Transcriptomics Provides Novel Insights into the Regulatory Mechanism of IncRNA HIF1 A-AS1 on Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

ABSTRACT Introduction: Thoracic aortic aneurysm is a potentially fatal disease with a strong genetic contribution. The dysfunction of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) contributes to the formation of this aneurysm. Although previous studies suggested that long non-coding ribonucleic acid (RNA) hypoxia inducible factor 1 α-antisense RNA 1 (HIF1A-AS1) exerted a vital role in the progression and pathogenesis of thoracic aortic aneurysm, we managed to find a new regulatory mechanism of HIF1A-AS1 in VSMCs via transcriptomics. Methods: Cell viability was detected by the cell counting kit-8 assay. Cell apoptosis was assessed by Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide double staining. Transwell migration assay and wound healing assay were performed to check the migration ability of HIF1A-AS1 on VSMCs. The NextSeq XTen system (Illumina) was used to collect RNA sequencing data. Lastly, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction confirmed the veracity and reliability of RNA-sequencing results. Results: We observed that overexpressing HIF1A-AS1 successfully promoted apoptosis, significantly altered cell cycle distribution, and greatly attenuated migration in VSMCs, further highlighting the robust promoting effects of HIF1A-AS1 to thoracic aortic aneurysm. Moreover, transcriptomics was implemented to uncover its underlying mechanism. A total of 175 differently expressed genes were identified, with some of them enriched in apoptosis, migration, and cell cycle-related pathways. Intriguingly, some differently expressed genes were noted in vascular development or coagulation function pathways. Conclusion: We suggest that HIF1A-AS1 mediated the progression of thoracic aortic aneurysm by not only regulating the function of VSMCs, but also altering vascular development or coagulation function.

Role of school based symptom monitoring system in public health emergencies in Hangzhou / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To analyze the role of school based symptom monitoring system in public health emergencies in Hangzhou, to provide the basis for prevention and control strategies for public health emergencies in schools.@*Methods@#Data regarding school public health emergencies in Hangzhou in 2019 were collected from the Public Health Emergencies Report Management Information System, and data regarding public health early warning in schools were collected from the Hangzhou School Symptom Monitoring System. The usage of school symptom monitoring system was analyzed by SAS 9.0 software, and the positive warning events and public health emergencies were compared and analyzed, the rate and composition ratio were compared with the χ 2 test, the number of cases was compared with the non parameter rank and the Mann Whitney test, and the trend test was conducted using Cochran Armitage test.@*Results@#In 2019, the average use rate of the city s school symptom monitoring system was 54.65%, the average response rate of automatic early warning was 70.68%, and the use rate (χ 2=860.79, p<0.01) and automatic early warning response rate (χ 2=1 615.91，P<0.01) of school systems varied greatly by region. In 2019, 161 positive early warning incidents were detected through the school symptom monitoring system, 197 public health emergencies were reported through the emergency network, and fewer public health emergencies were reported in areas where more positive warning events were detected(Z=10.65，P<0.01). The proportion of disease category in positive warning events was different from that in public health emergencies in(χ 2=28.33, P<0.01). The number of cases of positive early warning events of the same disease was much lower than the number of cases of public health emergencies without warning, and the time of positive warning signals was on average 4 days ahead of the time of receiving the report of public health emergencies.@*Conclusion@#Smartphone based school symptom monitoring system in Hangzhou plays a sentinel role in public health emergencies prevention and control in schools.

A comparison of clinical effects of removing foreign bodies from esophagus by rigid esophagoscope and flexible esophagoscope / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To collect the data of esophageal foreign body patients, and to evaluate the clinical effects of two different surgical methods in our hospital. Methods    The clinical data of 294 patients who were treated in Gansu Provincal Hospital from January 2012 to June 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. The clinical data were collected and analyzed by SPSS 22.0. In order to to evaluate the efficacy of flexible esophagoscope (FE) and rigid esophagoscope (RE) in the treatment of esophageal foreign bodies.The patients were divided into two groups: a RE group including 118 patients with 62 males and 56 females at age of  6 (3-37) years and a FE group including 176 patients with 84 males and 92 females at age of 6 (3-59) years. Results    There was no significant difference in age, age stratification, gender and foreign body type between the two groups. There was a statistical difference in the initial clinical symptoms (P=0.041) or in esophageal foreign bodies position (P=0.037) between the two groups. The success rate of foreign body removal was similar between the two groups (P=0.632). The success rate was 88.9% (105/118) in the RE group, 87.5% (154/176) in the FE group. The operation time was significantly longer in the RE group than that in the FE group (10.8 ±17.4 min vs. 17.5±21.6 min, P<0.001). The postoperative hospitalization time in the RE groups was longer than that in the FE group (21.5 ±24.2 hours vs. 12.5 ±21.3 hours, P<0.05). There was a statistical difference in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups (P=0.034). In the RE group, the main complication was mucosal edema (15.3%). And the rate of bleeding was higher (15.9%) in the FE group. There were 30 patients (25.5%) in the RE group with minor postoperative complications versus the FE group with 40 patients (22.7%); and 1 patient (0.8%) in the RE group with severe complications versus the FE group with 5 paients (2.8%). Conclusion    Based on the analysis of this study, it is found that RE has higher safety. But the indications are strict, the professional requirements of the operator and the selection of patients are stronger. The FE is convenient to use, the operation crowd is wide, and the suitable crowd is wide. Therefore, for specific patients, after improving the relevant examination and preoperative evaluation of patients, clinicians need to choose appropriate surgical methods to ensure the success of the operation, and reduce the postoperative complications as far as possible.

Advances and prospects in the application of robotic surgery system in the treatment of esophageal cancer / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#At present, the application of the robot assisted surgery system in the surgical treatment of esophageal cancer is gradually emerging, and it is more and more widely used and recognized in the field of surgery. According to the domestic and foreign literatures, the robot has many advantages, and robotic assisted esophageal cancer surgery has been proved to be safe and effective, and its short-term efficacy is significantly better than thoracotomy. Other studies have shown that in long-term follow-up, the effect is comparable to video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. In this paper, the author are systematically reviewed the development history of the robot assisted surgery system, the effect of robotic assisted esophagectomy on safety, surgical method, short-term efficacy and long-term prognosis. The traditional open surgery and thoracoscopic laparoscopic esophagectomy has been carried on the detailed comparison to provide some advice and theoretical basis for esophageal cancer surgery robot system.

A smartphone-based school syndromic surveillance system and its application in Hangzhou / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To establish and implement a smartphone-based school syndromic surveillance system, and to provide references for school communicable disease control and prevention.@*Methods@#A smartphone-based school syndromic surveillance system was constructed and applied. A list of seven symptoms including fever, cough, vomit, diarrhea, rash, red eye and parotid swelling was classified as targeted indicators. Spatio-temporal permutation scanning was applied to automatic early warning.@*Results@#A total of 1 973 school joined the syndromic surveillance system. System usage rate was 54.13%, no significant differences were found among different types of schools(χ2=1.58, P=0.67), whereas significant differences were observed among counties（χ2=726.78, P<0.01). Totally, 852 036 pieces of symptoms data were reported during September 2018 to March 2019, the primary symptoms included cough (35.17%) and fever (21.11%). Time trends in different symptoms varied with time, with fever and cough highest in January, vomit and diarrhea in November. Thirteen pieces of early warning were confirmed as school communicable diseases by field investigation, the average number of the infected students were four.@*Conclusion@#The smartphone-based school syndromic surveillance system is generally acceptable. Characteristic seasonal distributions of school communicable diseases are reflected accurately by surveillance system which plays an active role in prevention and control of school communicable diseases.

Características posoperatorias de la faringoplastia combinada con amigdalectomía en comparación con la amigdalectomía en niños con síndrome obstructivo de apnea del sueño / Postoperative characteristics of combined pharyngoplasty and tonsillectomy versus tonsillectomy in children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Objetivo. Identificar las ventajas posoperatorias de la amigdalectomía en conjunto con la faringoplastia en comparación con la amigdalectomía sola en niños con apnea obstructiva del sueño. Métodos. En un estudio prospectivo observacional, los pacientes que cumplían con los criterios del estudio fueron asignados aleatoriamente a dos grupos: el grupo de amigdalectomía y faringoplastia, y el grupo de solo amigdalectomía. En ambos grupos, también se practicó adenoidectomía a los pacientes con vegetaciones. Se compararon los procesos de cicatrización en la herida faríngea y las proporciones hemorrágicas. Además, se evaluó la función velofaríngea posoperatoria. Resultados. La faringoplastia junto con la amigdalectomía se practicó en 328 niños con apnea obstructiva del sueño debido a hipertrofia amigdalina, y la amigdalectomía sola, en 275 niños. Estas cohortes no mostraban diferencias demográficas significativas. Por otro lado, se encontró que la pérdida de sangre fue significativamente menor en el grupo que recibió amigdalectomía y faringoplastia (p < 0,01), y el proceso de cicatrización fue notablemente más breve. La función velofaríngea posoperatoria no resultó afectada. Conclusiones. En comparación con la amigdalectomía, la amigdalectomía junto con la faringoplastia redujeron la duración del proceso de cicatrización y la pérdida de sangre; no obstante, las complicaciones posoperatorias no aumentaron. En nuestra opinión, la combinación de faringoplastia y amigdalectomía reúne un gran potencial en el tratamiento de los niños con apnea obstructiva del sueño.

Purpose. The study aims to identify the postoperative advantages of tonsillectomy in conjunction with pharyngoplasty and tonsillectomy alone in children with obstructive sleep apneas. Methods. In a prospective observational study, patients who met the study criteria were randomly divided into two groups: tonsillectomy and pharyngoplasty group, and tonsillectomy alone group. In both groups, adenoidectomy was also performed in patients with adenoid hypertrophy. Differences in their healing processes in the pharyngeal wound and their hemorrhage proportions were compared. Furthermore, postoperative velopharyngeal function was also assessed. Results. Pharyngoplasty together with tonsillectomy was performed in 328 children with obstructive sleep apnea from tonsillar hypertrophy, and tonsillectomy was performed in 275 children. These cohorts did not reveal any significant demographic differences between groups. Furthermore, blood loss was found to be significantly decreased in the tonsillectomy and pharyngoplasty group (P <0.01), and the healing process was markedly shorter. Postoperative velopharyngeal function was not affected. Conclusions. Tonsillectomy in conjunction with pharyngoplasty reduced the duration of the healing process and blood loss, compared with tonsillectomy alone; however, postoperative complications did not increase. We consider pharyngoplasty in conjunction with tonsillectomy has great potential in the treatment of children with obstructive sleep apnea.

Pharmacokinetic and tissue distributions study of adenosine, 4- hydroxybenzyl alcohol and Parishin C from Gastrodia elata extract in rats

The plant Gastrodia elata is a type of the orchid plant Gastrodia elata Bl. which contains glycosides, phenols, polysaccharides, sterols, and organic acids and a variety of active ingredients are proved to have certain pharmacological activities. To understand the process in the body of Gastridua elata, we used HPLC to study pharmacokinetics and tissue distributions of adenosine, 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol and Parishin C in rats. The results showed that the three ingredients could be detected in plasma and different organizations at various time points. There was no significant difference in systemic clearance at three ingredients and it may be show that the three ingredients distributed [0.475+/-0.025, 0.518+/-0.033, 0.699+/-0.051] quickly and eliminated [5.37+/-0.87, 4.54+/-0.69, 5.34+/-0.82] slowly in plasma. There was the highest content of adenosine in spleen, followed by liver and lung. The highest content of 4-hydroxybenzylacohol in liver, and was higher in spleen. Parishin C was highest in heart, followed by liver and spleen. It is obvious that the contents of three ingredients are all higher in liver. The trends of the three ingredients' contents in G. rhizome extract were consistent with the contents in the plasma after intravenous administration

Anti-inflammatory activity and chemical composition of dichloromethane extract from Piper nigrum and P. longum on permanent focal cerebral ischemia injury in rats

Abstract White pepper (Piper nigrum L.) and long pepper (Piper longum L.) belong to family Piperaceae and are commonly used as household spices and traditional medicine worldwide, specifically in China and Southeast Asia. In Traditional Chinese Hui Medicine, these herbs are widely used for treatment of stroke. Our present study investigated effects of these herbs on inflammation in rat model with cerebral ischemia. After subjecting the rats to permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) for 6 h, at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg, dichloromethane fraction from white pepper and long pepper, respectively, was intragastrically administered once a day for seven consecutive days. Cerebral cortical and hippocampal tissues were collected after seven days. Superoxide dismutase, malonaldehyde, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and IL-6 were measured by spectrophotometer. Phytochemical profile of dichloromethane fraction was determined through HPLC. Dichloromethane fraction exhibited anti-inflammatory activity by suppressing expression or production of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. By contrast, dichloromethane fraction showed activity against pMCAO injury by reducing oxygen-free radicals through increased superoxide dismutase activity and decreased malonaldehyde level. HPLC analysis revealed piperine as major component of dichloromethane fraction. These results show that dichloromethane fraction provides protection against cerebral ischemia. The possible mechanism is related to anti-inflammatory activity and reduction in oxygen-free radicals.

Therapeutic effect of Ginkgobalide B and retinal stem cells transplantation on glaucoma in rats / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM:To investigate the combination therapeutic effect of Ginkgobalide B (GKB) and retinal stem cells (RSCs)transplantation on glaucoma in rats.METHODS:Rats were divided randomly into five groups:control group,glaucoma group,RSCs group,GKB group and RSCs combination therapy group.A chronic glaucoma model was established in rats,accordingly.The morphological changes in ocular tissues were analyzed by HE staining.Retinal ganglion cells apoptosis were analyzed by TUNEL staining.The protein expressions of Bcl-2,Bax,Cleaved caspase-3 and Cleaved caspase-9 were determined by Western blot.The mRNA levels of Bcl-2 and Bax were determined by qPCR.RESULTS:HE staining revealed that RSCs transplantation or GKB treatment decreased fiber interstitial edema and vacuole,as compared to glaucoma group.Furthermore,this improvement was more pronounced in combination therapy group than in single treatment alone.Combination therapy significantly inhibited retinal ganglion cells apoptosis,increased Bcl-2 mRNA and protein expression,but decreased Bax mRNA and protein expression.Moreover,the protein expression of Cleaved caspase-3 and Cleaved caspase-9 expression were decreased after combination therapy.CONCLUSION:Our data demonstrate that combination of Ginkgobalide B and retinal stem cells transplantation can inhibit retinal ganglion cells apoptosis and protect against glaucoma.These effects may be associated with the regulation of Bcl-2,Bax,Cleaved caspase-3 and Cleaved caspase-9 expression.

Application of sEST+EPBD in patients with mild or moderate biliary pancreatitis / 中国内镜杂志

Objective To explore the clinical value of sEST+EPBD applied in patients with mild-to-moderate biliary pancreatitis. Methods We selected out 60 cases mild or moderate biliary pancreatitis from January, 2013 to December, 2015, and randomly divided these cases into control group, EST group and sEST + EPBD group. We compared serological indexes, postoperative inflammation index, concurrent operation, hospitalization and follow-up indicators of these three groups. Results The levels of serum amylase, CRP and PCT were no statistical significance in three groups (P > 0.05). Total lengths of hospital stay and recurrence of pancreatitis in EST groups and sEST + EPBD group were significantly shorter than in control group (P < 0.05), and the total cost of hospitalization in sEST + EPBD group was obviously lower than in control group (P < 0.05). The level of postoperative serum amylase in sEST + EPBD group was obviously higher than in EST group, and the total length of hospital stay, cost and operative complications in sEST+EPBD group was significantly lower than that in EST group (P < 0.05); However, within one year, recurrences of pancreatitis and rates of cholecystectomy were no significant differences in these two groups. Conclusion sEST+EPBD is an effective and safe treatment in mild or moderate biliary pancreatitis, and can reduce the length of hospital stay and cost, operative complications, and assist the implementation of interval laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Clinical efficacy of different artificial tears for patients with xerophthalmia after phacoemulsification / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

·AIM: To compare and analyze the clinical efficacy of different artificial tears for patients with xerophthalmia after phacoemulsification.·METHODS:Retrospective analysis on the clinical data of 150 cases (150 eyes) treated by phacoemulsification in our hospital from March 2014 to April 2017. And according to the artificial tears used, they were divided into Group A ( control group) and B ( application of sodium hyaluronate eye drops) , Group C ( used carbomer gel eye drops) ,50 cases 50 eyes in every group. We compared and analyzed the BUT, FL, SⅠt findings, OSDI scores preoperatively and 1wk, 1 and 3mo postoperatively, and visual acuity before and 3mo after operation in the three groups.·RESULTS:There were no differences in BUT, FL, SⅠt and OSDI scores between the three groups before and at 1wk after the operation (P>0. 05). At 1mo after operation, the levels of BUT and SⅠt in Group B and Group C were higher than those in Group A, and the scores of OSDI and FL were lower than those in Group A (P<0. 05); between Group B and Group C there was no difference in BUT, FL, SⅠt levels and OSDI score (P>0. 05). After 3mo, the levels of BUT and SⅠt in the Group B and Group C were higher than that in the Group A, and the FL level and OSDI score were lower than those in the Group A ( P<0. 05);the levels of BUT and SⅠt in the Group C were higher than those in the Group B, and the FL level and the OSDI score were lower than those in the Group B ( P<0. 05 ) . The visual acuity of the three groups was improved at 3mo after the operation (P<0. 05), and there was no difference in LogMAR visual acuity between the three groups before and 3mo after operation (P>0. 05).· CONCLUSION: different types of artificial tear can improve the symptoms of dry eyes in patients age-related cataract after phacoemulsification, in which carbomer eye drops or lipid containing artificial tears improve postoperative dry eye symptoms and signs, and will not affect the recovery of visual acuity.

A subchronic toxicity study of ethanol root extract of baked Aconitum flavum in rats

ABSTRACT The genus Aconitum has strong toxicity, but the acute toxicity of baked Aconitum flavum Hand.-Mazz., Ranunculaceae, was reduced significantly on the premise of keeping anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities. However, the risk associated with long-term use is unknown. In a sub-chronic toxicity study, rats were orally administered A. flavum at doses of 0.76–3.03 g/kg for 90 days and further recovered for 14 days. Our results showed that oral treatment with A. flavum for 90 days caused significant changes in some hematological indicators at doses of 3.03 and 1.52 g/kg, such as red blood cell, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. These results indicated that the A. flavum affects the structure and function of red blood cell. Furthermore, significant changes were observed in the white blood cell at dose of 3.03 g/kg in male rats, which confirmed tissue damage or toxicity. The liver function tests exhibited non-significant alterations in aspertate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and avenin-like storage proteinsgene. But other parameters, such as total protein and albumin were obviously decreased at all doses. A. flavum also caused a significant decrease in glucose, cholesterol and triacylglyceride at all doses. For kidney function, there were significant elevations in urea and creatinine at doses of 3.03 and 1.52 g/kg. The levels of certain electrolytes (Na+, K+ and Cl-) were significantly different after 90 days of treatment with A. flavum (3.03 and 1.52 g/kg). Organs were observed by light microscopy after hematoxylin-eosin staining. Hemosiderin depositions in the spleen were observed in the A. flavum group. These data demonstrated that the subtoxicity of A. flavum was reduced considerably by baked, but the subchronic toxicity effects on the liver, kidney and spleen should not be ignored.

The essential oil of Artemisia capillaris protects against CCl4-induced liver injury in vivo

Abstract To study the hepatoprotective effect of the essential oil of Artemisia capillaris Thunb., Asteraceae, on CCl4-induced liver injury in mice, the levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, hepatic levels of reduced glutathione, activity of glutathione peroxidase, and the activities of superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde were assayed. Administration of the essential oil of A. capillaris at 100 and 50 mg/kg to mice prior to CCl4 injection was shown to confer stronger in vivo protective effects and could observably antagonize the CCl4-induced increase in the serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities and malondialdehyde levels as well as prevent CCl4-induced decrease in the antioxidant superoxide dismutase activity, glutathione level and glutathione peroxidase activity (p < 0.01). The oil mainly contained β-citronellol, 1,8-cineole, camphor, linalool, α-pinene, β-pinene, thymol and myrcene. This finding demonstrates that the essential oil of A. capillaris can protect hepatic function against CCl4-induced liver injury in mice.

Taurine inhibits serum deprivation-induced osteoblast apoptosis via the taurine transporter/ERK signaling pathway

Taurine has positive effects on bone metabolism. However, the effects of taurine on osteoblast apoptosis in vitro have not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the activity of taurine on apoptosis of mouse osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. The data showed that 1, 5, 10, or 20 mM taurine resulted in 16.7, 34.2, 66.9, or 63.75 percent reduction of MC3T3-E1 cell apoptosis induced by the serum deprivation (serum-free α-MEM), respectively. Taurine (1, 5, or 10 mM) also reduced cytochrome c release and inhibited activation of caspase-3 and -9, which were measured using fluorogenic substrates for caspase-3/caspase-9, in serum-deprived MC3T3-E1 cells. Furthermore, taurine (10 mM) induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation in MC3T3-E1 cells. Knockdown of the taurine transporter (TAUT) or treatment with the ERK-specific inhibitor PD98059 (10 μM) blocked the activation of ERK induced by taurine (10 mM) and abolished the anti-apoptotic effect of taurine (10 mM) in MC3T3-E1 cells. The present results demonstrate for the first time that taurine inhibits serum deprivation-induced osteoblast apoptosis via the TAUT/ERK signaling pathway.

effect of h[1] calponin expression on gallstone formation in pregnancy

To explore the effect of h1 calponin mRNA expression on the biliary tract dynamics, and investigate the molecular mechanisms of gallstone formation in pregnancy. This study was carried out in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, and in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wuhan University School of Medicine, Wuhan, China from July to December 2004. Thirty female guinea pigs were divided randomly into 3 groups, the nonpregnant group [n=10] [group A], the 30 days of pregnancy group [n=10] [group B], and the 60 days of pregnancy group [n=10] [group C]. Animal models of pregnancy were established on pregnant group guinea pigs through feeding animals with one cage according to female versus male as 4:1. The total cholesterol [TC], total bilirubin [TBiL], total bile acid [TBA] in the bile and the serum estradiol [E2], progesterone [Pg] levels were determined respectively. Expression levels of h1 calponin mRNA in gallbladder smooth muscles and Oddi's Sphincter [OS] were evaluated using semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR]. The concentration of TC, TBiL and the serum E2 and Pg were more significantly increasing in group C than that in the other 2 groups. However, the concentration of TBA decreased gradually from group A to group C. Up-regulation of h1 calponin gene expression was observed in the gallbladder smooth muscles in group C, but converse in OS. The h1 calponin might play an important role in inducing dysfunction of extrahepatic biliary tract, bile stasis in gallbladder and gallstone formation in pregnancy