Safety evaluation of Tibetan medicine Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills based on serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology / 中国中药杂志

To explore the mechanism of the active ingredients of Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills in inhibiting the hepatorenal toxicity of the zogta component based on serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology, thereby providing references for the clinical safety application of Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills. The small molecular compounds in the serum containing Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills of mice were identified by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS). Then, by comprehensively using Traditional Chinese Medicines Systems Pharmacology(TCMSP), High-throughput Experiment-and Reference-guided Database(HERB), PubChem, GeneCards, SuperPred, and other databases, the active compounds in the serum containing Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills were retrieved and their action targets were predicted. The predicted targets were compared with the targets of liver and kidney injury related to mercury toxicity retrieved from the database, and the action targets of Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills to inhibit the potential mercury toxicity of zogta were screened out. Cytoscape was used to construct the active ingredient in Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills-containing serum-action target network, and STRING database was used to construct the protein-protein interaction(PPI) network of intersection targets. The Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) enrichment analyses were carried out on the target genes by the DAVID database. The active ingredient-target-pathway network was constructed, and the key ingredients and targets were screened out for molecular docking verification. The results showed that 44 active compounds were identified from the serum containing Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills, including 13 possible prototype drug ingredients, and 70 potential targets for mercury toxicity in liver and kidney were identified. Through PPI network topology analysis, 12 key target genes(HSP90AA1, MAPK3, STAT3, EGFR, MAPK1, APP, MMP9, NOS3, PRKCA, TLR4, PTGS2, and PARP1) and 6 subnetworks were obtained. Through GO and KEGG analysis of 4 subnetworks containing key target genes, the interaction network diagram of active ingredient-action target-key pathway was constructed and verified by molecular docking. It was found that taurodeoxycholic acid, N-acetyl-L-leucine, D-pantothenic acid hemicalcium, and other active ingredients may regulate biological functions and pathways related to metabolism, immunity, inflammation, and oxidative stress by acting on major targets such as MAPK1, STAT3, and TLR4, so as to inhibit the potential mercury toxicity of zogta in Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills. In conclusion, the active ingredients of Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills may have a certain detoxification effect, thus inhibiting the potential mercury toxicity of zogta and playing a role of reducing toxicity and enhancing effect.

Mechanism of Liuwei Dihuang Pills in treatment of mice with diminished ovarian reserve based on proteomics / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to investigate the efficacy and possible mechanism of Liuwei Dihuang Pills in the treatment of diminished ovarian reserve(DOR) by using proteomic techniques. Firstly, cyclophosphamide(60 mg·kg~(-1)) combined with busulfan(6 mg·kg~(-1)) was injected intraperitoneally to establish the mouse model of DOR. After drug injection, the mice were continuously observed and the success of modeling was evaluated by the disturbance of the estrous cycle. After successful modeling, the mice were administrated with the suspension of Liuwei Dihuang Pills by gavage for 28 days. At the end of the gavage, four female mice were selected and caged together with males at a ratio of 2∶1 for the determination of the pregnancy rate. Blood and ovary samples were collected from the remaining mice on the next day after the end of gavage. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and transmission electron microscopy(TEM) were then employed to observe the morphological and ultrastructural changes in the ovaries. The serum levels of hormones and oxidation indicators were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Quantitative proteomics techniques were used to compare the ovarian protein expression before and after modeling and before and after the intervention with Liuwei Dihuang Pills. The results showed that Liuwei Dihuang Pills regulated the estrous cycle of DOR mice, elevated the serum levels of hormones and anti-oxidation indicators, promoted follicle development, protected the mitochondrial morphology of ovarian granulosa cells, and increased the litter size and survival of DOR mice. Furthermore, Liuwei Dihuang Pills negatively regulated the expression of 12 differentially expressed proteins associated with DOR, which were mainly involved in lipid catabolism, inflammatory response, immune regulation, and coenzyme biosynthesis. These differentially expressed proteins were significantly enriched in sphingolipid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, ribosomes, ferroptosis, and cGMP-PKG signaling pathway. In summary, the occurrence of DOR and the treatment of DOR with Liuwei Dihuang Pills are associated with multiple biological pathways, mainly including oxidative stress response, inflammatory response, and immune regulation. "Mitochondria-oxidative stress-apoptosis" is the key to the treatment of DOR by Liuwei Dihuang Pills. YY1 and CYP4F3 may be the key upstream targets that trigger mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS accumulation, and the metabolism of arachidonic acid is the main signaling pathway of drug action.

Genotype and Phenotype of α-Thalassemia Fusion Gene in Huadu District of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province of China / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the carrier rate, genotype and phenotype of α-thalassemia fusion gene in Huadu district of Guangzhou, Guangdong province of China, and provide data reference for the prevention and control of thalassemia.@*METHODS@#A total of 10 769 samples who were screened for thalassemia in Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Huadu District from July 2019 to November 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Blood cell analysis and hemoglobin (Hb) electrophoresis were performed. Thalassemia genes were analyzed by gap-PCR and PCR-reverse dot blot hybridization (PCR-RDB).@*RESULTS@#A total of 9 cases with α-thalassemia fusion gene were detected in 10 769 samples (0.08%). There were 7 cases with fusion gene heterozygote, 1 case with compound of α-thalassemia fusion gene and Hb G-Honolulu, 1 case with compound of α-thalassemia fusion gene and Hb QS. The MCV results of 4 samples of blood cell analysis were within the reference range, the Hb A2 value of 1 case was decreased, and there were no other abnormalities found.@*CONCLUSION@#The α-thalassemia fusion gene is common in Huadu district of Guangzhou, and heterozygotes are more common, and current screening methods easily lead to misdiagnosis.

Influence of tomoxetine hydrochloride on the cognitive processing of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To explore the influence of tomoxetine hydrochloride on the cognitive processing of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).Methods:From January 2018 to July 2021, 62 ADHD children who were treated with tomoxetine hydrochloride for the first time for(8±4) weeks were selected as the ADHD group.And 62 healthy children matched with age and sex were selected as the healthy control group.Pre-test and post-test by the Das-Naglieri: Cognitive Assessment System(DN: CAS) were performed to evaluate the cognitive function of all individuals.The differences of cognitive processing in pre-treatment and post-treatment of ADHD group were compared with those in healthy control group.The difference between before and after treatment of ADHD group was also compared.SPSS 26.0 statistical software was adopted for statistical analysis.The scores of ADHD group pre-treatment and post-treatment were compared by paired sample t-test, and the scores of ADHD group pre-treatment and post-treatment were compared with those of healthy control group by independent sample t-test. Results:Compared with healthy control group, there were lower of planning score((18.77±5.92) vs (28.56±5.55)), attention score((22.24±5.93) vs (29.56±6.16)), simultaneous processing ((34.21±7.75) vs (37.61±6.29)), successive processing((30.37±7.12) vs (33.74±5.43)), and the total scores((105.60±21.29) vs (134.84±22.87)) in ADHD group before treatment, and there were significant differences( t=9.49, 6.74, 2.68, 2.96, 7.36, all P<0.05). Compared with healthy control group, there were lower of planning score ((22.13±5.99)s), attention score((25.26±7.11) with significant difference( t=6.20, 3.60, both P<0.05) in ADHD group after treatment.And there was no significant difference in the simultaneous processing test and the successive processing test after treatment compared with the healthy control group(both P>0.05). In ADHD group, the scores of planning, simultaneous processing, attention, successive processing and the total score were significantly higher after treatment than those before treatment and there were significant differences( t=-6.03, -4.13, -4.77, -5.48, -8.59, all P<0.05). (2) Compared with the healthy control group, there were lower of matching number score and other 8 sub-test scales in DN: CAS test in ADHD group before treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Meanwhile, there were still lower of matching number score and other 4 sub-test scales in DN: CAS test in ADHD group after treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The matching number score and other 10 sub-test scales in DN: CAS test in ADHD group after treatment were all higher than those of before treatment(all P<0.05). Conclusion:The planning, attention, simultaneous processing, successive processing and total cognitive function of ADHD children were significantly improved after treatment with tomoxetine hydrochloride, special for simultaneous processing and successive processing.

Short needling for knee osteoarthritis with blood stasis obstruction and its effect on serum inflammatory factors / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the clinical efficacy and its effect on serum levels of tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α), interleukin 1β(IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) between short needling (close-to-bone needling) and conventional acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) with blood stasis obstruction.@*METHODS@#A total of 68 KOA patients with blood stasis obstruction were randomized into a short needling group (34 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and a conventional acupuncture group (34 cases, 3 cases dropped off). The same acupoints (Dubi [ST 35], Neixiyan [EX-LE 4], Binzhong [Extra], Liangqiu [ST 34], etc. on the affected side) were selected in the two groups. In the short needling group, short needling technique was adopted, the needles were slowly inserted and the needle bodies were shaken, thus gradually penetrated to the bone. In the conventional acupuncture group, conventional acupuncture was adopted, the needles were penetrated to the muscle. After qi-arrival, Dubi (ST 35) and Neixiyan (EX-LE 4), Zusanli (ST 36) and Liangqiu (ST 34) were connected with CMNS6-1 electronic acupuncture instrument, with disperse-dense wave, 2 Hz/10 Hz in frequency, the current intensity was based on patients' feeling, the needles were retained for 30 min, at the same time, the knee joint was irradiated for 30 min with a special electromagnetic wave apparatus in the two groups. Once every other day, 3 times a week for 4 weeks. Before and after treatment, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) score, knee joint pain visual analogue scale (VAS) score, inflammatory response related indexes (serum TNF-a, IL-1β, IL-6 and PGE2) and knee joint ultrasound were observed，and the clinical effect was evaluated in the two groups.@*RESULTS@#After treatment，the pain, stiffness, function scores and total scores of WOMAC were decreased as compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05), except for the pain score, the changes of above scores in the short needling group were greater than the conventional acupuncture group (P<0.05). After treatment, the VAS scores, serum levels of TNF-a, IL-1β, IL-6, PGE2 and knee joint synovium thickness, intra-articular effusion were decreased as compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05), the levels of TNF-a, IL-1β, IL-6 in the short needling group were lower than the conventional acupuncture group (P<0.05). The total effective rate in the short needling group was 87.1% (27/31), which was superior to 83.9% (26/31) in the conventional acupuncture group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Short needling could improve the knee joint function, relieve the pain and inflammatory response, improve the knee joint synovium inflammatory response, reduce the knee joint intra-articular effusion for KOA patients, its effect is better than conventional acupuncture.

Mechanistic understanding of the inhibitory effect of cytochrome P450 3A4 and 3A5 by Wuzhi tablet (Schisandra sphenanthera extract) / 药学学报

Wuzhi tablet (WZ) is a prescribed herbal medicine extracted from Schisandra sphenanthera, which is widely used to protect the liver injury and drug-induced hepatotoxicity in clinical practices. Previous studies showed that WZ significantly increased the blood concentrations of tacrolimus, cyclosporine A, paclitaxel by inhibiting the cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A)-mediated metabolism. CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 are the most important isoenzymes among the CYP3A subfamily. However, there are some differences in the catalytic and inhibitory activities between CYP3A4 and CYP3A5, which may lead to different risk of drug-drug and herb-drug interactions, and the risks may be further amplified in vivo. Currently, few reports have compared the herbal medicine inhibitory effects between CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 mediated metabolic reactions. Therefore, detailing the inhibitory effect of WZ on CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 will help understand and predict the potential herb-drug interaction. The results showed that WZ inhibited CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 in a NADPH-, time- and concentration- dependent manner. WZ showed more potent inhibition on CYP3A5 than CYP3A4. Cautions warranted when combining WZ with other therapeutic drugs to avoid the potential herb-drug interaction.

Plasma levels of soluble immune checkpoint molecules and their prognostic significance in patients with primary liver cancer / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective:To analyze the plasma levels of soluble immune checkpoint molecules in patients with primary liver cancer and their prognostic significance.Methods:The levels of sCD28, sCD80, sCD137, sCD27, sGITR, sTIM3, sCTLA4, sHVEM, IDO, sLAG3, sBTLA, sPD1, sPDL1 and sPDL2 in plasma samples of 58 patients with primary liver cancer and 30 healthy controls were detected by liquid chip technology and compared between different groups. The relationship between the plasma levels of soluble immune checkpoint molecules and tumor recurrence was analyzed.Results:The levels of sCD28 and sCD80 were higher in patients in Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage 0/A and B than in healthy controls and patients in BCLC-C stage ( P<0.05). However, the levels of sCD27 and sHVEM in BCLC-C patients were significantly lower than those in BCLC-0/A and BCLC-B patients, and even lower than healthy control group. The levels of sCD137, IDO and sPD1 in BCLC-0/A and BCLC-B patients were higher than those in healthy controls. The levels of sPDL1 and sPDL2 in different BCLC stages were all higher than those in healthy controls, and maintained at high level in the three stages, but there was no significant difference between different stages. After 24 months of interventional treatment, the preoperative sCD28 level was lower in patients with recurrent tumor recurrence than in patients without recurrence ( t=2.843, P=0.007). The optimal cut-off value of sCD28 based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for predicting tumor recurrence was 101.42 pg/ml and the area under the ROC curve was 0.771 (95%CI: 0.611-0.931) with a sensitivity of 0.889 and a specificity of 0.666. The cumulative recurrence rate in patients with high sCD28 level (≥101.41 pg/ml) was 57.9% at 24 months after surgery, which was lower than the rate (95.5%) in patients with low sCD28 level (<101.41 pg/ml). The difference in the cumulative recurrence rate between the two groups was statistically significant (χ 2=15.777, P=0.000). Conclusions:The expression patterns of soluble immune checkpoint molecules varied in patients at different stages of primary liver cancer, suggesting that there were differences in their immune status and sCD28 could be used as a prognostic marker for postoperative recurrence of liver cancer.

Effect of nursing checklist in posterior surgery for patients with thoracolumbar fracture with general anesthesia under prone position / 中华创伤杂志

Objective:To explore the value of nursing checklist in posterior surgery for thoracolumbar fracture with general anesthesia under prone position.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 106 patients with thoracolumbar fracture admitted to Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital，Zhejiang University School of Medicine from June 2018 to May 2020. There were 80 males and 26 females，with age range of 25-57 years［（48.6 ± 11.9）years］. Segments of injury were located at T 11 in 18 patients，at T 12 in 26，at L 1 in 21，at L 2 in 25 and at L 3 in 16. All patients were treated with thoracolumbar posterior screw fixation under general anesthesia. Of all，51 patients received conventional postural nursing from June 2018 to May 2019（control group），and 55 patients received prone position nursing scheme for general anesthesia on the basis of conventional postural nursing from June 2019 to May 2020（verification group）. The incidence of postoperative complications including stress injury，brachial plexus injury，ulnar nerve injury and ocular discomfort as well as length of hospital stay and patients’ satisfaction were compared between the two groups. Visual analogue scale（VAS）and Oswestry disability index（ODI）were also used to measures outcome at postoperative 3 months. Results:All patients were followed up for 8-12 months［（10.5±0.9）months］. Verification group and control group showed significant differences in the incidence of stress injury（4%∶29%），brachial plexus injury（4%∶16%）and ocular discomfort consisiting of tears（2%∶12%），foreign body sensation（0%∶4%）and dryness（4%∶16%）（ P < 0.05），not in ulnar nerve injury and blurred vision. Length of hospitalization in verification group was（7.0±1.3）days，significantly shorter than that in control group［（9.9±1.9）days］（ P < 0.05）. Satisfaction of patients in verification group and control group was 85%（47/55）and 69%（35/51），respectively（ P < 0.05）. At 3 months postoperatively，VAS in verification group［（1.9 ± 0.8）points］was significantly lower than that in control group［（3.5±1.1）points］（ P < 0.05），and ODI was similar between the two groups（ P > 0.05）. Conclusions For patients with thoracolumbar fracture treated by posterior surgery with general anaesthesia under prone position，nursing checklist helps reduce occurrence of the related complication，shorten length of hospital stay，improve patient satisfaction，reduce postoperative pain and promote rehabilitation.

Progress on Hypoglycemic Effect and Mechanism of Momordica charantia / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Momordica charantia has been a traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and food since ancient times. The discussions on its nature， taste and efficacy in ancient books of TCM are almost the same. With a high nutritional value， M. charantia is rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals， and has been widely used in the production of a wide range of dietary supplements and functional foods. At the same time， M. charantia is one of the most deeply studied natural medicines in traditional alternative medicine， with a wide range of pharmacological effects， especially in the treatment of metabolic diseases. Clinical trials have confirmed that M. charantia has a hypoglycemic effect， and could reduce blood lipids and weight loss， so as to improve metabolism in a comprehensive manner. According to the study on the mechanism of M. charantia in the treatment of diabetes， M. charantia could reduce blood sugar by improving islet β-cell function， improving insulin resistance， inhibiting intestinal glucose absorption and resisting inflammation and oxidative stress. However， at present， there is a lack of unified standards for the hypoglycemic effects and various mechanisms of action of M. charantia， and the safety has not been fully confirmed. Further studies shall be conducted to investigate the hypoglycemic effect and mechanisms of M. charantia， explore active components of M. charantia， define the pharmacodynamics material basis， extract monomer compounds with a clear structure and confirm its effectiveness and safety， which is helpful to develop and utilize the homologous value of medicine and food of M. charantia and further apply it in clinic. The application of the hypoglycemic effect of M. charantia in clinic has important economic benefits and a social significance.

Swallowing function and its related factors in elderly people in welfare homes of Wenzhou City / 上海预防医学

Objective:To understand the swallowing function of the elderly in welfare homes of Wenzhou City，Zhejiang Province and to analyze the related factors of swallowing dysfunction. Methods:A total of 507 elderly people aged 60 years and over were surveyed by questionnaires in three welfare homes of Wenzhou City from January 2018 to January 2020.Hinds time-limited water drinking test was used to screen dysphagia. Multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the related factors of swallowing dysfunction. Results:The incidence of swallowing dysfunction was 26.04% （132 out of 507）. Univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in the incidence of swallowing dysfunction among the elderly in terms of age， spouse condition， self-care ability， health status， taking sleeping pills， cerebrovascular disease， nervous system disease and depression （P<0.05）. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the following factors were related to swallowing dysfunction among the elderly： age ≥80 years old， taking sleeping pills， cerebrovascular diseases， nervous system diseases and depression. Conclusion:The incidence of swallowing dysfunction in elderly people in welfare homes of Wenzhou City is high， especially those aged ≥80 years who need more attention. In addition， taking sleeping pills， cerebrovascular diseases， nervous system diseases and depression all increase the risk of swallowing dysfunction. Corresponding preventive and intervention measures should be formulated.

Sleep and language development in children and adolescents / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Sleep takes an important role in maintaining typical development, neural plasticity, and language development. Not only poorer performance in memory and cognitive functions, but also obvious delayed language development are seen in children and adolescents with sleep problem. Previous research found that sleep duration affects children and adolescents' ability in comprehensive vocabulary, expressive vocabulary, and vocabulary retention. Children and adolescents with poor sleep quality usually show language developmental delay, however, there is no integrated evaluation tool for sleep and language, and a consistent conclusion is therefore not reached. Daytime naps are beneficial to consolidate vocabulary learning in infants, and it’s also relevant to vocabulary retention and generalization in children and adolescents. Children with sleep related breathing disorders show lower ability in receptive language comprehension and lower lexical level, and with the increase of their age, the severity of their language disorder becomes higher. Besides, sleep can promote language learning in children with neuro-developmental disorder.The neuro-physiological mechanism underlying sleep and language remains unknown, and one of the possible explanations is that sleep problem harms the information processing in frontal lobe and hippocampus, and interferes with neural plasticity. The injury includes memory, attention, executive function, auditory processing, and so on, and finally language development is damaged. Further research is necessary to clarify the relation and mechanism between these two elements, this will be helpful in finding out an effective way to promote language function in children with language retardation and/or combined with neuro-developmental disorder.

Progress of the non-invasive neuromodulation in treating children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the medical treatment, while it does not bring high compliance.Therefore, non-medical therapy is a research focus in this field.Non-invasive neuromodulation can regulate the functional state of central nervous system by electric, magnetic, or chemical approach through invasive equipment that is proved to be highly safe.In the clinical industry, non-invasive neuromodulation is a widely used physiotherapy in various types of neuropsychiatric disorders, and has received satisfying effects.On the contrary, the utilization of this technique on ADHD in clinical settings is still under the research stage.This review aims at elaborating the clinical progress of several non-invasive neuromodulation approaches on ADHD, so as to provide reference to future researches in this field.

Internal circadian clock and liver metabolism / 生理学报

Circadian clock is an internal autonomous time-keeping system, including central clocks located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and peripheral clocks. The molecular circadian clock consists of a set of interlocking transcriptional-translational feedback loops that take the clock-controlled genes 24 h to oscillate. The core mechanism of molecular circadian clock is that CLOCK/BMAL1 dimer activates the transcription of cryptochromes (CRYs) and Periods (PERs), which act as transcriptional repressors of further CLOCK/BMAL1-mediated transcription. In addition to this basic clock, there is an additional sub-loop of REV-ERBα and RORα regulating the transcription of BMAL1. Approximately 80% protein-coding genes demonstrate significant rhythmicity. The earth rotation is responsible for the generation of the daily circadian rhythms. To coordinate metabolic balance and energy availability, almost all organisms adapt to the rhythm. Studies have shown that circadian clock integrating with metabolic homeostasis increases the efficiency of energy usage and coordinates with different organs in order to adapt to internal physiology and external environment soon. As the central organ of metabolism, the liver performs various physiological activities nearly all controlled by the circadian clock. There are multiple interactive regulation mechanisms between the circadian clock and the regulation of liver metabolism. The misalignment of metabolism with tissue circadian is identified as a high-risk factor of metabolic diseases. This article reviews the recent studies on circadian physiological regulation of liver glucose, lipid and protein metabolism and emphasizes oscillation of mitochondrial function. We also take an outlook for new methods and application of circadian clock research in the future.

Network Pharmacology-based Study of Bushen Zhuyun Prescription in Treatment of Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the active components， targets， and signaling pathways responsible for Bushen Zhuyun prescription in treating the recurrent spontaneous abortion （RSA） based on network pharmacology and uncover its potential mechanism by molecular docking and in vitro cell experiments. Method:The active components of Bushen Zhuyun prescription were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform （TCMSP）， Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Database （TCMID） and the published articles， followed by the prediction of drug action targets based on such platforms as DrugBank and SwissTargetPrediction. GeneCards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man （OMIM） were searched to obtain the RSA targets， which were then intersected with the targets of Bushen Zhuyun Decoction. Following the plotting of Bushen Zhuyun prescription-compound-target-RSA network by Cytoscape 3.7.1， the protein-protein interaction （PPI） network was then constructed with STRING for screening the core network. The resulting common targets were then subjected to Gene Ontology （GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） enrichment analysis using R software. Autodock Vina 1.1.2 was used for molecular docking. The activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/AKT） signaling pathway by Bushen Zhuyun prescription was verified in human umbilical vein endothelial cells （HUVEC） <italic>in vitro</italic>. Result:It was found that 49 potential active components of Bushen Zhuyun prescription might act on 133 RSA targets. GO enrichment analysis yielded 470 biological processes， with angiogenesis， vascular development， cellular proliferation， and oxidative activity mainly involved. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed 103 signaling pathways （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway， advanced glycation end product （AGE）/receptor for advanced glycation end product （RAGE） signaling pathway， and tumor necrosis factor （TNF） signaling pathway were the main ones. As indicated by molecular docking， the Vina scores of the main active component kaempferol with AKT1 and vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA） were the lowest and similar. It was confirmed <italic>in vitro</italic> cell experiments that Bushen Zhuyun prescription activated the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and up-regulated the expression of VEGFA and downstream AKT protein to promote angiogenesis. Conclusion:Bushen Zhuyun prescription promotes angiogenesis at the maternal-fetal interface by regulating angiogenesis and cellular proliferation， activating the PI3K/AKT pathway， and up-regulated the VEGFA expression， which is beneficial to the formation of placenta in early pregnancy and the maintenance of early pregnancy. This study has provided ideas for new drug development.

Clinical Observation on Orthopedics No.1 Prescription Combined with Celecoxib in Treating Knee Osteoarthritis with Middle Stage of Cold-dampness Syndrome / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To study the clinical efficacy of orthopedics No.1 prescription combined with celecoxib in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis （KOA） with middle stage of cold-dampness syndrome and investigate its effect on serum cytokines levels. Method:The 72 patients were randomly divided into control group and observation group， with 36 cases each. Patients in both groups were given basic treatment with oral celecoxib capsules （0.2 g/ time， 1 time/day）. On the basis of western medicine treatment， patients in observation group were treated with orthopedics No.1 prescription decoction-free granules by fumigation， 1 bag/time， 1 time/day， 5 times/week. Both groups received treatment for 4 weeks. The visual analog pain score （VAS）， American knee society knee score （KSS）， serum interleukin-1<italic>β </italic>（IL-1<italic>β</italic>）， tumor necrosis factor-<italic>α </italic>（TNF-<italic>α</italic>）， and transforming growth factor-<italic>β</italic>₁（TGF-<italic>β</italic>₁） levels were observed before and after treatment， and their clinical efficacy was evaluated. Result:After treatment， VAS score significantly decreased in both groups （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and KSS score significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， with better clinical effect in observation group. After treatment， serum IL-1<italic>β</italic> and TNF-<italic>α</italic> levels decreased significantly in both groups （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the levels in observation group were lower than those in control group after treatment （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. TGF<italic>-β</italic>₁content was significantly higher than that before treatment in two groups （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Conclusion:Orthopedics No.1 prescription combined with celecoxib for the treatment of KOA with middle stage of cold-dampness syndrome can effectively relieve the clinical symptoms of patients with KOA， improve joint function， improve quality of life， reduce the contents of inflammatory factors IL-1<italic>β</italic> and TNF-<italic>α</italic> in serum， and increase the expression of TGF-<italic>β</italic>₁ level.

Effect of Zishenwan on Pyroptosis and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells in Diabetic Nephropathy Mice / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To study the efficacy and mechanism of Zishenwan （ZSW） against pyroptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） of renal tubular epithelial cells in diabetic nephropathy （DN） mice， so as to provide evidence for the treatment of DN with ZSW. Method:The <italic>db/db</italic> mice with spontaneous diabetes were randomly divided into the model group， dapagliflozin （1.0 mg·kg^-1） group， and high-， medium-， and low-dose （6.0， 3.0， 1.5 g·kg^-1） ZSW groups. The non-diabetic <italic>db/m</italic> mice were classified into the normal group. The ones in the model and normal groups were given an equal volume of deionized water by gavage， while those in the other groups were intervened with the corresponding drugs for 12 weeks. The fasting blood glucose （FBG） level was tested at tail vein once every two weeks. The levels of urine albumin-creatinine ratio （ACR）， <italic>β</italic>-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase （NAG）， and cystatin C （CysC） were detected once every four weeks. After 12 weeks of administration， the blood sampled from eyeballs was used for measuring the blood urea nitrogen （BUN） and serum creatinine （SCr）. The pathological changes in renal tissues were observed by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The expression of EMT markers in the renal tubular epithelium was analyzed by immunohistochemistry （IHC）. The in situ terminal end-labeling （TUNEL） staining was conducted to analyze the nuclear damage of renal tubular epithelial cells. The protein and mRNA expression levels of EMT markers， nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） inflammasome and pyroptosis-related inflammatory cytokines in renal tissues were separately assayed by Western blot and Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR）. Result:Compared with the normal group， the model group displayed significantly increased FBG， BUN， serum SCr， ACR， NAG， and CysC （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， impaired renal tissues， altered EMT marker expression intensities and levels （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and elevated TUNEL-positive rate and protein and mRNA expression levels of pyroptosis-related inflammatory cytokines and NLRP3 inflammasome （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the model group， ZSW and dapagliflozin significantly decreased the levels of FBG， BUN， serum SCr， ACR， NAG， and CysC （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， relieved the pathological injuries in renal tissues， changed the EMT marker expression intensities （<italic>P</italic><0.01） and protein and mRNA expression levels （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）， and down-regulated the TUNEL-positive rate （<italic>P</italic><0.01） of renal tubular epithelial cells as well as the protein and mRNA expression levels of pyroptosis-related inflammatory cytokines （<italic>P</italic><0.01） and NLRP3 inflammasome （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. Conclusion:ZSW alleviates DN possibly by inhibiting pyroptosis and EMT in renal tubular epithelial cells.

Clinical analysis of medical hemostatic materials for prevention and treatment of subcutaneous hydrops after breast cancer operation / 中国综合临床

Objective:To observe the effect of medical instant hemostasis gauze combined with filament speed instant gauze on the drainage and flap healing after modified radical mastectomy.Methods:From August 2015 to August 2016, a total of 80 patients with modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer admitted to Huanxing Tumor Hospital, Chaoyang District, Beijing were selected.According to the random number table method, 80 patients who were ready for modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer were randomly divided into study group (40 cases) and control group (40 cases). Two kinds of hemostatic materials (medical hemolytic hemostatic gauze combined with fibril quick hemostatic gauze) were applied to the surgical wounds in the study group during the operation, while no medical hemostatic materials were used in the control group during the operation, and the other treatment was the same as that in the study group.Total drainage volume and drainage tube removal time were compared between the two groups 1 to 5 days after operation.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in the age, body mass index, and effusion production between the two groups (all P>0.05). The total drainage volume of the study group was (289.23±5.36) ml, and the total drainage volume of the control group was (492.15±8.56) ml.The difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( t=8.543, P<0.05). The drainage time of the study group was (6.24±1.23) days, and the extraction time of the control group was (10.12±2.21) days.The difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( t=6.203, P<0.05). Conclusion:In addition to hemostatic function, using absorbable hemostatic gauze combined with surgicel fibrillar during the surgical process can significantly reduce postoperative subcutaneous fluid accumulation.

Effect of lateral ventricular injection of interferon-α on auditory steady-state response in auditory cortex of mice / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect and mechanisms of lateral ventricular injection of interferon-alpha (IFN-α) on electrophysiological activity in central nervous system.Methods:Twenty male Kunming mice were selected and subjected to auditory cortical electrode implantation and lateral ventricle intubation under general anesthesia. After one week of recovery, all mice were randomly divided into IFN-α group ( n=10) and normal saline group ( n=10). IFN-α and saline were administered by lateral ventricle injection for 7 consecutive days, and the auditory steady-state response(ASSR) in auditory cortex were recorded. Then the brain tissue was perfused, and the changes of microglia and astrocytes in the hippocampus were observed by immunohistochemical staining. Results:There was no significant difference in the average intensity of ASSR between the saline group and the IFN-α group((3.22±0.87)dB vs (3.49±0.56)dB; t=0.84, P=0.41) before administration.After administration, the average intensity of ASSR in IFN-α group was significantly lower than that before administration ((3.22±0.87)dB vs (1.59±0.44)dB, t=5.27, P<0.01), while the ASSR in saline group did not change before and after administration((3.49±0.56)dB, (3.46±0.61)dB; t=0.12, P=0.90). Immunohistochemistry revealed that the number of astrocytes and microglia in hippocampal CA1, CA3, and DG regions in the IFN-α group was higher than that of the saline group. Obvious morphological changes were also observed in the astrocytes and microglia. Conclusion:IFN-α can induce the activation of glial cells in the hippocampus and lead to the abnormal electrophysiological activity in the cortex. ASSR can reflect IFN-α induced brain dysfunction, which may be a potential indicator for early diagnosis.

Prokaryotic expression, purification and antiserum preparation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 nucleocapsid protein / 第二军医大学学报

Objective To express and purify the recombinant nucleocapsid (N) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and prepare antiserum from immunized mice. Methods The prokaryotic plasmid pET28a-N containing SARS-CoV-2 N gene was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The expression of recombinant SARS-CoV-2 N protein was induced by isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside. The Ni-NTA affinity chromatography column was used to purify the recombinant SARS-CoV-2 N protein, and antiserum was obtained from the BALB/c mice immunized with recombinant SARS-CoV-2 N protein combined with manganese adjuvant through intramuscular and subcutaneous injections. The reactions of recombinant SARS-CoV-2 N protein with SARS-CoV-2 N monoclonal antibodies and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) N polyclonal antibodies were detected by Western blotting. The reaction of mouse antiserum with the recombinant SARS-CoV-2 N protein expressed in the cells transfected with eukaryotic expression plasmid was examined by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Results The recombinant SARS-CoV-2 N protein was successfully induced and expressed as a soluble protein with a molecular weight of about 55 000. High concentration of purified protein was obtained. The results of Western blotting showed that the recombinant SARS-CoV-2 N protein could be specifically recognized by the SARS-CoV-2 N monoclonal antibodies and the SARS-CoV N polyclonal antibodies. The prepared mouse antiserum could also correctly recognize the recombinant SARS-CoV-2 N protein expressed in mammalian cells by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Conclusion Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 N protein has been successfully expressed and purified from the prokaryotic expression system, and mouse antiserum has been prepared, which lays a foundation for establishing a rapid SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tool and further studying the function of SARS-CoV-2 N protein..

Analysis of amino acid variations of major proteins from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / 第二军医大学学报

Objective To identify key amino acid variations of major proteins from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by biophysical methods. Methods Through amino acid sequence alignment, classification of variant amino acid residues, three-dimensional structure reconstruction of proteins, and electrostatic interaction analysis of amino acid residues, the key amino acid variations of major proteins from SARS-CoV-2 was analyzed with RaTG13, the bat coronavirus with the highest homology, as the reference. Results At least ten amino acid variations that affect the possible electrostatic interactions were identified in RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), exoribonuclease (ExoN), uridylate-specific endoribonuclease (NendoU), and spike (S) protein from SARS-CoV-2. These variations may affect the spatial conformation and biological functions of the proteins. Conclusion The key amino acid variations of the major proteins from SARS-CoV-2 have been preliminarily identified, providing clues for understanding the genetic, pathogenic and epidemiological characteristics of the virus..