Mechanism of n-butanol alcohol extract of Baitouweng Decoction in treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis based on negative regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome via PKCδ/NLRC4/IL-1Ra axis / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to explore the mechanism of n-butanol alcohol extract of Baitouweng Decoction(BAEB) in the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis(VVC) in mice based on the negative regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome via PKCδ/NLRC4/IL-1Ra axis. In the experiment, female C57BL/6 mice were divided randomly into the following six groups: a blank control group, a VVC model group, high-, medium-, and low-dose BAEB groups(80, 40, and 20 mg·kg~(-1)), and a fluconazole group(20 mg·kg~(-1)). The VVC model was induced in mice except for those in the blank control group by the estrogen dependence method. After modeling, no treatment was carried out in the blank control group. The mice in the high-, medium-, and low-dose BAEB groups were treated with BAEB at 80, 40, and 20 mg·kg~(-1), respectively, and those in the fluconazole group were treated with fluconazole at 20 mg·kg~(-1). The mice in the VVC model group received the same volume of normal saline. The general state and body weight of mice in each group were observed every day, and the morphological changes of Candida albicans in the vaginal lavage of mice were examined by Gram staining. The fungal load in the vaginal lavage of mice was detected by microdilution assay. After the mice were killed, the degree of neutrophil infiltration in the vaginal lavage was detected by Papanicolaou staining. The content of inflammatory cytokines interleukin(IL)-1β, IL-18, and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) in the vaginal lavage was tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), and vaginal histopathology was analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. The expression and distribution of NLRP3, PKCδ, pNLRC4, and IL-1Ra in vaginal tissues were measured by immunohistochemistry(IHC), and the expression and distribution of pNLRC4 and IL-1Ra in vaginal tissues were detected by immunofluorescence(IF). The protein expression of NLRP3, PKCδ, pNLRC4, and IL-1Ra was detected by Western blot(WB), and the mRNA expression of NLRP3, PKCδ, pNLRC4, and IL-1Ra was detected by qRT-PCR. The results showed that compared with the blank control group, the VVC model group showed redness, edema, and white secretions in the vagina. Compared with the VVC model group, the BAEB groups showed improved general state of VVC mice. As revealed by Gram staining, Papanicolaou staining, microdilution assay, and HE staining, compared with the blank control group, the VVC model group showed a large number of hyphae, neutrophils infiltration, and increased fungal load in the vaginal lavage, destroyed vaginal mucosa, and infiltration of a large number of inflammatory cells. BAEB could reduce the transformation of C. albicans from yeast to hyphae. High-dose BAEB could significantly reduce neutrophil infiltration and fungal load. Low-and medium-dose BAEB could reduce the da-mage to the vaginal tissue, while high-dose BAEB could restore the damaged vaginal tissues to normal levels. ELISA results showed that the content of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-18, and LDH in the VVC model group significantly increased compared with that in the blank control group, and the content of IL-1β, IL-18 and LDH in the medium-and high-dose BAEB groups was significantly reduced compared with that in the VVC model group. WB and qRT-PCR results showed that compared with the blank control group, the VVC model group showed reduced protein and mRNA expression of PKCδ, pNLRC4, and IL-1Ra in vaginal tissues of mice and increased protein and mRNA expression of NLRP3. Compared with the VVC model group, the medium-and high-dose BAEB groups showed up-regulated protein and mRNA expression of PKCδ, pNLRC4, and IL-1Ra in vaginal tissues and inhibited protein and mRNA expression of NLRP3 in vaginal tissues. This study indicated that the therapeutic effect of BAEB on VVC mice was presumably related to the negative regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome by promoting PKCδ/NLRC4/IL-1Ra axis.

How Job Stress and Psychological Adaptation Predicting Interpersonal Needs Among Female Migrant Manufacturing Workers in China: A Structural Equation Model

Background@#This study aimed to explore relationships between job stress and psychological adaptation and how they related to interpersonal needs through mood states among female migrant manufacturing workers. @*Methods@#A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 16 factories in Shenzhen, China. Sociodemographic, job stress, psychological adaptation and other psychological information of was collected. Structural equation modeling was performed to delineate the internal relationship between variables. @*Results@#The hypothetical structural equation model exhibited acceptable model fit among female migrant manufacturing workers (χ2 = 11.635, df = 2, χ2/df = 5.82, p = 0.003, RMSEA = 0.090, CFI = 0.972, SRMR = 0.020). Job stress was directly associated with mood states and interpersonal needs; Psychological adaptation was directly associated with mood states and indirectly associated with interpersonal needs; Bootstrapping tests demonstrated mediation effect of mood states in the way from psychological adaptation to interpersonal needs. @*Conclusion@#Female migrant manufacturing workers who suffered stress from job and the process of psychological adaptation may have worse mood states and workers with worse mood states are more likely to develop unmet interpersonal needs, a proximal factor of suicidal ideation.

Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Intestinal Fibrosis

Intestinal fibrosis associated stricture is a common complication of inflammatory bowel disease usually requiring endoscopic or surgical intervention. Effective anti-fibrotic agents aiming to control or reverse intestinal fibrosis are still unavailable. Thus, clarifying the mechanism underpinning intestinal fibrosis is imperative. Fibrosis is characterized by an excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins at the injured sites. Multiple cellular types are implicated in fibrosis development. Among these cells, mesenchymal cells are major compartments that are activated and then enhance the production of ECM. Additionally, immune cells contribute to the persistent activation of mesenchymal cells and perpetuation of inflammation. Molecules are messengers of crosstalk between these cellular compartments. Although inflammation is necessary for fibrosis development, purely controlling intestinal inflammation cannot halt the development of fibrosis, suggesting that chronic inflammation is not the unique contributor to fibrogenesis. Several inflammation-independent mechanisms including gut microbiota, creeping fat, ECM interaction, and metabolic reprogramming are involved in the pathogenesis of fibrosis. In the past decades, substantial progress has been made in elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of intestinal fibrosis. Here, we summarized new discoveries and advances of cellular components and major molecular mediators that are associated with intestinal fibrosis, aiming to provide a basis for exploring effective anti-fibrotic therapies in this field.

18F-FDG hybrid PET/MR radiomics based on different segmentation methods for distinguishing Parkinson′s disease from multiple system atrophy / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To explore the impact of different segmentation methods on differential diagnostic efficiency of 18F-FDG PET/MR radiomics to distinguish Parkinson′s disease (PD) from multiple system atrophy (MSA). Methods:From December 2017 to June 2019, 90 patients (60 with PD and 30 with MSA; 37 males, 53 females; age (55.8±9.5) years) who underwent 18F-FDG PET/MR in Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology were retrospectively collected. Patients were randomized to training set and validation set in a ratio of 7∶3. The bilateral putamina and caudate nuclei, as the ROIs, were segmented by automatic segmentation of brain regions based on anatomical automatic labeling (AAL) template and manual segmentation using ITK-SNAP software. A total of 1 172 radiomics features were extracted from T 1 weighted imaging (WI) and 18F-FDG PET images. The minimal redundancy maximal relevance (mRMR) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm were used for features selection and radiomics signatures (Radscore) construction, with 10-fold cross-validation for preventing overfitting. The diagnostic performance of the models was assessed by ROC curve analysis, and the differences between models were calculated by Delong test. Results:There were 63 cases in training set (42 PD, 21 MSA) and 27 cases in validation set (18 PD, 9 MSA). The Radscore values were significantly different between the PD group and the MSA group in all training set and validation set of radiomics models ( 18F-FDG_Radscore and T 1WI_Radscore) based on automatic or manual segmentation methods ( z values: from -5.15 to -2.83, all P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that AUCs of 18F-FDG_Radscore and T 1WI_Radscore based on automatic segmentation in training and validation sets were 0.848, 0.840 and 0.892, 0.877, while AUCs were 0.900, 0.883 and 0.895, 0.870 based on manual segmentation. There were no significant differences in training and validation sets between Radiomics models based on different segmentation methods ( z values: 0.04-0.77, all P>0.05). Conclusions:The 18F-FDG PET/MR radiomics models based on different segmentation methods achieve promising diagnostic efficacy for distinguishing PD from MSA. The radiomics analysis based on automatic segmentation shows greater potential and practical value in the differential diagnosis of PD and MSA in view of the advantages including time-saving, labor-saving, and high repeatability.

Clinical application of 99Tc m-sulfur colloid lymphoscintigraphy in the diagnosis of lower limb lymphedema after gynecological tumor surgery / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To explore the significance of 99Tc m-sulfur colloid lymphoscintigraphy in the diagnosis of lower limb lymphedema after gynecological tumor surgery. Methods:The clinical data of patients with lower limb lymphedema after gynecological tumor surgery in Union Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology from May 2015 to October 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. 99Tc m-sulfur colloid lymphoscintigraphy was performed in all patients. The results of lymphatic vessel imaging, lymph node imaging and their combination in the diagnosis of lower limb lymphedema were analyzed. The diagnostic efficacy of lymphatic vessel imaging alone, lymph node imaging alone and their combination was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC), and the Youden index, sensitivity and specificity were calculated. Results:Among the 100 lower limbs of 50 patients, 56 limbs had lymphedema and 44 limbs had no obvious edema. When diagnosis was based on abnormal lymphatic vessel imaging alone, among 56 lower limbs with lymphedema, lower limbs lymphatic vessel imaging was positive in 38 (67.9%) and negative in 18 (32.1%); among 44 lower limbs without obvious edema, lower limbs lymphatic vessel imaging was positive in 6 (13.6%) and negative in 38 (86.4%); the sensitivity was 67.9%, the specificity was 86.4%, and the Youden index was 0.543. When diagnosis was based on abnormal lymph node imaging alone, among 56 lower limbs with lymphedema, lower limbs lymph node imaging was positive in 42 (75.0%) and negative in 14 (25.0%); among 44 lower limbs without obvious edema, lower limbs lymph node imaging was positive in 13 (29.5%) and negative in 31 (70.5%); the sensitivity was 75.0%, the specificity was 70.5%, and the Youden index was 0.455. When diagnosis was based on the combination of lymphatic vessel imaging and lymph node imaging, among 56 lower limbs with lymphedema, lymphatic vessel imaging and lymph node imaging were positive in 48 (85.7%) and negative in 8 (14.3%); among 44 lower limbs without obvious edema, lymphatic vessel imaging and lymph node imaging were positive in 14 (31.8%) and negative in 30 (68.2%); the sensitivity was 85.7%, the specificity was 68.2%, and the Youden index was 0.539. The AUC for the combined diagnosis of lymphatic vessel imaging and lymph node imaging was 0.781, the AUC for the diagnosis of abnormal lymphatic vessel imaging was 0.771, and the AUC for the diagnosis of abnormal lymph node imaging was 0.739 (all P < 0.01). Conclusions:99Tc m-sulfur colloid lymphoscintigraphy is of great help in the diagnosis of lower limb lymphedema after operation of gynecological tumors. The combination of lymph node imaging and lymphatic vessel imaging is more effective in the diagnosis of lower limb lymphedema.

Study on Risk Factors of Peripheral Neuropathy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Establishment of Prediction Model

Background@#Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most serious complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). DPN increases the risk of ulcers, foot infections, and noninvasive amputations, ultimately leading to long-term disability. @*Methods@#Seven hundred patients with T2DM were investigated from 2013 to 2017 in the Sanlin community by obtaining basic data from the electronic medical record system (EMRS). From September 2018 to July 2019, 681 patients (19 missing) were investigated using a questionnaire, physical examination, biochemical index test, and follow-up Toronto clinical scoring system (TCSS) test. Patients with a TCSS score ≥6 points were diagnosed with DPN. After removing missing values, 612 patients were divided into groups in a 3:1 ratio for external validation. Using different Lasso analyses (misclassification error, mean squared error, –2log-likelihood, and area under curve) and a logistic regression analysis of the training set, models A, B, C, and D were established. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration plot, dynamic component analysis (DCA) measurements, net classification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) were used to validate discrimination and clinical practicality of the model. @*Results@#Through data analysis, model A (containing four factors), model B (containing five factors), model C (containing seven factors), and model D (containing seven factors) were built. After calibration, ROC curve, DCA, NRI and IDI, models C and D exhibited better accuracy and greater predictive power. @*Conclusion@#Four prediction models were established to assist with the early screening of DPN in patients with T2DM. The influencing factors in model C and D are more important factors for patients with T2DM diagnosed with DPN.

Analysis of differences between middle school and high school students help-seeking behaviors and association with non-suicidal self-injury / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand and compare the differences in help-seeking behavior among junior high school students and senior high school students and their association with non-suicidal self-injury to provide a basis for the prevention and control of non-suicidal self-injury among middle school students.@*Methods@#Three middle schools in Nanchang were selected,and the survey were conducted among 4 434 students through the General Situation Questionnaire, the Ottawa Self-injury Judgment Entry, and the Middle School Students Help Seeking Behavior Questionnaire, and SPSS 22.0 was used for statistical analysis.@*Results@#The NSSI detection rate among middle school students was 33.3% , and junior high school students detection rate(36.0%) were higher than high school students(29.6%) (χ 2=19.41，P<0.01). Differences in willingness to ask for help, asking for help from family and teachers, and talking face-to-face for help were statistically significant (all P<0.01) among NSSI participants and non-NSSI participants, for both junior high school and high school students. Females (OR=1.45), class cadres (OR=1.26), urban household registration (OR=1.45), frequent scolding by elders (OR=1.98) and a high academic burden (OR=1.39) all possible increased the risk of NSSI in junior high school students, while assistance to family members (OR=0.95) or teachers (OR=0.95) possible reduced the risk of NSSI in junior high school students. Females (OR=1.50), class cadres (OR=1.34), only children (OR=1.45), fathers with college education and above (compared to junior high school and below) (OR=1.56), frequent scolding by elders (OR=2.08), frequent corporal punishment from elders (OR=4.12) and high academic burden (OR=1.38) possibly increased the risk of NSSI among high school students, while willingness to ask for help (OR=0.82), asking for help from family (OR=0.95) and teachers (OR=0.96) possible reduced the risk of NSSI among high school students.@*Conclusion@#There are some differences in help-seeking behavior between junior and high school students, and school and parents should actively focus on middle school students help-seeking behavior and encourage them to seek help.

Study on Risk Factors of Peripheral Neuropathy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Establishment of Prediction Model

Background@#Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most serious complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). DPN increases the risk of ulcers, foot infections, and noninvasive amputations, ultimately leading to long-term disability. @*Methods@#Seven hundred patients with T2DM were investigated from 2013 to 2017 in the Sanlin community by obtaining basic data from the electronic medical record system (EMRS). From September 2018 to July 2019, 681 patients (19 missing) were investigated using a questionnaire, physical examination, biochemical index test, and follow-up Toronto clinical scoring system (TCSS) test. Patients with a TCSS score ≥6 points were diagnosed with DPN. After removing missing values, 612 patients were divided into groups in a 3:1 ratio for external validation. Using different Lasso analyses (misclassification error, mean squared error, –2log-likelihood, and area under curve) and a logistic regression analysis of the training set, models A, B, C, and D were established. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration plot, dynamic component analysis (DCA) measurements, net classification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) were used to validate discrimination and clinical practicality of the model. @*Results@#Through data analysis, model A (containing four factors), model B (containing five factors), model C (containing seven factors), and model D (containing seven factors) were built. After calibration, ROC curve, DCA, NRI and IDI, models C and D exhibited better accuracy and greater predictive power. @*Conclusion@#Four prediction models were established to assist with the early screening of DPN in patients with T2DM. The influencing factors in model C and D are more important factors for patients with T2DM diagnosed with DPN.

Protection management and procedures of nuclear medicine imaging during novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) infection epidemic period / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

At the end of December 2019, acute respiratory infectious diseases caused by a new type of coronavirus were prevalent in Wuhan and other cities of China. Different from radiology examinations, the protocols of nuclear medical imaging examinations are complicated, in which more workplaces and staff are needed, resulting more complex management of patients and higher protection requirements. Combined with the characteristics of SPECT and PET imaging procedures, this paper puts forward some suggestions on the protective process of imaging examinations for patients with confirmed or suspected noval coronavirus infec- tion. The main purpose is to protect medical staff from virus infection, effectively reduce the risk of virus transmission during the examination process, and ensure the medical quality and safety.

Protection management and procedures of nuclear medicine imaging during novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) infection epidemic period / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

At the end of December 2019, acute respiratory infectious diseases caused by a new type of coronavirus were prevalent in Wuhan and other cities of China. Different from radiology examinations, the protocols of nuclear medical imaging examinations are complicated, in which more workplaces and staff are needed, resulting more complex management of patients and higher protection requirements. Combined with the characteristics of SPECT and PET imaging procedures, this paper puts forward some suggestions on the protective process of imaging examinations for patients with confirmed or suspected novel coronavirus infection. The main purpose is to protect medical staff from virus infection, effectively reduce the risk of virus transmission during the examination process, and ensure the medical quality and safety.

Investigation on the mechanisms of effects of high fat and high fructose diet on rat aging / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective:To investigate the mechanisms of effects of high fat and high fructose diet on rat aging.Methods:Adult male SD rats were divided into normal diet(ND) group and high fat and high fructose diet(HFHFD) group. After treatment for 48 weeks, these rats were sacrificed and the blood, liver, and brain tissues were collected. Serum triglyceride(TG), total cholesterol(TC), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-C), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-C) levels were determined by automatic biochemical analyzer. The serum levels of interluekin-2(IL-2), IL-6, and advanced glycation end products(AGEs) were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The expressions of p16, p21, and p53 genes in the liver and brain tissues were detected by real-time quantitative PCR and western blot.Results:After 48 weeks treatment, there were significant differences in body weight and fasting plasma glucose between two groups. Serum TG, TC, and LDL-C in HFHFD group were significantly higher than those in the ND group( P<0.05), with an increase trend in HDL-C but without statistical difference. Compared with ND group, the level of IL-2 in HFHFD group was significantly decreased while the levels of IL-6 and AGEs were significantly increased(all P<0.05). The levels of p16 and p21 mRNA expressions as well as p53 and p21 protein expressions in liver and brain in HFHFD group were markedly increased compared with ND group(all P<0.05). Conclusion:Long-term high fat and high fructose diets accelerate the aging process of rats, which may be related to the damage of the immune system and the changes of cell senescence related gene expressions in liver and brain tissues.

Renal depth measured by CT optimize the glomerular filtration rate using Gates method / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To explore the application value of CT measurement of renal depth correction, optimized acquisition and post-processing in the measurement of renal glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by Gates renal dynamic imaging.Methods:From January 2018 to November 2019, 157 patients (102 males, 55 females, age (51.4±14.5) years) including 118 in normal renal area group (adults with normal renal position and morphology, and excluding hydronephrosis, renal occupation, retroperitoneal mass and other factors affecting renal depth) and 39 in abnormal renal area group (19 of transplanted kidney, 11 of horseshoe kidney and 9 of ectopic kidney), were retrospectively enrolled in Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The GFR was measured by renal dynamic imaging Gates method. For the normal renal area group, the renal depth was calculated by CT method, the traditional Tonnesen formula or the Li Qian formula. For the abnormal renal area group, the GFR was measured by optimized acquisition and post-processing method (GFR optimization), the traditional post-processing method (GFR tradition), or Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) formula method (eGFR). The differences of the renal depth and corresponding GFR obtained by different methods were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and the least significant difference (LSD) t test. The correlation was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis, and the consistency was analyzed by Bland-Altman analysis. Results:In the normal renal area group, the left and right renal depth measured by CT were (7.40±1.43) and (7.51±1.37) cm. Tonnesen formula underestimated renal depth (left kidney: (6.03±0.82) cm, right kidney: (6.06±0.84) cm; F values: 64.145 and 68.567, both P<0.01), and the deviation increased with the increase of CT measured depth ( r values: 0.847 and 0.834, both P<0.01). The GFR measured by Tonnesen formula was (56.93±28.42) ml·min -1·1.73 m -2, and the difference was statistically significant compared with CT method ((73.43±36.56) ml·min -1·1.73 m -2; F=9.423, P<0.01). The renal left and right depth measured by Li Qian formula were (7.55±1.03) and (7.52±0.98) cm, and the total GFR was (73.65±34.50) ml·min -1·1.73 m -2 with no differences compared with CT method (all P>0.05). The GFR obtained by Li Qian formula had better correlation ( r=0.901, P<0.01) and consistency with CT method. In the abnormal renal area group, GFR optimization, GFR tradition and eGFR was (63.11±27.40), (48.40±25.45) and (59.89±32.24) ml·min -1·1.73 m -2, respectively, and the difference between GFR tradition and GFR optimization was statistically significant ( F=2.870, P=0.025). GFR optimization had better correlation ( r=0.941, P<0.01) and consistency with eGFR. Conclusions:Tonnesen formula underestimates the renal depth. Using CT to measure renal depth and perform depth correction can improve the accuracy of Gates method for GFR determination. For the special cases of transplanted kidney, horseshoe kidney, ectopic kidney and retroperitoneal mass, it is important to optimize acquisition scheme and post-processing method to obtain accurate GFR.

Protection management and procedures of nuclear medicine imaging during novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) infection epidemic period / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

At the end of December 2019,acute respiratory infectious diseases caused by a new type of coronavirus were prevalent in Wuhan and other cities of China.Different from radiology examinations,the protocols of nuclear medical imaging examinations are complicated,in which more workplaces and staff are needed,resulting more complex management of patients and higher protection requirements.Combined with the characteristics of SPECT and PET imaging procedures,this paper puts forward some suggestions on the protective process of imaging examinations for patients with confirmed or suspected novel coronavirus infection.The main purpose is to protect medical staff from virus infection,effectively reduce the risk of virus transmission during the examination process,and ensure the medical quality and safety.

DNA barcoding sequence analysis of Amomum tsao-ko germplasm resources in Yunnan Province / 中草药

Objective: To screen and evaluate DNA barcoding of Amomun tsao-ko populations in Yunnan. Methods: ITS, psbA-trnH, matK, rbcL, and ycf1 sequences were screened and evaluated using A. tsao-ko as samples. The samples of A. tsao-ko population were amplified and sequenced. The sequences were spliced with Genestar, and then processed with Mega for data processing. And A. tsao-ko diversity and identification were analyzed and discussed. Results: The length of the amplified fragments of primers ITS5 and ITS4 was approximately 520 bp; The length of the amplified fragments of the primers rbcLa-F and rbcLa-R was approximately 498 bp; The length of the amplified fragments of the primers ycf1-bF and ycf1-bR was approximately 800 bp; The length of the amplified fragments of the primers psbA-trnH-1F and psbA-trnH-1R was approximately 400 bp; The length of the amplified fragments of the primers matK-2F and matK-2R was approximately 470 bp. The success rate of amplification and sequencing was high, and most of the results were available. By analyzing the amplification results of ITS, psbA-trnH, matK and ycf1 sequences of A. tsao-ko, A. tsao-ko and other Amomum genus plants can be clearly distinguished; All samples of the ITS sequence were divided into MG5 white flower A. tsao-ko population and other populations; All samples of the psbA-trnH sequence were divided into MG5 white flower A. tsao-ko population, MG6 yellow flower A. tsao-ko population and other populations; All samples of the matK sequence were divided into MG6 A. tsao-ko population and other populations. The MG5 white flower A. tsao-ko sample failed to be amplified; All samples of the ycf1 sequence were divided into the MG6 yellow flower A. tsao-ko population and other populations, and the MG5 white flower A. tsao-ko population was clustered with the other 22 A. tsao-ko populations; The amplification of rbcL sequence was consistent for all samples. Conclusion: The ITS, matK, psbA-trnH and ycf1 sequences can accurately distinguish A. tsao-ko from other plants of Amomum genus; The sequence site variations were found in matK, psbA-trnH and ycf1 sequences of MG6. This research has contributed to the selection and breeding of A. tsao-ko varieties. ITS and psbA-trnHsequences can distinguish yellow flower and white flower of A. tsao-ko; There is no variation in the rbcL sequence of all samples of white and yellow flowers of A. tsao-ko, and Amomum tsao-ko and other plants of Amomum genus cannot be identified with the rbcL sequence, which can be discarded.

Mechanism of Rhein on Renal Toxicity of Mice / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To observe effect of long-term administration of rhein on the kidney toxicity of mice, and explore its possible toxic mechanism, in order to provide some basis for rational clinical drug use and further research. Method:The 30 Kunming mice (half male and half female) were randomly divided into 3 groups:control group, low-dose rhein group and high-dose rhein group (0.175,0.35 g·kg-1), with 10 mice in each group. The intragastric administration lasted for 60 days. During administration, general situations of the mice were observed and recorded. Serum urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (SCr), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were detected after drug withdrawal. Kidney index was calculated, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) ratio were measured. The kidneys were collected and histopathologically examined, and the protein expressions of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β1) and cysteine aspartic acid specific protease-3 (Caspase-3) were detected by immunohistochemistry. Result:Compared with the control group of the same sex, BUN and SCr of the administration group increased significantly(PPPPα and Caspase-3 increased significantly(PPPPβ1 was increased(PConclusion:The toxicity of rhein in the kidney of mice was obvious at the dose of 0.35 g·kg-1·d-1, and the toxicity in male organism is more obvious. The mechanism of its potential toxicity may cause the imbalance of glutathione antioxidant system, induce excessive oxidation, trigger inflammatory reaction, activate the expression of Caspase-3, and then induce apoptosis.

Hepatotoxicity and Nephrotoxicity of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and Its Attenuation Methods / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Rhei Radix et Rhizoma is a common medicine in clinic, which is widely used for a variety of diseases,such as constipation, jaundice, peptic ulcer, bacillary dysentery. In recent years, there have been many cases of clinical abuse and increasing number of adverse reactions about Rhei Radix et Rhizoma. Many reports concerned with its toxicity have drawn more and more attention at home and abroad. This review makes a brief summary on the toxicity research of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma in recent years in the aspects of hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity and its corresponding toxicity-controlling methods. Liver and kidney toxicity of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma was explained in various aspects, including liver and kidney biochemical indicators, apoptosis, mitochondrial function, gene and protein expression and signaling pathway. Besides, the attenuation methods of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma were summarized in aspects of processing and compatibility of traditional Chinese medicine. In conclusion, this study explains hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma objectively, and explore relevant toxicological mechanisms, in order to provide proper reference for its further research and the safety of clinical use.

Analysis and Study in Testing of Infrared Therapy Equipment / 中国医疗器械杂志

This article summarizes the common problems in registration and supervision testing of infrared therapy equipment, combines YY 0306-2008 Particular requirements for the safety of heat radiation therapy equipment, GB 9706.1-2007 Medical electrical equipment-Part 1:General requirements for safety, Registration technical review guidelines for infrared treatment equipment, etc. This paper analyzes and discusses the following aspects, including classification and applicable standards, performance indicators and overtemperature protection. Some suggestions and solutions are given to provide some guidance for medical equipment manufacturers in design, research and development and registration, in order to avoid the problem effectively and improve the passing rate of testing.

Analysis of genetic diversity and genetic relationship of Amomum tsao-ko germplasm resources in Yunnan by SSR markers / 中草药

Objective To evaluate the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of Amomun tsao-ko populations in Yunnan. Methods Seven pairs of microsatellite (SSR) primers were used to analyze 24 A. tsao-ko populations; First, GenALEx was used to calculate genetic diversity parameters, PCoA and AMOVA analysis was carried out; NTsys software was then used to draw population clusters map; And finally, the Structure software was used to calculate the best K value. Results The average of Shannon’s diversity index (H) of the 24 A. tsao-ko populations was 0.49, the average of heterozygosity (He) was 0.32, the genetic differentiation coefficient (Fst) was 0.090, and the gene flow (Nm) was 2.930. Eighty-one percent of the genetic differentiation among the 24 populations of A. tsao-ko existed within the population, and only 19% existed among the populations. The genetic identity (I) of the 23 A. tsao-ko populations of yellow flowers was 0.631 8-0.982 4. The genetic distance (D) was in the range of 0.017 7- 0.459 2, while the consistency degree of the A. tsao-ko population of white flower (MG5) and 23 other yellow flowers was 0.369 7-0.609 0. However, cluster analysis showed that A. tsao-ko population of the white flowers and yellow flowers were clearly separated at the genetic distance of 0.49. Structure clustering showed 209 A. tsao-ko resources can be divided into four groups when K value was 4. Conclusion The genetic diversity of A. tsao-ko populations of yellow flowers of Yunnan is higher on average, and the genetic variation is mainly found in population rather than among populations. According to the genotypes, A. tsao-ko of yellow flower and white flower are clearly divided into two categories, and the genetic distance is very far; and the yellow flower of A. tsao-ko is roughly divided into four groups.

The value of PET quantitative analysis of coronary physiology in the diagnosis of coronary microvascular disease / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of quantitative rest and stress 13N-NH3 PET myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) on coronary microvascular disease (CMVD),and provide basis for accurate classification.Methods From July 2016 to September 2017,a total of 23 patients (16 males,7 females;27-70 years) who were suspected of CMVD were prospectively enrolled in this study.Rest and ATPstress MPI were acquired using 13N-NH3 PET and analyzed using Heartsee software.Rest and stress relative uptake,absolute myocardial blood flow (MBF) and coronary flow reserve (CFR) were obtained and present on sectional images and cup maps.Based on the information,CMVD was diagnosed or excluded.Combined with myocardial enzymes,echocardiography,cardiac MRI,coronary angiography,CT angiography (CTA),CMVD was further divided into CMVD without (type 1) or with obstructive coronary disease (type 2),and other CMVD (type 3).Two-sample t test and one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze the data.Results In 23 patients,17 cases were diagnosed as CMVD (including 10 cases with type 1,3 cases with type 2 and 4 cases with type 3),and 6 cases were excluded.There were no significant differences in the age,gender and risk factors between CMVD group and exclusion group (all P＞0.05).The relative uptake results,including average uptake of whole left ventricle in rest and stress states,rest minimum quadrant,and area of stress uptake less than 60％ of maximum were significantly different between the two groups (t values:from -3.249 to 2.469,all P＜0.05).All the absolute blood flow parameters,including rest and stress whole MBF and CFR,rest and stress minimum quadrant MBF and CFR,were significantly different between CMVD group and exclusion group (t values:from-8.278 to-3.258,all P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference for relative uptake data among three types of CMVD (F values:from 0.002 to 1.440,all P＞0.05).For absolute quantitative values of whole MBF and minimum quadrant MBF in both rest and stress states,difference was statistically significant among groups (F values:from 3.885 to 8.452,all P＜0.05).Conclusion Quantitative PET MPI could provide a noninvasive,safe and accurate method for the diagnosis and classification of CMVD.

Preparation and properties of paclitaxel-loaded self-assembling nano-micelles of cholesterol-bearing γ-Polyglutamic acid / 生物医学工程学杂志

Paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded self-assembling nano-micelles (PTX/NMs) were prepared based on amphiphilic cholesterol-bearing γ-polyglutamic acid (γ-PGA-graft-CH). The properties of PTX/NMs and were investigated. The results indicated that PTX could be entrapped in -PGA-graft-CH NMs. PTX/NMs was characterized with a size of (343.5 ± 7.3) nm, drug loading content of 26.9% ± 0.8% and entrapment efficiency of 88.6% ± 1.7% at the optimized drug/carrier ratio of 1/10, and showed a pH-sensitive sustainable drug-release and less cytotoxicity . release and the pharmacokinetics study in mice showed that the elimination half-life ( ) and area under curve (AUC) of PTX/NMs were significantly higher than those of PTX/polyoxyethylene castor oil (PTX/PCO), and less clearance (CL) of PTX/NMs was also observed. PTX/NMs were distributed higher in liver and tumor than PTX/PCO, and showed a good tumor-inhibiting activity in tumor-bearing mice. This study would lay a foundation on the potential application of -PGA-graft-CH NMs were the antitumor drug-delivery.