Systematic identification of chemical forms of key terpene synthase in Cinnamomum camphora / 中国中药杂志

Cinnamomum camphora is an important economic tree species in China. According to the type and content of main components in the volatile oil of leaf, C. camphora were divided into five chemotypes, including borneol-type, camphor-type, linalool-type, cineole-type, and nerolidol-type. Terpene synthase(TPS) is the key enzyme for the formation of these compounds. Although several key enzyme genes have been identified, the biosynthetic pathway of(+)-borneol, which has the most economic value, has not been reported. In this study, nine terpenoid synthase genes CcTPS1-CcTPS9 were cloned through transcriptome analysis of four chemical-type leaves. After the recombinant protein was induced by Escherichia coli, geranyl pyrophosphate(GPP) and farnesyl pyrophosphate(FPP) were used as substrates for enzymatic reaction, respectively. Both CcTPS1 and CcTPS9 could catalyze GPP to produce bornyl pyrophosphate, which could be hydrolyzed by phosphohydrolase to obtain(+)-borneol, and the product of(+)-borneol accounted for 0.4% and 89.3%, respectively. Both CcTPS3 and CcTPS6 could catalyze GPP to generate a single product linalool, and CcTPS6 could also react with FPP to generate nerolidol. CcTPS8 reacted with GPP to produce 1,8-cineol(30.71%). Nine terpene synthases produced 9 monoterpene and 6 sesquiterpenes. The study has identified the key enzyme genes responsible for borneol biosynthesis in C. camphora for the first time, laying a foundation for further elucidating the molecular mechanism of chemical type formation and cultivating new varieties of borneol with high yield by using bioengineering technology.

Effect of FTY-720 on Pulmonary Fibrosis in Mice via the TGF-β1Signaling Pathway and Autophagy

We investigated whether FTY-720 might have an effect on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis through inhibiting TGF-β1 pathway, and up-regulating autophagy. The pulmonary fibrosis was induced by bleomycin. FTY-720 (1 mg/kg) drug was intraperitoneally injected into mice. Histological changes and inflammatory factors were observed, and EMT and autophagy protein markers were studied by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. The effects of bleomycin on MLE-12 cells were detected by MTT assay and flow cytometry, and the related molecular mechanisms were studied by Western Blot. FTY-720 considerably attenuated bleomycin-induced disorganization of alveolar tissue, extracellular collagen deposition, and α-SMA and E-cadherin levels in mice. The levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 cytokines were attenuated in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, as well as protein content and leukocyte count. COL1A1 and MMP9 protein expressions in lung tissue were significantly reduced. Additionally, FTY-720 treatment effectively inhibited the expressions of key proteins in TGF-β1/TAK1/P38MAPK pathway and regulated autophagy proteins. Similar results were additionally found in cellular assays with mouse alveolar epithelial cells. Our study provides proof for a new mechanism for FTY-720 to suppress pulmonary fibrosis. FTY-720 is also a target for treating pulmonary fibrosis.

Prenatal Maternal Risk Factors Contributing to Atopic Dermatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies

Background@#The gestational risk factors predispose to the manifestation of early childhood atopic dermatitis (AD). @*Objective@#We evaluated the association between modifiable and non-modifiable gestational and prenatal risk factors that affect the AD prevalence in children. @*Methods@#We performed the systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies (n=27) in PubMed and EMBASE (2000~2021). A meta-analysis was performed using random-effects models to estimate pooled odds ratios (OR) or hazard ratio (HR). We performed a systematic review according to Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and summarized cohort studies investigating gestational and prenatal risk factor those predispose to AD in off spring. Leading modifiable and non-modifiable were identified through ORs. Meta-analysis using the random effect model was also conducted to provide an overall estimate for several significant factors. @*Results@#Among the non-modifiable risk factors gestational diabetes (7.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4~34.5), maternal history of allergy (2.14, 95% CI: 1.54~2.97) and prenatal history of eczema (2.46, 95% CI: 1.0~5.8) were found as major determining risk factors in early manifestation of AD in children. Further, maternal exposure to industrial products (1.89, 95% CI: 1.10~3.16), exposure to antibiotics during pregnancy (3.59, 95% CI: 1.19~10.85) and passive smoking during pregnancy (2.60, 95% CI: 1.11~6.1) are leading causes of early AD manifestation. @*Conclusion@#Conclusively, both genetic and environmental factors play a pivotal role in early manifestation of AD. The better managing the environmental factors during gestational phase to the least can help curtail the prevalence of AD in children.

Regional analysis of high risk factors of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy with organ or system impairment / 中华妇产科杂志

Objective: To explore the influencing factors of pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) with organ or system impairment in pregnant women, and to analyze and compare the differences of HDP subtypes in different regions of China. Methods: A total of 27 680 pregnant women with HDP with complete data from 161 hospitals in 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities were retrospectively collected from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018. According to their clinical manifestations, they were divided into hypertension group [a total of 10 308 cases, including 8 250 cases of gestational hypertension (GH), 2 058 cases of chronic hypertension during pregnancy] and hypertension with organ or system impairment group [17 372 cases, including 14 590 cases of pre-eclampsia (PE), 137 cases of eclampsia, 2 645 cases of chronic hypertension with PE]. The subtype distribution of HDP in East China (6 136 cases), North China (4 821 cases), Central China (3 502 cases), South China (8 371 cases), Northeast China (1 456 cases), Southwest China (2 158 cases) and Northwest China (1 236 cases) were analyzed. By comparing the differences of HDP subtypes and related risk factors in different regions, regional analysis of the risk factors of HDP pregnant women with organ or system impairment was conducted. Results: (1) The proportions of HDP pregnant women with organ or system impairment in Northeast China (79.05%, 1 151/1 456), Central China (68.42%, 2 396/3 502) and Northwest China (69.34%, 857/1 236) were higher than the national average (62.76%, 17 372/27 680); the proportions in North China (59.18%, 2 853/4 821), East China (60.85%, 3 734/6 136) and South China (59.56%, 4 986/8 371) were lower than the national average, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). (2) Univariate analysis showed that the proportions of primiparas, non-Han, non-urban household registration, irregular prenatal examination and PE history in the hypertension with organ or system impairment group were higher than those in the hypertension group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that primiparas, non-Han, non-urban household registration, irregular prenatal examination and PE history were independent risk factors for HDP pregnant women with organ or system impairment (all P<0.05). (3) Primipara: the rates of primipara in Northeast China, North China and Southwest China were higher than the national average level, while those in South China, Central China and Northwest China were lower than the national average level. Non-Han nationality: the rates of non-Han nationality in Northeast China, North China and Northwest China were higher than the national average, while those in East China, South China and Central China were lower than the national average. Non-urban household registration: the rates of non-urban household registration in Northeast China, North China, and Southwest China were lower than the national average, while those in East China, Central China were higher than the national average. Irregular prenatal examination: the rates of irregular prenatal examination in North China, South China and Southwest regions were lower than the national average level, while those in Northeast China, Central China and Northwest China were higher than the national average level. History of PE: the incidence rates of PE in Northeast China, North China, South China and Southwest China were lower than the national average level, while those in Central China and Northwest China were higher than the national average level. Conclusions: Primiparas, non-Han, non-urban household registration, irregular prenatal examination, and PE history are risk factors for HDP pregnant women with organ or system impairment. Patients in Northeast, Central and Northwest China have more risk factors, and are more likely to be accompanied by organ or system function damage. It is important to strengthen the management of pregnant women and reduce the occurrence of HDP.

Generation of male germ cells in vitro from the stem cells / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Infertility has become a serious disease since it affects 10%-15% of couples worldwide, and male infertility contributes to about 50% of the cases. Notably, a significant decrease occurs in the newborn population by 7.82 million in 2020 compared to 2016 in China. As such, it is essential to explore the effective methods of obtaining functional male gametes for restoring male fertility. Stem cells, including embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), possess the abilities of both self-renewal and differentiation into germ cells. Significantly, much progress has recently been achieved in the generation of male germ cells in vitro from various kinds of stem cells under the specified conditions, e.g., the coculturing with Sertoli cells, three-dimensional culture system, the addition of growth factors and cytokines, and/or the overexpression of germ cell-related genes. In this review, we address the current advance in the derivation of male germ cells in vitro from stem cells based on the studies of the peers and us, and we highlight the perspectives and potential application of stem cell-derived male gametes in reproductive medicine.

Specific antitumor activity and mechanism of protonic bis-phenanthroline / 药学学报

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor worldwise. The incidence rate of HCC is high and is easy to metastasis and recurrence, which seriously affects human health. Traditional chemical drugs have some challenges such as toxicity, side effects, and multidrug resistance, thus it is urgent to find new drugs and effective targets. Here we synthesized a novel chemical, protonic bis-phenanthroline (H-BP), and the antitumor effect was investigated in the study. The results showed that H-BP could selectively inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells and cause HCC apoptosis. And also, in HCC tumor-bearing mice, H-BP could effectively prevent the growth of tumor mass, even completely eliminate the tumor at medium dose (5 mg·kg-1) and high dose (10 mg·kg-1), and meanwhile H-BP has no significant effect on the body weight of mice. The experimental protocol was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Southwest University, and the experimental operation was strictly carried out in accordance with the ethical principles of animal use and care. Mechanism studies showed that H-BP induced HCC apoptosis was related to down-regulation the expression of pleomorphic adenoma gene like-2 (PLAGL2), a oncogene transcription factor, resulting in the down-regulation of PLAGL2 downstream proteins hypoxia inducible factor and β-catenin. This study not only introduces the dimerization method to form novel compounds that will provide a new approach for drug design, but also suggests that PLAGL2 may be an effective target in tumor therapy.

Effect of Suanzaoren Decoction on molecular levels of bile acids in serum, liver, and ileum of insomnia mice / 中国中药杂志

To explore the mechanism of Suanzaoren Decoction in the treatment of insomnia from endogenous bile acid regulation, the present study investigated the hepatoprotective effect of Suanzaoren Decoction and the molecular changes of bile acids in the serum, liver, and ileum of insomnia model mice and Suanzaoren Decoction treated mice. The insomnia model in mice was established by the sleep deprivation method. After Suanzaoren Decoction(48.96 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) intervention by gavage for 7 days, the related indicators, such as water consumption, food intake, body weight, aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alanine transaminase(ALT), and total bile acid(TBA) were detected, and the pathological changes of the liver and ileum were observed. The molecular levels and distribution of 23 bile acids in the serum, liver, and ileum were analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS combined with principal component analysis(PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA). The results showed that Suanzaoren Decoction could improve the decreased water consumption and food intake, weight loss, and increased AST and ALT in the model group, and effectively reverse the injury and inflammation in the liver and ileum. The bile acids in the liver of the insomnia model mice were in the stage of decompensation, and the bile acids in the serum, liver, and ileum of the mice decreased or increased. Suanzaoren Decoction could regulate the anomaly of some bile acids back to normal. Seven bile acids including glycoursodeoxycholic acid(GUDCA), glycodesoxycholic acid(GDCA), tauro-α-MCA(T-α-MCA), α-MCA, taurodeoxycholate(TDCA), T-β-MCA, and LCA were screened out as the main discriminant components by PLS-DA. It is concluded that Suanzaoren Decoction possesses the hepatoprotective effect and bile acids could serve as the biochemical indicators to evaluate the drug efficacy in the treatment of abnormal liver functions caused by insomnia. The mechanism of Suanzao-ren Decoction in soothing the liver, resolving depression, tranquilizing the mind, and improving sleep may be related to the molecular regulation of bile acid signals.

Characterization, isolation, and culture of spermatogonial stem cells in / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) have great applications in both reproductive and regenerative medicine. Primates including monkeys are very similar to humans with regard to physiology and pathology. Nevertheless, little is known about the isolation, the characteristics, and the culture of primate SSCs. This study was designed to identify, isolate, and culture monkey SSCs. Immunocytochemistry was used to identify markers for monkey SSCs. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor family receptor alpha-1 (GFRA1)-enriched spermatogonia were isolated from monkeys, namely Macaca fascicularis (M. fascicularis), by two-step enzymatic digestion and magnetic-activated cell sorting, and they were cultured on precoated plates in the conditioned medium. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunocytochemistry, and RNA sequencing were used to compare phenotype and transcriptomes in GFRA1-enriched spermatogonia between 0 day and 14 days of culture, and xenotransplantation was performed to evaluate the function of GFRA1-enriched spermatogonia. SSCs shared some phenotypes with rodent and human SSCs. GFRA1-enriched spermatogonia with high purity and viability were isolated from M. fascicularis testes. The freshly isolated cells expressed numerous markers for rodent SSCs, and they were cultured for 14 days. The expression of numerous SSC markers was maintained during the cultivation of GFRA1-enriched spermatogonia. RNA sequencing reflected a 97.3% similarity in global gene profiles between 0 day and 14 days of culture. The xenotransplantation assay indicated that the GFRA1-enriched spermatogonia formed colonies and proliferated in vivo in the recipient c-Kit

Research progress of natural borneol resources / 中国中药杂志

Natural borneol is an important traditional Chinese medicine herb with resuscitation-inducing, antipyretic and analgesic effects, and has been widely used in the fields of medicine, perfume and chemical industry. At present, natural borneol is short supply, with promising market development prospects. This paper summarized the distribution of borneol plant resources, cultivation status and molecular biological research progress, in the expectation of providing basis and ideas for the research and application of natural borneol.

Biopathway construction of plant natural products / 药学学报

Plant natural products (PNPs) are important sources of innovative drugs. They are mainly obtained by isolation or extraction from plants. Low content and with structural analogues in plants result in high production cost, which restricts the research and application of PNPs. While biopathway construction by synthetic biology provides an alternative for production of PNPs. By biosynthetic pathway analysis of PNPs and reconstructing the biopathway in microorganisms, we can produce PNPs in cell factories efficiently. Recently, several predominantly international reports about biosynthesis of PNPs and its synthetic biology production, triggered the researches of PNPs. Abundant traditional Chinese medicine resources and profound cultural heritage of Chinese medicine make biosynthesis pathway analysis of PNPs to be a research hotspot. And some of the studies have achieved significant progress. Here, recent progress in the biosynthesis of plant natural products and its synthetic biology was reviewed. In particular, the application of new methods and technologies in recent years were summarized and discussed. This will provide reference for the biopathway construction of plant natural products.

Transcriptome analysis to identify genes involved in the biosynthesis of aconitines in Aconitum pendulum / 药学学报

italic>Aconitum pendulum is a Tibetan medicine that is rich in bioactive compounds such as aconitine-type C19-diterpenoid alkaloids. To investigate the key enzymes in the aconitine biosynthesis pathway, roots, leaves and flowers of Aconitum pendulum were subjected to a high-throughput transcriptomic sequencing analysis by Illumina HiSeqTM2000. Trinity de novo assembly yielded 47 264 unigenes with an average length of 1 140 bp and N50 of 1 678 bp, of which 30 231 unigenes (63.96%) were annotated. In the KEGG database, 542 unigenes were implicated in 17 secondary metabolic pathways; the analysis showed that 44 genes encoded 20 key enzymes in the diterpene skeleton of aconitine biosynthesis and 12 BAHD acyltransferase genes were related to the acetylation modification, with differential expression among three organs. For example, ApTPS8 was the only committed enzyme in the upstream aconitine biosynthetic pathway. The high expression level of ApTPS8 in root indicated that it is the main tissue for the production of precursors of diterpene alkaloids. Consistent with the accumulation of aconitine, we propose that ApBAHD1/2/8 is involved in the biosynthesis of 2-hydroxyaconitine, dehydrated 14-benzoylaconitine, 8-O-methyl-14-benzoylaconine, benzoyldeoxyaconitine and benzoylaconitine, and ApBAHD10 is involved in the biosynthesis of acontine, lucidusculine, 14-O-acetylneoline and 14-O-acetylvirescenin. Comparative transcriptome analysis of A. pendulum and A. carmichaeli indicates significant gene loss in the family of diterpene synthases and acyltransferases in A. pendulum, which is in accordance with the significantly fewer type and quantity of aconitine compounds in this species. Therefore, A. pendulum has proved to be an ideal material for the study of the aconitine biosynthesis pathway. This work provides basic scientific data for further study of aconitine biosynthesis, the discussion of molecular mechanisms of toxicity, and the synthesis of genuine medicinal materials.

Study on tanshinones regulating root-associated microbiomes of Salvia miltiorrhiza / 中国中药杂志

The plant root-associated microbiomes include root microbiome and rhizosphere microbiome, which are closely related to plant life activities. Nearly 30% of photosynthesis products of plants are used to synthesize root compounds, there is evidence that root compounds regulate and significantly affect the root microbiome Tanshinones are the main hydrophobic components in Salvia miltiorrhiza. In order to study whether these compounds can regulate the root-associated microbiomes of S. miltiorrhiza, our study first identified a white root S. miltiorrhiza(BG) which contains little tanshinones. Retain of the fifth intron of tanshinones synthesis key enzyme gene SmCPS1 leading to the early termination of the SmCPS1 gene, and a stable white root phenotype. Further, wild type(WT) and BG were planted in greenhouse with nutrient soil(Pindstrup, Denmark) and Shandong soil(collected from the S. miltiorrhiza base in Weifang, Shandong), then high-throughput sequencing was used to analyze the root-associated microbiomes. The results showed that the tanshinones significantly affected the root-associated microbiomes of S. miltiorrhiza, and the impact on root microbiomes was more significant. There are significant differences between WT and BG root microbiomes in species richness, dominant strains and co-occurrence network. Tanshinones have a certain repelling effect on Bacilli which belongs to Gram-positive, while specifically attract some Gram-negative bacteria such as Betaproteobacteria and some specific genus of Alphaproteobacteria. This study determined the important role of tanshinones in regulating the structure of root-associated microbiomes from multiple angles, and shed a light for further improving the quality and yield of S. miltiorrhiza through microenvironment regulation.

Delivery room resuscitation and short-term outcomes of extremely preterm and extremely low birth weight infants: a multicenter survey in North China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Delivery room resuscitation assists preterm infants, especially extremely preterm infants (EPI) and extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWI), in breathing support, while it potentially exerts a negative impact on the lungs and outcomes of preterm infants. This study aimed to assess delivery room resuscitation and discharge outcomes of EPI and ELBWI in China.@*METHODS@#The clinical data of EPI (gestational age [GA] <28 weeks) and ELBWI (birth weight [BW] <1000 g), admitted within 72 h of birth in 33 neonatal intensive care units from five provinces and cities in North China between 2017 and 2018, were analyzed. The primary outcomes were delivery room resuscitation and risk factors for delivery room intubation (DRI). The secondary outcomes were survival rates, incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), and risk factors for BPD.@*RESULTS@#A cohort of 952 preterm infants were enrolled. The incidence of DRI, chest compressions, and administration of epinephrine was 55.9% (532/952), 12.5% (119/952), and 7.0% (67/952), respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that the risk factors for DRI were GA <28 weeks (odds ratio [OR], 3.147; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.082-4.755), BW <1000 g (OR, 2.240; 95% CI, 1.606-3.125), and antepartum infection (OR, 1.429; 95% CI, 1.044-1.956). The survival rate was 65.9% (627/952) and was dependent on GA. The rate of BPD was 29.3% (181/627). Multivariate analysis showed that the risk factors for BPD were male (OR, 1.603; 95% CI, 1.061-2.424), DRI (OR, 2.094; 95% CI, 1.328-3.303), respiratory distress syndrome exposed to ≥2 doses of pulmonary surfactants (PS; OR, 2.700; 95% CI, 1.679-4.343), and mechanical ventilation ≥7 days (OR, 4.358; 95% CI, 2.777-6.837). However, a larger BW (OR, 0.998; 95% CI, 0.996-0.999), antenatal steroid (OR, 0.577; 95% CI, 0.379-0.880), and PS use in the delivery room (OR, 0.273; 95% CI, 0.160-0.467) were preventive factors for BPD (all P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Improving delivery room resuscitation and management of respiratory complications are imperative during early management of the health of EPI and ELBWI.

Effect of phacoemulsification with different corneal micro-incision sizes on postoperative corneal healing / 中华实验眼科杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of phacoemulsification using different corneal micro-incision sizes on the postoperative corneal healing.Methods:A non-random controlled study was performed.Seventy-six patients (76 eyes) with age-related cataract who underwent phacoemulsification and cataract extraction combined with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in Yanbian University Hospital from May 2016 to May 2017 were enrolled.The subjects were divided into 2.2 mm incision group (37 eyes) and 1.8 mm incision group (39 eyes) according to corneal incision size.The intraoperative cumulative dissipated energy (CDE) and ultrasound time of the two groups were measured and compared.The corneal incision structure and corneal thickness of operative eyes were measured by anterior segment optical coherence tomography before surgery and at postoperative 1 day, 1 week and 1 month.The corneal endothelial cells count, the central corneal thickness (CCT), and the corneal volume in the central corneal diameters of 3.0 mm (CV3) and 10.0 mm (CV10) were measured by Pentacam.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Yanbian University Hospital (No.2015153), and written informed consent was obtained from all subjects before surgery.Results:There were statistically significant differences in the corneal endothelial cells count, CCT, CV3, CV10, and corneal thickness at epithelial side of the incision between pre-operation and post-operation in each group ( Ftime=17.717, 67.356, 17.577, 13.559, 80.076; all at P<0.01).But there was no statistically significant difference in the indexes between the two groups ( Fgroup=0.788, 0.706, 3.692, 4.341, 4.182; all at P>0.05).The number of corneal endothelial cells in the two groups was gradually decreased after surgery, and was significantly reduced at one month after surgery in comparison with the pre-operation, and the differences were statistically significant (both at P<0.05).At 1 day after surgery, the CCT, CV3, CV10, and corneal thickness at epithelial side of the incision in the two groups were increased significantly in comparison with the pre-operation and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.05), and the differences were not statistically significant between preoperative and postoperative 1 week or 1 month (all at P>0.05).With time going by, the indexes were back to normal gradually.The incidence of endothelial gaping and dislocation at the corneal incision in the 1.8 mm incision group was 12.8% (5/39) and 5.1% (2/39), which were significantly higher than 0.0% (0/37) and 2.7% (1/37) in the 2.2 mm incision group, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=5.078, P=0.024; χ2=0.295, P=0.590).At 1 day after surgery, corneal thickness at the endothelial side in the 1.8 mm incision group was significantly thicker than that in the 2.2 mm incision group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P=0.042), and the corneal thickness at endothelial side of the incision was positively correlated with CDE in the two groups ( r=0.231, P=0.025; r=0.347, P=0.003). Conclusions:Compared with 2.2 mm incision, 1.8 mm corneal incision results in higher incidence of endothelial gaping and dislocation at the corneal incision, greater corneal thickness at endothelial side of the incision and slower recovery.

Expert consensus on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea(AAD) is a frequent adverse effect of antibiotic in children.AAD is associated with longer hospitalization, higher healthcare cost and even lead to death.Pediatricians usually do not pay enough attention to AAD.Domestic experts from pulmonary medicine, infection and gastroenterology are organized to develop the consensus, to improve the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of AAD, and contribute the children health in future.

Clinical and genetic analysis of a child with mental retardation and microcephaly with pontine and cerebellar hypoplasia / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the clinical phenotype and pathogenic variant in a child diagnosed with mental retardation and microcephaly with pontine and cerebellar hypoplasia (MICPCH).@*METHODS@#Clinical phenotype of the child was reviewed. Whole exome sequencing was carried out for the child. Candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing of the family member.@*RESULTS@#The proband manifested dyskinesia, development delay, cerebellar hypoplasia and bilateral hearing impairment. WES results revealed that the proband has carried a pathogenic c.1641_1644delACAA (p.Thr548Trpfs*69) variant of the CASK gene, which was verified by Sanger sequencing to be a de novo variant.@*CONCLUSION@#The c.1641_1644delACAA (p.Thr548Trpfs*69) variant of the CASK gene probably underlay the MICPCH in the proband. Above finding has provided a basis for genetic counseling. WES should be considered for the diagnosis of neurological dysplasia.

Study on bile acid metabolism of sleep-deprived mice regulated by Jiaotai Pills based on LC-MS / 中国中药杂志

To investigate the changes of bile acid(BA) levels in mice with sleep deprivation and the regulatory effect of Jiaotai Pills(JTP) on bile acid metabolism, this study established an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS) method for simultaneous determination of 23 BAs in mice. A total of 24 ICR mice were randomized into normal group, model group, and JTP group. Mice in the model group and JTP group were deprived of sleep at 20 h·d~(-1) by sleep deprivation apparatus for 8 consecutive days. Mice in the JTP group were given(ig, qd) JTP 3.3 g·kg~(-1) and those in the normal group and model group received(ig) the same volume of purified water. UPLC conditions are as follows: Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C_(18) column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 μm), gradient elution with the mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid in water-methanol. MS conditions are as below: negative-ion electrospray ionization, multiple reaction monitoring(MRM). Thereby, the content of 23 BAs in serum, liver, and ileum was determined and methodological investigation of the method was performed. The results showed that 23 BAs could be accurately determined within 15 min and the correlation coefficients were all higher than 0.99. The precision, accuracy, specificity, reproducibility, matrix effect, and recovery of BAs all met the requirement. The levels of BAs were significantly increased in the serum, liver, and ileum of sleep-deprived mice, but JTP can significantly reduce the levels. The UPLC-MS/MS method is simple, rapid, and accurate, which can be used for the determination of 23 BAs in biological samples, and JTP can adjust the elevated BA levels of sleep-deprived mice.

Effect of breastfeeding on the development of infection-related diseases during hospitalization in late preterm infants in 25 hospitals in Beijing, China / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the incidence rate of infectious diseases during hospitalization in late preterm infants in Beijing, China, as well as the risk factors for infectious diseases and the effect of breastfeeding on the development of infectious diseases.@*METHODS@#Related data were collected from the late preterm infants who were hospitalized in the neonatal wards of 25 hospitals in Beijing, China, from October 23, 2015 to October 30, 2017. According to the feeding pattern, they were divided into a breastfeeding group and a formula feeding group. The two groups were compared in terms of general status and incidence rate of infectious diseases. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors for infectious diseases.@*RESULTS@#A total of 1 576 late preterm infants were enrolled, with 153 infants in the breastfeeding group and 1 423 in the formula feeding group. Of all infants, 484 (30.71%) experienced infectious diseases. The breastfeeding group had a significantly lower incidence rate of infectious diseases than the formula feeding group (22.88% vs 31.55%, @*CONCLUSIONS@#Breastfeeding can significantly reduce the incidence of infectious diseases and is a protective factor against infectious diseases in late preterm infants. Breastfeeding should therefore be actively promoted for late preterm infants during hospitalization.

Research progress of tissue culture of Aconitum / 中国中药杂志

Aconitum is a kind of important medicinal plant, which has been used in China for more than 2 000 years, with both a good medicinal and ornamental value. However, due to the lack of effective breeding methods and low seed and root propagation coefficients, the comprehensive development and utilization of Aconitum were greatly restricted. Tissue culture is an important basis for seed selection, germplasm conservation and genetic engineering. Therefore, this paper summarized the research on tissue culture of Aconitum, put forward the main problems and corresponding countermeasures, and provided important references for accelerating the seedling breeding of Aconitum and conducting the basic research of molecular biology.

A multicenter survey of short-term respiratory morbidity in late-preterm infants in Beijing / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To study the respiratory morbidity and the risk factors of respiratory complications in late-preterm infants.Methods:The data of 959 late-preterm infants in 21 hospitals in Beijing from October 2015 to April 2016 were collected.These infants were divided into the respiratory morbidity group (237 cases) and the control group (722 cases) according to whether they had short-term respiratory morbidity after birth.Clinical data of the two groups were compared.Results:Among the 959 late-preterm babies, 530 were male and 429 were female.Two hundred and thirty-seven cases (24.7%) developed short-term respiratory morbidity after birth.Infectious pneumonia developed in the most cases (81 cases, 8.4%), followed by transient tachypnea (65 cases, 6.8%), amniotic fluid aspiration (51 cases, 5.3%), and respiratory distress syndrome (24 cases, 2.5%) successively.All the infants recovered and discharged.There were no differences between gender and maternal age between 2 groups (all P>0.05). Compared with the control group, more late-preterm infants were delivered by cesarean section (73.4% vs.59.7%, χ2=14.43, P<0.001) and the 1-minute Apgar score was lower [(9.41±1.66) scores vs.(9.83±0.53) scores, t=5.40, P<0.001] in the respiratory morbidity group.The differences were statistically significant.There were more cases with maternal complications in the respiratory morbidity group that in the control group (66.7% vs.58.6%, χ2=4.877, P=0.027), but no difference in various complications between 2 groups was observed ( P>0.05). In the respiratory morbidity group, the most frequent complications were maternal hypertension and preeclampsia (27.8% vs.22.6%, χ2=2.728, P=0.099). There were no differences between 2 groups in gestational age, birth weight and birth length (all P>0.05). There were more infants small for gestational age and large for gestational age in the respiratory morbidity group than in the control group (18.8% vs.14.1%, 6.3% vs.2.4%, χ2=8.960, P=0.011). The duration of hospitalization of the respiratory morbidity group was significantly longer than that of the control group [(9.00±4.42) d vs.(6.82±4.19) d, t=6.676, P<0.001] since the infants with respiratory morbidity needed to be hospita-lized. Conclusions:Respiratory diseases occur in about 1/4 of late-preterm infants.Infants who are delivered by cesarean section and whose mothers are complicated with the maternal hypertension and preeclampsia should be monitored closely.Respiratory support should be provided for infants not appropriate for gestational age who are more likely to suffer from respiratory diseases, so that they can successfully pass through the transition period.