Effects of lead exposure on development of heart and spine in zebrafish embryos / 环境与职业医学

Background Lead is widely distributed. Lead exposure interferes with early life development in zebrafish, but the mechanisms by which lead exposure affects skeletal development and cardiac development are not clear as yet. Objective To investigate the molecular mechanisms of bone development and cardiac development toxicity induced by lead acetate exposure. Methods Zebrafish embryos were exposed to different concentrations of lead acetate (0, 6, 12, 24, and 48 μmol·L−1) for 3 h post-fertilization (3 hpf) until 5 d post-fertilization (5 dpf). The malformation phenotypes of 5 dpf were counted, and the mRNA expressions of spinal development-related genes (bmp2b, bmp4, bmp9, runx2a, runx2b) and heart development-related genes (nkx2.5, myh6, myh7) were detected by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Expressions of genes of development-related regulatory pathways including Wnt/β-catenin pathway (wnt5a, wnt8a, wnt10a, β-catenin) and TGF-β pathway (tgf-β1, tgf-β2) as well as key molecule eph of Eph-Ephrin signaling were analyzed. Results At 5 dpf, the zebrafish in the lead acetate treated groups showed deformed phenotypes including spinal curvature and pericardial sac edema compared to the control group. In the lead acetate groups at 24 and 48 μmol·L−1, the spinal curvature deformity rates reached 26.47% and 71.52% (P<0.01) respectively. The qPCR results revealed that the expression levels of spinal development-related genes bmp2b, bmp4, bmp9, runx2a, and runx2b were downregulated in the 48 μmol·L−1 exposure group compared to the control group by 82.8%, 58.0%, 88.7%, 85.5%, and 69.2%, respectively (P<0.05 or P<0.01); the expression levels of heart development-related genes myh6, myh7, and nkx2.5 were down-regulated by 63.7%, 58.9%, and 55.2%, respectively (P<0.01); the expression levels of wnt8a and β-catenin in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway were down-regulated by 71.5% and 47.3% (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), respectively; the expression level of tgf- β1 in the TGF-β pathway was down-regulated by 67.5% (P<0.01); the expression level of eph was down-regulated by 86.9% (P<0.01). Conclusion Lead acetate exerts developmental toxic effects on zebrafish heart and bone by down-regulating the expressions of genes related to spinal development and heart development, as well as inhibiting development-related Wnt/β-catenin and TGF-β pathways and Eph-Ephrin signaling, causing malformed phenotypes such as spinal curvature and pericardial sac edema.

Characteristics of amino acid metabolism in preterm infants in Guangxi, China / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the characteristics of amino acid metabolism in preterm infants in Guangxi, China.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 30 757 neonates who underwent the screening for inherited metabolic diseases and had negative results in Guangxi Neonatal Disease Screening Center from 2018 to 2020. Among these neonates, there were 28 611 normal full-term infants (control group) and 2 146 preterm infants (preterm birth group). According to gestational age, the preterm infants were further divided into four groups: very preterm (n=209), moderately preterm (n=307), and late preterm group (n=1 630). According to birth weight, they were divided into three groups: very low birth weight group (n=161), low birth weight group (n=1 085), and normal birth weight group (n=900). According to blood collection time, they were divided into three groups: 3-7 days group (n=1 664), 8-14 days group (n=314) and 15-28 days group (n=168). Tandem mass spectrometry was performed to measure the levels of 11 amino acids in dried blood spots, which were then compared between groups.@*RESULTS@#After adjustment for confounding factors, there were significant differences in the levels of 11 amino acids among different gestational age groups (P<0.05), and significant differences were observed in the levels of the 11 amino acids between the control group and the various preterm groups (except for citrulline and methionine in the late preterm group). There were significant differences in the levels of 11 amino acids among different birth weight groups (P<0.05). Except for ornithine, there were significant differences in the levels of other amino acids among the different blood collection time groups (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Gestational age, birth weight and blood collection time all affect amino acid metabolism in preterm infants in Guangxi, China. This provides a basis for the laboratory to establish the reference standard and clinical interpretation of blood amino acid levels in preterm infants, and to improve the nutritional metabolism of preterm infants.

Relationship between body mass index and sexual development in Chinese children / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and sexual development in Chinese children. Methods: A nationwide multicenter and population-based large cross-sectional study was conducted in 13 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities of China from January 2017 to December 2018. Data on sex, age, height, weight were collected, BMI was calculated and sexual characteristics were analyzed. The subjects were divided into four groups based on age, including ages 3-<6 years, 6-<10 years, 10-<15 years and 15-<18 years. Multiple Logistic regression models were used for evaluating the associations of BMI with sexual development in children. Dichotomous Logistic regression was used to compare the differences in the distribution of early and non-early puberty among normal weight, overweight and obese groups. Curves were drawn to analyze the relationship between the percentage of early puberty and BMI distribution in girls and boys at different Tanner stages. Results: A total of 208 179 healthy children (96 471 girls and 111 708 boys) were enrolled in this study. The OR values of B2, B3 and B4+ in overweight girls were 1.72 (95%CI: 1.56-1.89), 3.19 (95%CI: 2.86-3.57), 7.14 (95%CI: 6.33-8.05) and in obese girls were 2.05 (95%CI: 1.88-2.24), 4.98 (95%CI: 4.49-5.53), 11.21 (95%CI: 9.98-12.59), respectively; while the OR values of G2, G3, G4+ in overweight boys were 1.27 (95%CI: 1.17-1.38), 1.52 (95%CI: 1.36-1.70), 1.88 (95%CI: 1.66-2.14) and in obese boys were 1.27 (95%CI: 1.17-1.37), 1.59 (95%CI: 1.43-1.78), and 1.93 (95%CI: 1.70-2.18) (compared with normal weight Tanner 1 group,all P<0.01). Analysis in different age groups found that OR values of obese girls at B2 stage and boys at G2 stage were 2.02 (95%CI: 1.06-3.86) and 2.32 (95%CI:1.05-5.12) in preschool children aged 3-<6 years, respectively (both P<0.05). And in the age group of 6-10 years, overweight girls had a 5.45-fold risk and obese girls had a 12.54-fold risk of B3 stage compared to girls with normal BMI. Compared with normal weight children, the risk of early puberty was 2.67 times higher in overweight girls, 3.63 times higher in obese girls, and 1.22 times higher in overweight boys, 1.35 times higher in obese boys (all P<0.01). Among the children at each Tanner stages, the percentage of early puberty increased with the increase of BMI, from 5.7% (80/1 397), 16.1% (48/299), 13.8% (27/195) to 25.7% (198/769), 65.1% (209/321), 65.4% (157/240) in girls aged 8-<9, 10-<11 and 11-<12 years, and 6.6% (34/513), 18.7% (51/273), 21.6% (57/264) to 13.3% (96/722), 46.4% (140/302), 47.5% (105/221) in boys aged 9-<10, 12-<13 and 13-<14 years, respectively. Conclusions: BMI is positively correlated with sexual development in both Chinese boys and girls, and the correlation is stronger in girls. Obesity is a risk factor for precocious puberty in preschool children aged 3-<6 years, and 6-<10 years of age is a high risk period for early development in obese girls.

Expression of CD133 in triple negative breast cancer and its clinical significance / 中华内分泌外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the correlation between CD133 expression and clinicopathological features in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients, and the impact of CD133 on prognosis in these patients.Methods:Data of 70 patients who received surgical treatment in our center from Jan. 2008 to Dec. 2012 were collected. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression of CD133. Patients were divided into two groups according to CD133 expression. Univariate analysis, Cox and Logistic regression multivariate analysis were used in order to investigate the correlation between CD133 expression and clinicopathological features. Kaplan-Meier curve and Log-rank analysis were used to evaluate DFS (disease-free survival) and OS (overall survival) .Results:CD133 was expressed in cytomembrane and cytoplasm with expression rate of 95.71% (67/70) . Of which, 64.29% (45/70) of patients were low CD133 expression and 35.71% (25/70) were high expression. High CD133 expression was significantly correlated with younger age (≤50) ( P=0.007) and larger tumor size (>2 cm) ( P=0.020) . Tumor size ( P=0.035) , axillary status ( P=0.001) , Ki67 ( P=0.005) and CD133 expression ( P=0.014) were independent predictors of recurrence and metastasis in TNBC patients. Axillary status was independent predictor of death event ( P=0.008) . Increased CD133 was associated with poor prognosis. Compared with high expression, patients with low CD133 expression had better DFS ( P=0.002) and OS ( P=0.088) , while OS did not reach significant difference. Conclusion:CD133 expression was correlated with age and tumor size in TNBC patients. High expression was associated with recurrence, metastasis and poor prognosis. Thus, CD133 may be a potential biomarker in predicting prognosis in TNBC.

Comparing the antibody titers of sequential program of Sabin strain-based inactivated poliovirus vaccine followed by bivalent types 1 and 3 oral poliovirus vaccine in different dosage forms / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective To evaluate the antibody titer distributions after primary vaccination by different sequential schedules of Sabin strain-based inactivated poliovirus vaccine(sIPV) and bivalent oral attenuated live poliomyelitis vaccine against types 1 and 3 (bOPV) in Drug Candy(DC) form or liquid dosage form. Methods Eligible infants of 2 months old selected in Liuzhou were assigned randomly in a ratio of 1:1:1:1 to 4 groups as following: sIPV+2bOPV(DC), sIPV+2bOPV(liquid), 2sIPV+bOPV(DC), 2sIPV+bOPV(liquid), and were vaccinated at 0, 28, 56 days. Polio neutralizing antibody titers against poliovirus types 1, 2 and 3 were tested prior to Dose 1 and at 28 days after Dose 3. Results The antibody titer distribution for type 1 was statistically different between sIPV+2bOPV(DC) and sIPV+2bOPV(liquid) (Z=-2.589, P=0.010) while no significant differences were detected between the two groups for type 2(Z=-0.331, P=0.741) and type 3(Z=-1.556, P=0.120). There were no significant differences between 2sIPV +bOPV(DC) and 2sIPV+bOPV(liquid) for the distributions(All P>0.05) (type 1: Z=-1.249, P=0.212; type 2: Z=-1.658, P=0.097; type 3: Z=-1.436, P=0.151). In the same dosage forms with different sequential schedules, the antibody titer distributions were significantly different between 2 doses sIPV and 1 dose sIPV groups(All P<0.05)(sIPV+2bOPV(liquid) vs 2sIPV+bOPV(liquid): type 1: Z=-2.766, P=0.006; type 2: Z=-9.137, P<0.001; type 3: Z=-5.529, P<0.001. sIPV+2bOPV(DC) vs 2sIPV+bOPV(DC): type 1: Z=-3.748, P<0.001; type 2: Z=-7.660, P<0.001; type 3: Z=-6.030, P<0.001). Conclusions Different dosage forms have similar immune effects, so appropriate dosage forms should be selected for vaccination according to the effectiveness, characteristics of subjects and the population density. In the case of sufficient supply of sIPV, 2 doses sIPV sequential program should be the first choice to complete the primary immunization.

A single-center retrospective study on axillary evaluation in 1 557 breast ductal carcinoma in situ patients between 2006 and 2016 / 中华外科杂志

Objectives@#To examine the influence factors on axillary evaluation in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) patients, and the prognosis of different choices of axillary evaluation in a single-center retrospective study.@*Methods@#Totally 1 557 DCIS patients admitted in Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center from January 2006 to November 2016 were retrospectively enrolled. All patients were female. The median age was 49 years (range: 21 to 85 years). Surgical methods included modified radical mastectomy, simple mastectomy (with or without axillary evaluation) and breast conservation surgery (with or without axillary evaluation). Axillary evaluation included axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). T tests, χ2 test and Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze influence factors on axillary evaluation, respectively. Kaplan-Meier curve and Log-rank analysis were used to evaluate recurrence-free survival (RFS) and loco-regional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS) in patients with different surgical methods.@*Results@#Among the 1 557 DCIS patients, there were 1 226 cases received axillary evaluation, while 331 cases not received axillary evaluation. Patients were separated into 3 groups by different axillary evaluation choices: SLNB group (957 cases, 61.46%), ALND group (197 cases, 12.65%) and no evaluation group (403 cases, 25.88%). The patients in SLNB group increased significantly (P=0.000), from 3.85% (60/1 557) in 2006 to 75.19% (1 170/1 557) in 2016. The independent influence factors of receiving axillary evaluation were high nuclear grade (OR=3.191, 95%CI: 1.722 to 5.912, P=0.001) and tumor size>15 mm (OR=1.698, 95%CI: 1.120 to 2.573, P=0.012). Also, patients received breast conservation surgery were more likely to refuse axillary evaluation (OR=0.155, 95%CI: 0.103 to 0.233, P=0.000). There were no significant differences in RFS and LRRFS in patients with different axillary evaluation choices.@*Conclusions@#The investigation in trends and influence factors of different axillary evaluation choices provided basis on surgical precision medicine in DCIS patients. Patients received SLNB increased significantly. The independent influence factors of axillary evaluation were nuclear grade, tumor size and surgical methods. There was no significant differences in prognosis among the groups receiving different axillary evaluations.

A single-center retrospective study on influence factors on surgical methods in DCIS patients / 中华内分泌外科杂志

Objective To evaluate the influence factors on surgical methods in DCIS (Ductal carcinoma in situ) patients,and the prognosis of different surgical methods in a 10-year single-center retrospective study.Methods We retrospectively included 1557 DCIS patients who received treatments in our center from Jan.2006 to Nov.2016.T tests,Chi-square analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze influence factors on surgical methods.Kaplan-Meier and Log-rank analysis were used to evaluate recurrence-free survival(RFS) and loco-regional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS) in patients with different surgical methods.Results Of the enrolled 1557 DCIS patients,surgical methods included modified radical mastectomy,simple mastectomy (with or without axillary evaluation) and breast conservation surgery (with or without axillary evaluation).The number of DCIS cases in our center increased (P＜0.001),so did the percentage of DCIS in annual malignant surgery cases (P=-0.026).Significant decrease was found in modified radical mastectomy (P=0.012).More than half of the patients received simple mastectomy after 2010,and more than one fifth of the patients received breast conservation surgery after 2008.About 13.99％ patients who received mastectomy had breast reconstruction.The independent influence factors of refusing breast conservation surgery were age ≥ 50(P＜0.001),medium nuclear grade (P=0.044),tumor size ＞ 15mm (P＜0.001) and spontaneous discharge (P＜0.001).Patients with smaller tumor size (≤ 15mm) and no spontaneous discharge had 4.18-fold and 7.04-fold greater preference for breast conservation surgery,respectively(OR=0.232,P＜0.001;OR=0.144,P＜0.001).There were no significant differences in RFS and LRRFS in patients with different surgical methods.Conclusion The evaluation in trends and influence factors of different surgical methods provides basis on surgical precision medicine in DCIS patients.

Clinical Application of BI-RADS（5th Ed）Mammography Lexicon in the Category of Suspicious Calcification / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

@#Objective】 To explore the clinical application of the fifth edition of BI- RADS for the category of suspicious calcification. 【Methods】 Mammograms of patients with suspicious calcification from May 2012 to May 2017 were reviewed retrospectively. The morphology（amorphous，coarse heterogeneous，fine pleomorphic，fine linear or fine linear branching）and distribution（diffuse，regional，grouped，linear，segmental）of suspected calcification according to the fifth edition of the BI- RADS were analyzed. Taking pathology as the gold standard，the positive predictive value（PPV）of morphology，distribution and combination of morphology and distribution was calculated and compared with the PPV range of the fifth edition of BI- RADS. 【Results】 A total of 170 patients were included in the study，116 were benign，54 were malignant，and PPV was 31.8%（54/170）. In terms of morphology，amorphous，coarse heterogeneous， fine pleomorphic calcification were category 4B（10%

Angiogenesis and Hepatic Fibrosis: Western and Chinese Medicine Therapies on the Road / 中国结合医学杂志

Hepatic fibrosis is a common feature of almost all chronic liver diseases. Formation of new vessels (angiogenesis) is a process strictly related to the progressive fibrogenesis which leads to cirrhosis and liver cancer. This review mainly concerns the relationship between angiogenesis and hepatic fibrosis, by considering the mechanism of angiogenesis, cells in angiogenesis, anti-angiogenic and Chinese medicine therapies.

Clinical characteristics and treatment of congenital vascular rings in 54 infants / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective To summarize the clinical characteristics and therapeutic effect of congenital vascular rings in in-fants. Methods The clinical data of 54 children with vascular rings were retrospectively analyzed from August 2011 to June 2017 at our center for surgical treatment. Age 2 days to 11 months,the median age was 1 months;weight 1. 4 - 9. 4 kg,the average weight of(4. 52 ± 1. 89)kg. The type of vascular ring includes 21 cases of double aortic arch,right aortic arch with left aortic duct / ligament with or without vagal left subclavian artery in 14 cases,9 cases of pulmonary artery suture,left aortic arch with right aortic duct / ligament with or without 5 cases of oblique right subclavian artery,3 cases of nameless arterial com-pression syndrome,2 cases of other vascular rings. All cases underwent echocardiography,chest radiography,and CT scan of the heart,and 42 cases were examined before operation or intraoperative bronchoscopy. 39 cases(72％)had tracheal stenosis. Results Twenty-six patients underwent extracorporeal circulation underwent vascular anteroposterior surgery with an average extracorporeal circulation time of( 160 ± 61)min and 28 patients underwent extracorporeal circulation. Postoperative mechani-cal ventilation 1 to 22 days,the median number of days 2 days;hospitalization time 7 to 62 days,the median of 19 days,hos-pital death in 2 cases(3. 7％). Discharge patients were followed up for 2 to 74 months,respiratory symptoms to varying degrees to ease or disappear,discharged in 3 cases. Conclusion Airway stenosis is a serious complication of the vascular ring. CT is the best way to determine the vascular ring. To avoid serious airway complications,the vascular ring should be operated as soon as possible,and the airway stenosis and intracardiac malformation Children suggested concurrent treatment,this can improve the survival rate of surgery and improve the prognosis of children.

Comparison of three types of china donation after citizen's death in clinical efficacy and complications after liver transplantation: a report of 422 cases / 中华器官移植杂志

Objective To compare three different types of donor livers (C-Ⅰ,C-Ⅱ,C-Ⅲ) in clinical efficacy,complications and survival rate of liver transplantation.Methods Using the retrospective descriptive study method,the clinical data of 422 patients undergoing liver transplantation,including 124 cases of C-Ⅰ,81 cases of C-Ⅱ and 81 cases of C-Ⅲ in recent 6 years (from June 2010 to June 2016) were analyzed.The same surgical method was performed with piggyback liver transplantation.Observation indicators contained (1) recipient postoperative liver function;(2) the postoperative complications;(3) the recipient survival rate.SPSS 19.0 statistical software was used for analysis.Results (1) The curative effect was evaluated by the changes of ALT and TBIL among three groups of recipients postoperatively.As compared with C-Ⅰ transplantation group and CⅢ transplantation group,the level of ALT in C-Ⅱ transplantation group was significantly increased (P ＜0.05),the clinical efficacy was poorer.(2) The incidence of PNF was 3.23％ in C-Ⅰ group,9.88％ in C-Ⅱ group and 9.88％ in C-Ⅲ group (P＜0.05).The incidence of acute rejection was respectively 9.68％ in C-Ⅰ group,38.27％ in C-Ⅱ group and 38.27％ in C-Ⅲ group (P＜0.001).The incidence of SIRS was respectively 5.65％ in C-Ⅰ group,39.50％ in C-Ⅱ group and 39.50％ in C-Ⅲ group (P＜ 0.001).There were significant differences in the incidence of other complications among the three groups.(3) There were 14 deaths within 3 months,accounting for 17.28％,and the survival rate was 82.72％ in C-Ⅱ group,the 1-,3-,and 5-year survival rate was 76.55％,74.18％ and 76.55％ respectively in C-Ⅰ group,and that was 88.02％,85.72％ and 81.11％ respectively in C-Ⅲ group.Conclusion Since June 2015,C-Ⅰ donors grow up more quickly on year-on-year basis than C-Ⅱ.Simultaneously,the sort-term and long-term clinical efficacy is better in C-Ⅰ transplantation group than in C-Ⅱ transplantation group.How to repair the three types of Chinese standard donor organs and optimize the quality is still a hot point to ensure the healthy development of organ transplantation in China,which needs further investigation.

Research progress and application of breast reconstruction with free abdominal flap / 中国癌症杂志

Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women. Surgical treatment is one of the important treatment methods. Breast reconstruction following mastectomy can improve patients' quality of life with acceptable oncological safety. Autologous tissue breast reconstruction has become an important way owing to its spe-cific advantages. The ideal tissue for autologous breast reconstruction is free abdominal flap. This review presented the clinical application, timing of operation and complications of breast reconstruction with free abdominal flap.

Research progress on intestinal tract microorganisms in zebrafish / 中国实验动物学报

Intestinal microbiota as an important "microbial organ" in the human body may play a key role in the human development, intestinal barrier, immune regulation, digestion and nutrient absorption, detoxification, angiogenesis, as well as the occurrence and development of diseases. As a vertebrate biotype, zebrafish is widely used in the fields of de-velopmental biology, immunology, genetics, toxicology and the establishment of human disease models, because of their common development and phylogenetic system with humans. A number of unique features, including its transparent embry?os, rapid development, easy to take intestinal samples, and other advantages, made its wide popularity as an ideal model for the study of intestinal microbes. However, the research on zebrafish intestinal microbiology is still at an elementary stage. This paper summarizes the recent progress in research of zebrafish intestinal microbiota, including the related func?tion of intestinal microbes in zebrafish, the assembly and succession of intestinal microbial community and factors influen?cing the intestinal microbial structure, and provides a theoretical basis for studying the effects of intestinal microbes on hu?man health and its application in the treatment of diseases.

Association between Phthalate Exposure and the Use of Plastic Containers in Shanghai Adults / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Consuming phthalates may be due to the presence of food contact materials, such as plastic containers. In this study, we investigated the association between plastic container use and phthalate exposure in 2,140 Shanghai adults.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Participants completed a questionnaire on the frequency of using plastic containers in different scenarios in the previous year (e.g., daily, weekly) and on the consumption of plastic-packaged foods in the previous three days (yes or no). Urinary phthalate metabolites were used to assess the association between phthalate exposure and the use of plastic containers.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The metabolites of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were the most frequently detected in urine. The results revealed that phthalate exposure was associated with consumption of plastic-packaged breakfast or processed food items in the previous three days. The consumption of these two food items had strong synergistic effects on increasing urinary concentrations of most phthalate metabolites.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our results of plastic-packaged breakfast and processed food may be explained by the use of flexible plastic containers, indicating the importance of risk assessment for the application of flexible plastic containers.</p>

Hot issues in surgical treatment of early stage breast cancer patients in the era of preci-sion medicine / 中国肿瘤临床

Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women. For early stage breast cancer patients, surgical treatment is still the foundation of local treatment. With background from precision medicine, this article reviews recent hot issues in surgical treat-ment for early stage breast cancer patients. We summarized strategies in surgical treatment, selection of resection range, manage-ment of local lymph nodes, timing of breast reconstruction, and the application of minimally invasive surgery.

Effect of EphB4/EphrinB2 reverse signal on angiogenesis induced by Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule () containing serum in human microvascular endothelial cell 1 / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effect of Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule ()-containing serum (XFZY-CS) on EphB4/ephrinB2 and its reverse signal in human microvascular endothelial cell-1 (HMEC-1).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>XFZY-CS and the blank control serum were collected. HMEC-1 cells were randomly assigned to 6 groups including the concentration 1.25%, 2.5%, and 5% XFZY-CS groups and their blank serum control ones. The angiogenesis effect of XFZY-CS was tested with an in vitro tube formation assay and the best condition of pro-angiogenesis was determined. The effect of XFZY-CS on EphB4/ephrinB2 and the reverse signal were determined by Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively; we also confifirmed the results through activating and inhibiting the reverse signal by EphB4/fc and pyrophosphatase/ phosphodiesterase2 (PP2).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>XFZY-CS promoted angiogenesis at the concentration of 2.5% corresponding serum after being cultured for 48 h, while inhibited angiogenesis at the concentration of 5% after culturing for 48 and 72 h. Under the 2.5% serum concentration, XFZY up-regulated the expression of EphB4-mRNA at 12 h (P<0.05), and down-regulates its expression at 24 h (P<0.01). Protein expression of EphB4 was apparently up-regulated at 12 h and down-regulated at 24 h. The phosphorylation of ephrinB2 increased at 9 h (P<0.05). In addition, 2.5% XFZY-CS played a similar role as the reverse signaling activator EphB4/Fc ranging from 0.5 to 5 μg/mL (P>0.05). XFZY-CS also reduced the inhibitive effect of PP2 in limited periods.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>EphB4/ephrinB2 was the upstream signal in the process of angiogenesis and its reverse signaling was responsible for XFZY's effect on promoting angiogenesis.</p>

Effects of Exogenous Carbon Monoxide Releasing Molecules on the Development of Zebrafish Embryos and Larvae / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

The use of exogenous carbon monoxide releasing molecules (CORMs) provides promise for clinical application; however, the hazard potential of CORMs in vivo remains poorly understood. The developmental toxicity of CORM-3 was investigated by exposure to concentrations ranging from 6.25 to 400 μmol/L during 4-144 h post fertilization. Toxicity endpoints of mortality, spontaneous movement, heart rate, hatching rate, malformation, body length, and larval behavior were measured. CORM-3 disrupted the progression of zebrafish larval development at concentrations exceeding 50 μmol/L, resulting in embryonic developmental toxicity.

Production of a fragment of glycoprotein G of herpes simplex virus type 2 and evaluation of its diagnostic potential

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is the most common cause of genital herpes. Glycoprotein G (gG) is a prototype antigen for type-specific serodiagnosis distinguishing between HSV type 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 infections. As immunological diagnosis kits for accurate differentiation between HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies can be expensive, there is a need to develop a convenient, sensitive, specific and cost-effective serodiagnostic kit.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We successfully expressed a fragment of gG comprising residues 321-580 of HSV-2 with histidine tag (gG(321-580His)) in a Bac-to-Bac baculovirus expression system, which had an antigenicity similar to its native counterpart. An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed using gG(321-580His) as the diagnostic antigen and evaluated by comparison with a commercial HerpeSelect 2 ELISA immunoglobulin G kit as reference.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In testing 318 field serum samples, the diagnostic relative sensitivity and specificity of the developed gG(321-580His)-ELISA test in qualitative comparison with the commercial kit were 93.81% and 96.74%, respectively, and the accuracy was 94.65%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The study indicates that gG(321-580His) has a high diagnostic potential for HSV-2 virus serodiagnosis in humans.</p>

Protective effects of shikonin on brain injury induced by carbon ion beam irradiation in mice / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Radiation encephalopathy is the main complication of cranial radiotherapy. It can cause necrosis of brain tissue and cognitive dysfunction. Our previous work had proved that a natural antioxidant shikonin possessed protective effect on cerebral ischemic injury. Here we investigated the effects of shikonin on carbon ion beam induced radiation brain injury in mice. Pretreatment with shikonin significantly increased the SOD and CAT activities and the ratio of GSH/GSSG in mouse brain tissues compared with irradiated group (P<0.01), while obviously reduced the MDA and PCO contents and the ROS levels derived from of the brain mitochondria. The shikonin also noticeably improved the spatial memory deficits caused by carbon ion beam irradiation. All results demonstrated that shikonin could improve the irradiated brain injury which might resulted from its modulation effects on the oxidative stress induced by the 12C6+ ion beam.

Toxicity of Graphene Quantum Dots in Zebrafish Embryo / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the bio-safety of graphene quantum dots (GQDs), we studied its effects on the embryonic development of zebrafish.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In vivo, biodistribution and the developmental toxicity of GQDs were investigated in embryonic zebrafish at exposure concentrations ranging from 12.5-200 μg/mL for 4-96 h post-fertilization (hpf). The mortality, hatch rate, malformation, heart rate, GQDs uptake, spontaneous movement, and larval behavior were examined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The fluorescence of GQDs was mainly localized in the intestines and heart. As the exposure concentration increased, the hatch and heart rate decreased, accompanied by an increase in mortality. Exposure to a high level of GQDs (200 μg/mL) resulted in various embryonic malformations including pericardial edema, vitelline cyst, bent spine, and bent tail. The spontaneous movement significantly decreased after exposure to GQDs at concentrations of 50, 100, and 200 μg/mL. The larval behavior testing (visible light test) showed that the total swimming distance and speed decreased dose-dependently. Embryos exposed to 12.5 μg/mL showed hyperactivity while exposure to higher concentrations (25, 50, 100, and 200 μg/mL) caused remarkable hypoactivity in the light-dark test.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Low concentrations of GQDs were relatively non-toxic. However, GQDs disrupt the progression of embryonic development at concentrations exceeding 50 μg/mL.</p>