics of the prescription of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of COVID-19. In this study, information was collected from 444 severe COVID-19 patients who were admitted to a hospital designated to treat patients with severe COVID-19 in Wuhan before March 20, 2020. We collected traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions for patients with severe COVID-19, referred to Chinese Pharmacopoeia to standardize the names of traditional Chinese medicine, and extract the property, flavor and channel tropism of traditional Chinese medicines to analyze the rules of the prescriptions. IBM SPSS Modeler 18.0 software was used to conduct correlation analysis of traditional Chinese medicine. Effective traditional Chinese medicines against COVID-19 was identified by the TCMATCOV platform. In the end, 1 532 effective prescriptions were included. Among them, the high-frequency drugs are Poria, Astragali Radix, Pogostemonis Herba, Armeniacae Semen Amarum, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Pinelliae Rhizoma, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex, Ephedrae Herba, Cinna-momi Ramulus. Most of the drugs have the following functions: resolving dampness, replenishing deficiency, resolving phlegm, cough, and asthma. The core combinations are Pogostemonis Herba-Poria, Astragali Radix-Pogostemonis Herba-Poria, Amomi Fructus-Poria, Amomi Fructus-Pogostemonis Herba, Amomi Fructus-Astragali Radix. The majority of the medicines are with cold and warm properties, and the proportions are 41.03% and 38.46%, respectively. The medicinal flavors are mainly concentrated in sweet and bitter, and the proportions are 34.71% and 30.58%, respectively. The meridian of the drug is more into the lung, stomach and spleen, with lung accounting for 22.87%. From the analysis of high-frequency drugs to the core combinations, one can see that the main treatment principle for severe COVID-19 is to remove internal and external dampness, protect the spleen and stomach, remove evil energy, and support righteousness. TCMATCOV platform was used to calculate the network disturbances of the high-frequency drugs. It was found that the traditional Chinese medicine with a high disturbance score accounted for a high proportion of the classic anti-COVID-19 prescriptions used by clinicians. Among them, the drugs with top scores are Ephedrae Herba, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Eupatorii Herba, Platycodonis Radix, Cinnamomi Ramulus, Astragali Radix, Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Pogostemonis Herba, Scutellariae Radix. After a further exploration of the action targets, it was showed that disease-specific factor TNF was the target of the above ten drugs, and traditional Chinese medicine can exert anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects.

Study on the coronary endarterectomy combined with electrocautery in the treatment of diffuse coronary artery disease / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective:To explore the outcomes and mechanisms of coronary endarterectomy combined with electrocautery in patients with diffused coronary artery disease undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).Methods:From January 2017 to September 2018, 300 patients undergoing CABG with left anterior descending artery endarterectomy were randomly divided into two groups, after fully informed the risks and other related issues regarding the operations. All the patients in the two groups were treated with CABG. In the study group, patients underwent electrocautery immediately after endarterectomy, whereas in the control group, patients underwent endarterectomy only. The electrocardiogram and serological examination (TNI, IL-6 and TNF-a) were performed at 2 h, 24 h, 72 h and 120 h after operation. The follow-up duration was 1 year.Results:Nine patients in the study group, and 25 patients in the control group had ST segment elevation. The levels of TNI, IL-6 and TNF-a were continuously increased in both groups, and reached the peak at 24 h, then decreased slowly. The levels of TNF-a were significantly lower at 2 h postoperatively in the study group ( P=0.01). There was no significant difference in the levels of TNI and IL-6 between the two groups. The levels of TNI, TNF-a and IL-6 were significantly lower in the electrocautery group at 24 h, 72 h, and 120 h after operation( P<0.05). One year after operation, incidences of ST segment elevation in the study group were significantly lower than that in the control group, and there was no significant difference in restenosis rate and myocardial infarction rate. Conclusion:Endarterectomy combined with electrocautery may prevent the restenosis of the lumen and blood turbulence, smooth the inner wall of the vessel, slow down the release of inflammatory factors in the peripheral blood, inhibit the expression of inflammatory factors in the vessels, and reduce the myocardial damage. The short-term effect was satisfactory; the long-term anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic effect still need further investigations.

Chinese herbal medicine reduces mortality in patients with severe and critical Coronavirus disease 2019: a retrospective cohort study / 医学前沿

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) in patients with severe/critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this retrospective study, data were collected from 662 patients with severe/critical COVID-19 who were admitted to a designated hospital to treat patients with severe COVID-19 in Wuhan before March 20, 2020. All patients were divided into an exposed group (CHM users) and a control group (non-users). After propensity score matching in a 1:1 ratio, 156 CHM users were matched by propensity score to 156 non-users. No significant differences in seven baseline clinical variables were found between the two groups of patients. All-cause mortality was reported in 13 CHM users who died and 36 non-users who died. After multivariate adjustment, the mortality risk of CHM users was reduced by 82.2% (odds ratio 0.178, 95% CI 0.076-0.418; P < 0.001) compared with the non-users. Secondly, age (odds ratio 1.053, 95% CI 1.023-1.084; P < 0.001) and the proportion of severe/critical patients (odds ratio 0.063, 95% CI 0.028-0.143; P < 0.001) were the risk factors of mortality. These results show that the use of CHM may reduce the mortality of patients with severe/critical COVID-19.

Application of immunophenotypic analysis and molecular genetics in the diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia / 中华血液学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the application values of immunophenotypic analysis and molecular genetics in the diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) .@*Methods@#The retrospective analyses of flow cytometric (FCM) immunophenotypic anyalysis, chromosome karyotype and chromosome fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of 798 outpatient or hospitalization APL patients referred to our hospital between May 2012 and December 2017 were performed to further study the application values of FCM and molecular genetics in the diagnosis of APL.@*Results@#The sensitivity and specificity of FCM were 91.9% and 98.7% respectively. The typical characteristic immunophenotype for APL was as of follows: a high SSC, absence of expression of cluster differntiation (CD) CD34 and HLA-DR, and expression or stronger expression of CD33, consistent expression of CD13, CD9, CD123, expression of CD56, CD7, CD2 (sometimes) . The rest 10% of the cases harbored atypical APL phenotypes, generally accompanied by CD34 and/or HLA-DR expression, decreased SSC and often accompanied by CD2 expression, it was difficult to definitively diagnose APL by this FCM phenotype, and their diagnoses depended on the results of genetics or molecular biology tests. Compared with normal individuals, complex karyotypes APL with t (15;17) translocation, other variant translocations and variant t (11;17) , t (5;17) had no significant differences in terms of their FCM phenotypes.@*Conclusions@#FCM could rapidly and effectively diagnose APL. Despite the fact that complex karyotypes with various additional chromosomal abnormalities were detected in approximately one third of APL cases in addition to the pathognomonic t (15;17) (q22;q21) , they had no observable impact on the overall immunophenotype. Molecular and genetic criteria were the golden criteria for the diagnosis of APL. About 10% of immunophenotyping cases relied on molecular genetics for diagnosis.

Clinical features and laboratory data analysis of Aeromonas bacteremia with hematological diseases / 中华血液学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the clinical and laboratory features of Aeromonas bacteremia in patients with hematological diseases, and provide evidence for the prevention and treatment of Aeromonas infection.@*Methods@#A retrospective study of patients with bloodstream infection of Aeromonas in our hospital from January 2014 to December 2018 was carried out. The clinical characteristics, antimicrobial susceptibility, infection seasons, antimicrobial therapy and evolution were analyzed.@*Results@#A total of 42 patients with hematological diseases had Aeromonas bloodstream infection within 5 years. Among them, 39 cases (92.9%) of bloodstream infection occurred in the stage of neutropenia. The median time of fever was 4 (1-27) d, 22 (52.4%) patients only had fever, 6 (14.3%) with gastrointestinal symptoms (abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, upper gastrointestinal bleeding) , 8 (19.0%) with pulmonary infection, 13 (31.0%) with skin and soft tissue infections. Seven patients (16.7%) died with skin and soft tissue infection. The resistance of Aeromonas to carbapenems was 68.3%-70.7%, while the resistance rate to cephalosporins, quinolones and aminoglycosides were less than 10%.@*Conclusions@#Aeromonas bacteremia in patients with hematological diseases mainly occur in the neutropenia stage, usually with symptom like fever. The mortality is increased when accompanied by skin and soft tissue infection. Antibiotic use should be based on susceptibility results, and avoid the use of carbapenems.

Analysis of maternal deaths with cardiovascular diseases in Shanghai obstetric heart disease intensive care unit within twenty-six years / 中华妇产科杂志

Objective@#To analyze risk factors, cardiovascular complications, time of death, gestational age of delivery and offspring outcomes in the maternal deaths with cardiovascular diseases (CVD).@*Methods@#Totally 4 112 cases of pregnant women with CVD in Shanghai obstetric heart disease intensive care unit within 26 years (from January 1993 to December 2018) were collected, and 20 maternal deaths within these cases were analyzed retrospectively.@*Results@#(1) Among the 20 deaths, structural heart diseases accounted for 90% (18/20), pregnancy induced heart diseases was 10% (2/20) while there was no dysfunctional heart disease. The mortality of pregnant women with CVD was 0.486% (20/4 112). (2) The following risk factors were common in these women, getting pregnant without counselling (95%, 19/20) , New York Heart Association classⅢ or Ⅳcardiac function (70%, 14/20), complicated with pulmonary hypertension (75%, 15/20) and prior heart events (60%, 12/20). And 85% (17/20) deaths occurred in puerperium, 15% (3/20) occurred before labor,while no death occurred during labor. And 65% (13/20) deaths died due to heart failure, 20% (4/20) deaths were due to pulmonary hypertension crisis, 5% (1/20) died on sudden cardiac arrest, rupture of aortic dissection and sudden death, respectively.@*Conclusions@#Women with CVD should get pregnant after strict evaluation. Pulmonary hypertension is one of the most severe contraindications to pregnancy, especially in patients with moderate to severe pulmonary hypertension. The puerperium period is a critical period that threatens the safety of these patients. Since heart failure is the most common cause of death, it is necessary to prevent and treat heart failure and to monitor heart function dynamically, especially in those with structural abnormal heart diseases. Moreover, it is also of importance to standardize antenatal care and to identify the severity of heart diseases in time.

The synchronous mechanism of myocardial regeneration-cell disintegration-myocardial fibrosis and its relationship with heart failure / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective@#To observe the cardiomyocytes regeneration after myocardial infarction in Chinese small pigs, analyze the mechanism of myocardial fibrosis after myocardial regeneration.@*Methods@#Nine Chinese small pigs, weight 18-20 kg, 6 pigs in the experimental group(to ligate LAD at the equal blood flow point), and 3 in the control group(no any operation was performed). Monitor the hemodynamics of the left ventricle. Cardiac specimens were taken after 4 weeks of LAD ligation, the left ventricle was divided into 17 segments, and fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde for 1 week. Hematoxylin-Eosin/(HE) staining, PTAH、Ki-67-DAB and α-sarcomeric-actin-DAB staining for pathological observation.@*Results@#Four weeks of LAD ligation, different range of infarct size could be found in all the 17 segment of left ventricle. There was significant systolic pressure difference between the proximal and distal part in the left ventricular cavity. After 4 weeks of LAD ligation, there were a large number of new cardiomyocytes around the infarction area, which connected with the original mature cardiomyocytes directly. Large number of disassembled cardiomyocytes in the infarcted area and myocardial fibers were broken, cell structure disappeared, and nuclei were scattered in fibrotic tissues.@*Conclusion@#New cardiomyocytes after myocardial infarction were derived from the mature cardiomyocytes. Myocardial regeneration, cell disintegration, and myocardial fibrosis were performed synchronously under the influence of myocardial tension.

The synchronous mechanism of myocardial regeneration-cell disintegration-myocardial fibrosis and its relationship with heart failure / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective To observe the cardiomyocytes regeneration after myocardial infarction in Chinese small pigs, ana-lyze the mechanism of myocardial fibrosis after myocardial regeneration. Methods Nine Chinese small pigs, weight 18-20 kg, 6 pigs in the experimental group( to ligate LAD at the equal blood flow point) , and 3 in the control group( no any operation was performed) . Monitor the hemodynamics of the left ventricle. Cardiac specimens were taken after 4 weeks of LAD ligation, the left ventricle was divided into 17 segments, and fixed in 4％ paraformaldehyde for 1 week. Hematoxylin-Eosin/( HE) stai-ning,PTAH、Ki-67-DAB and α-sarcomeric-actin-DAB staining for pathological observation. Results Four weeks of LAD liga-tion, different range of infarct size could be found in all the 17 segment of left ventricle. There was significant systolic pressure difference between the proximal and distal part in the left ventricular cavity. After 4 weeks of LAD ligation, there were a large number of new cardiomyocytes around the infarction area, which connected with the original mature cardiomyocytes directly. Large number of disassembled cardiomyocytes in the infarcted area and myocardial fibers were broken, cell structure disap-peared, and nuclei were scattered in fibrotic tissues. Conclusion New cardiomyocytes after myocardial infarction were derived from the mature cardiomyocytes. Myocardial regeneration, cell disintegration, and myocardial fibrosis were performed synchro-nously under the influence of myocardial tension.