Overview and prospects of an in vitro cell model for studying liver fibrosis / 中华肝脏病杂志

Liver fibrosis incidence and adverse outcomes are high; however, there are no known chemical drugs or biological agents that are specific and effective for treatment. The paucity of a robust and realistic in vitro model for liver fibrosis is one of the major causes hindering anti-liver fibrosis drug development. This article summarizes the latest progress in the development of in vitro cell models for liver fibrosis, with a focus based on the analysis of induction and activation of hepatic stellate cells, cell co-culture, and 3D model co-construction, as well as concurrent potential methods based on hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cell establishment.

Advances in applications of molecular dynamics simulation techniques to the research of self-assembled nano-drug delivery systems / 药学学报

Molecular dynamics simulation technology relies on Newtonian mechanics to simulate the motion of molecular system of the real system by computer simulation. It has been used in the research of self-assembly processes illustration and macroscopic performance prediction of self-assembly nano-drug delivery systems (NDDS) in recent years, which contributes to the facilitation and accurate design of preparations. In this review, the definitions, catalogues, and the modules of molecular dynamics simulation techniques are introduced, and the current status of their applications are summarized in the acquisition and analysis of microscale information, such as particle size, morphology, the formation of microdomains, and molecule distribution of the self-assembly NDDS and the prediction of their macroscale performances, including stability, drug loading capacity, drug release kinetics and transmembrane properties. Moreover, the existing applications of the molecular dynamic simulation technology in the formulation prediction of self-assembled NDDS were also summarized. It is expected that the new strategies will promote the prediction of NDDS formulation and lay a theoretical foundation for an appropriate approach in NDDS studies and a reference for the wider application of molecular dynamics simulation technology in pharmaceutics.

The Effect of Ena/VASP Family on the Expression of GPIb-IX Complex in Human Megakaryoblastic Leukemia Dami Cells / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effects of Ena/VASP gene family on the expression of glycoprotein (GP) Ib-IX complex in human megakaryoblastic leukemia Dami cells.@*METHODS@#SiRNAs targeting Ena/VASP gene family were designed and synthesized to interfere Enah, EVL and VASP gene expression. When the siRNAs were transfected into Dami cells by using LipofectamineTM 2000 for 48 h, the expression of GPIb-IX complex was detected by quantitative real-time PCR, Western blot and flow cytometry.@*RESULTS@#We successfully established siVASP , siEVL and si Enah Dami cell lines. And it was found that the expression of GPIb-IX complex had no evident reduction in siEVL or siVASP Dami cells at both mRNA and protein level, while the total protein and membrane protein of GPIb-IX complex were obviously reduced when Enah was knocked down.@*CONCLUSION@#Enah could affect the expression of GPIb-IX complex in human megakaryoblastic leukemia Dami cells, but the underlying mechanism still needs to be further explored.

Research progress of optical motion capture technology in shoulder biomechanics / 中国骨伤

The shoulder joint is the most flexible joint in the body with the largest range of motion, and the movement pattern is more complex. Accurate capture of three-dimensional motion data of the shoulder joint is crucial for biomechanical evaluation. Optical motion capture systems offer a non-invasive and radiation-free method to capture shoulder joint motion data during complex movements, enabling further biomechanical analysis of the shoulder joint. This review provides a comprehensive overview of optical motion capture technology in the context of shoulder joint movement, including measurement principles, data processing methods to reduce artifacts from skin and soft tissues, factors influencing measurement results, and applications in shoulder joint disorders.

Observational study on perioperative outcomes of pelvic exenteration / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To investigate the surgical indications and perioperative clinical outcomes of pelvic exenteration (PE) for locally advanced, recurrent pelvic malignancies and complex pelvic fistulas. Methods: This was a descriptive study.The indications for performing PE were: (1) locally advanced, recurrent pelvic malignancy or complex pelvic fistula diagnosed preoperatively by imaging and pathological examination of a biopsy; (2)preoperative agreement by a multi-disciplinary team that non-surgical and conventional surgical treatment had failed and PE was required; and (3) findings on intraoperative exploration confirming this conclusion.Contraindications to this surgical procedure comprised cardiac and respiratory dysfunction, poor nutritional status,and mental state too poor to tolerate the procedure.Clinical data of 141 patients who met the above criteria, had undergone PE in the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2018 to September 2022, had complete perioperative clinical data, and had given written informed consent to the procedure were collected,and the operation,relevant perioperative variables, postoperative pathological findings (curative resection), and early postoperative complications were analyzed. Results: Of the 141 included patients, 43 (30.5%) had primary malignancies, 61 (43.3%) recurrent malignancies, 28 (19.9%) complex fistulas after radical resection of malignancies,and nine (6.4%)complex fistulas caused by benign disease. There were 79 cases (56.0%) of gastrointestinal tumors, 30 cases (21.3%) of reproductive tumors, 16 cases (11.3%) of urinary tumors, and 7 cases (5.0%) of other tumors such mesenchymal tissue tumors. Among the 104 patients with primary and recurrent malignancies, 15 patients with severe complications of pelvic perineum of advanced tumors were planned to undergo palliative PE surgery for symptom relief after preoperative assessment of multidisciplinary team; the other 89 patients were evaluated for radical PE surgery. All surgeries were successfully completed. Total PE was performed on 73 patients (51.8%),anterior PE on 22 (15.6%),and posterior PE in 46 (32.6%). The median operative time was 576 (453,679) minutes, median intraoperative blood loss 500 (200, 1 200) ml, and median hospital stay 17 (13.0,30.5)days.There were no intraoperative deaths. Of the 89 patients evaluated for radical PE surgery, the radical R0 resection was achieved in 64 (71.9%) of them, R1 resection in 23 (25.8%), and R2 resection in two (2.2%). One or more postoperative complications occurred in 85 cases (60.3%), 32 (22.7%)of which were Clavien-Dindo grade III and above.One patient (0.7%)died during the perioperative period. Conclusion: PE is a valid option for treating locally advanced or recurrent pelvic malignancies and complex pelvic fistulas.

Roles and functions of rural health midwives in Cordillera Administrative Region: A qualitative pilot study

Background@#Midwives have been frontline health professionals at the grassroots level, especially in rural communities. Their role was expanded from maternal and child healthcare providers to primary healthcare services providers. Despite their expanded functions, there have been limited studies investigating the professional practice of midwifery in the Philippines in a rural setting.@*Objective@#This study aimed to investigate the professional practice of midwives in selected rural areas in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines.@*Methods@#This research is a qualitative pilot study using a semi-structured interview guide to collect the data. Key informant interviews were conducted through mobile phone calls convenient for the participants from September to October 2021. Data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis.@*Results@#A total of seven rural health midwives participated in this study. From the data analysis, six themes emerged related to the professional functions of rural Filipino midwives: 1) antenatal and postnatal care, 2) basic emergency obstetrical and newborn care, 3) health education and counseling, 4) treating common children and adult infections, 5) health promotion, and 6) beyond midwifery role.@*Conclusion@#Rural midwives play a role in providing several primary healthcare services mandated by the government and the profession. They also offer health services beyond their scope as midwives because of geographical difficulties and logistic issues. The findings inform the policymaker to review and amend the expanded roles of practicing midwives so that they will be empowered in providing quality and legal healthcare services. The study results will also be important in preparing midwives for rural midwifery practice.

Clinical application and pharmacokinetic study of nanocarriers in drug delivery system / 药学学报

Nanotechnology has shown obvious advantages in the field of medical treatment and diagnosis. Through the encapsulation of nano carriers, drugs not only enhance the therapeutic effect and reduce toxic and side effects, but also become intelligent responsive targeted drug systems through the modification on the surface of nano carriers. However, due to the obstacles in relevant basic research, production conditions, cost, clinical trials, and the lack of pharmacokinetic research on various drug loading systems, few nano systems have been used in therapy. In order to solve the above problems, this paper reviewed and analyzed the research progress of nano carriers in drug delivery, including their auxiliary role and characteristics, types and functions, pharmacokinetics, application prospects and challenges.

In Vitro Fatigue Test of Lung Volume Reduction Loop / 中国医疗器械杂志

Lung volume reduction loop uses bronchoscopic lung volume reduction(BLVR) technology to compress and collapse the necrotic emphysema tissue and exhaust the internal gas to achieve the purpose of lung volume reduction to treat emphysema. After the lung volume reduction loop is implanted into the human body, the compressed part of the lung tissue tends to expand with breathing, which makes the lung volume reduction loop expand into a linear trend periodically. Fatigue resistance is one of the most important performance indexes of the lung volume reduction loop. In the paper, Z-direction vibration fatigue machine was used to simulate the changes of human respiratory cycle movement to test the fatigue performance of lung volume reduction loop, which can provide some reference for the test method of in vitro fatigue performance of lung volume reduction related products in the future.

Effect of Pien Tze Huang against EV71 / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to investigate the inhibitory effect of Pien Tze Huang(PZH) on enterovirus 71(EV71). To be speci-fic, chemiluminescence method was adopted to evaluate the toxicity of PZH to African green monkey kidney(Vero) cells and human rhabdomyosarcoma(RD) cells, and cytopathic effect(CPE) method to assess the inhibition on EV71-GFP reporter virus and EV71 C4 wild-type virus. The results showed that PZH had low cytotoxicity to Vero cells and RD cells, with the half-maximal cytotoxic concentration(CC_(50)) of about 0.691 3-0.879 2 mg·mL~(-1) for the two. In addition, PZH can effectively inhibit the replication of EV71 within the non-cytotoxic concentration range, and dose-dependently alleviate the cytopathic changes caused by virus infection, with the half-maximal effective concentration(EC_(50)) of 0.009 2-0.106 3 mg·mL~(-1). On the basis of the above results, the green fluorescent protein(GFP), indirect immunofluorescence assay(IFA), and median tissue culture infective dose(TCID_(50)) were employed to assess and verify the anti-EV71-GFP and anti-EV71 C4 activity of PZH. The results demonstrated that PZH can dose-dependently lower the expression of GFP by EV71-GFP and structural protein VP-1 by EV71 C4 and decrease the production of progeny infectious viruses. The EC_(50) of PZH for EV71-GFP and EV71 C4 was about 0.006 0-0.006 2 mg·mL~(-1) and 0.006 6-0.025 6 mg·mL~(-1), respectively. This study suggested that PZH may exert antiviral activity by acting on EV71 and interfering with the expression of VP-1. At the moment, there is still a lack of specific anti-EV71 drugs. This study proposed a new idea for the symptomatic treatment of EV71 infections such as hand-foot-mouth disease and verified an effective drug for the treatment of EV71 infections.

Predictive value of combination of MRI tumor regression grade and apparent diffusion coefficient for pathological complete remission after neoadjuvant treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: Pelvic high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has now become a standard method for evaluating the efficacy of neoadjuvant treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). However, this traditional morphological qualitative assessment method based on T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) is not effective in predicting pathological complete remission (pCR). The purpose of this study is to investigate whether combining the magnetic resonance tumor regression grade (mrTRG) with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) can improve diagnostic value for pCR after preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) of LARC. Methods: This was a diagnostic study. Clinicopathological data of 134 LARC patients who received nCRT and radical surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from January 2017 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients underwent MRI which included T2WI and DWI sequences before and 8 weeks after nCRT. Two radiologists independently drew ROIs on T2WI and DWI to estimate mrTRG stage and calculate the mean ADC value. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) method was applied to evaluate the predict value of mrTRG combined with mean ADC value for pCR. Results: Of 134 LARC patients, 85 were male and 49 were female with median age of 58 (28-82) years. After nCRT, MRI suggested 21 patients (15.7%) had clinical complete remission (cCR), e.g. mrTRG stage 1-2. Postoperative pathology revealed 31 (23.1%) patients had pCR. The evaluations of mrTRG and ADC value by the two readers were highly consistent, and the intra-group correlation coefficients were 0.83 (95% CI: 0.703-0.881) and 0.96 (95% CI: 0.989-0.996), respectively. There was a negative correlation between mrTRG and pCR (r(s)=-0.505, P<0.01), and a positive correlation between mean ADC value and pCR (r(s)=0.693, P<0.01). The ROC curve showed that mrTRG alone had a medium predictive value for pCR, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.832 (95% CI: 0.743-0.921); the mean ADC value had a higher predictive value for pCR, with AUC of 0.906 (95% CI: 0.869-0.962). The predictive value of the combined model of mrTRG and ADC value for pCR was significantly better than that of mrTRG alone (P=0.015), and the AUC was 0.908 (95% CI: 0.849-0.968). Conclusion: Both mrTRG and mean ADC value can be non-invasive methods to predict the efficacy of nCRT for LARC. Combining the mean ADC value with mrTRG can result in better pCR prediction.

Arthroscopic classification and management for the popliteal hiatus of the lateral meniscus tears / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To bring forward an arthroscopic classification of the popliteal hiatus of the lateral meniscus (PHLM) tears and to assess the effects of arthroscopic all-inside repair with suture hook in management of such injuries.@*METHODS@#This study involved 146 patients who underwent arthroscopic operation because of PHLM tears from April 2014 to October 2017, eliminating the patients who had discoid lateral meniscus. There were 81 males and 65 females, with 54 left knees and 92 right knees. The average ages were (34.7±3.7) years. Among the selected participants, there were 107 patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, 39 patients with medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries, and 48 patients with medial meniscus tears. The average preoperative Lysholm and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores were 57.7±9.2 and 54.1±8.9, respectively. The arthroscopic classification was based on the extent and degree of PHLM tears and using the arthroscopic all-inside repair with suture hook for such injuries. For the patients associated with ACL injuries, the ipsilateral autograft hamstring tendons use as the reconstruction graft for single bundle ACL reconstructions. The suture anchors were used for treatment of MCL Ⅲ injuries, and the arthroscopic all-inside repair for medial meniscus tears.@*RESULTS@#A total of 146 PHLM tears in 146 patients were divided into type Ⅰ (tears not involved in popliteus tendon incisura; n=86, 58.9%), type Ⅱ (tears involved in popliteomeniscal fascicles; n=36, 24.7%), and type Ⅲ (tears involved in popliteus tendon incisura; n=24, 16.4%). For type Ⅰ, there were three subtypes, including type Ⅰa: longitudinal tear (n=53, 61.6%), type Ⅰb: horizontal tear (n=27, 31.4%), and type Ⅰc: radial tear (n=6, 7.0%). For type Ⅱ, there were also three subtypes, including type Ⅱa: anterosuperior popliteomeniscal fascicle tear (n=5, 13.9%), type Ⅱb: posterosuperior popliteomeniscal fascicle tear (n=20, 55.6%), and type Ⅱc: both tears (n=11, 30.6%). For type Ⅲ, there were two subtypes, including type Ⅲa: horizontal tear (n=9, 37.5%), type Ⅲb: radial tear (n=15, 62.5%). In the follow-up for an average of 15.3±2.6 months, all the patients had done well with significantly improved Lysholm (84.6±14.3) and IKDC (83.2±12.8) scores at the end of the last follow-up relative to preoperative scores (P > 0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#We propose that it is possible to classify lateral meniscus tears at the popliteal hiatus region for three types, which can summarize the injury characteristics of this area. The arthroscopic all-inside repair with suture hook for the PHLM tears can avoid stitching to popliteal tendon or narrowing popliteal hiatus and have satisfactory clinical results.

Cloning and functional verification of carboxyl CoA ligases(AeCCLs) in Arnebia euchroma / 中国中药杂志

Carboxyl CoA ligases(CCLs) is an important branch of adenylate synthetase gene family, which mainly has two-step catalytic reactions. Firstly, in the presence of adenosine triphosphate, it can catalyze the pyrophosphorylation of carboxylateswith diffe-rent structures to form corresponding acyl adenosine monophosphate intermediates. Secondly, adenosine monophosphate was replaced by free electrons in the mercaptan group of enzyme A or other acyl receptors by nucleophilic attack to form thioesters. In this study, on the basis of the transcriptome database of Arnebia euchroma, two genes were selected, named AeCCL5(XP_019237476.1) and AeCCL7(XP_019237476.1). Bioinformatics analysis showed that their relative molecular weights were 60.569 kDa and 60.928 kDa, theoretical PI were 8.59 and 8.92, respectively. They both have transmembrane domains but without signal peptide. By multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree analysis, we found that the similarity between AeCCLs and other plant homologous proteins was not high, and the substrate binding sites of AeCCLs were not highly conserved. The reasons might be that the sequence and structure need to adapt to the changes of new substrates in the process of evolution. In this study, the full-length of AeCCL5 and AecCCL7 were cloned into the expression vector pCDFDuet-1. The proteins of AeCCL5 and AeCCL7 with His-tag were expressed in Escherichia coli. The proteins of AeCCL5 and AeCCL7 were purified by nickel column. In vitro enzymatic reactions proved that both AeCCL5 and AeCCL7 can participate in the upstream phenylpropane pathway of shikonin biosynthesisby catalyzing 4-coumaric acid to produce 4-coumarin-CoA, and then to synthesis p-hydroxybenzoic acid, which is an important precursor of shikonin biosynthesis in A. euchroma.

Anti-tumor Effect and Mechanism of Kaempferol： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Cancer is a threat to human health. New treatments for cancer can significantly prolong the survival time of patients， but fail to improve the adverse reactions induced by chemoradiotherapy. Improving patient outcomes still requires the effort of cancer researchers. In recent years， the anti-tumor effects of active components from Chinese herbs have received wide attention. Kaempferol， a flavonoid mainly found in the medicinal plant Kaempferia galanga， can be used to treat obesity， cardiovascular diseases， diabetes and other diseases. It has also exhibited good efficacy in inhibiting the occurrence and development of liver cancer， colon cancer， lung cancer， ovarian cancer， and other malignant tumors. Kaempferol mainly exerts the anti-cancer effect by inducing apoptosis. Specifically， it promotes the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species （ROS） and triggers cell apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway. Besides， it is capable of interfering with the cancer cell cycle， causing most cancer cells to arrest in the G2/M phase， and inducing cell autophagy， a programmed cell death， thus inhibiting cell migration and invasion and angiogenesis， synergistically improving chemotherapeutic drug efficacy， and reducing adverse effects. Kaempferol acts on a series of intracellular and extracellular targets to participate in the regulation of tumor cell signaling pathways， involving phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）， epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR）， mitogen activated protein kinase （MAPK）， and Wnt signaling pathways， with the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway being most significant. In addition， kaempferol also plays an important regulatory role in tumor epigenetics. This paper reviewed the anti-tumor effect and mechanism of kaempferol， aiming to provide reference for in-depth study on its prevention and treatment of tumor and the development of new anti-tumor drugs.

Effect of Wenyang， Jieyu， and Wenyang Jieyu Prescriptions on Hippocampal Microglia of Mice with Depression-Like Behavior Induced by Secondary LPS Exposure / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To observe the activation of microglia and the expression of inflammatory factors in hippocampus of mice with depression-like behavior after mother-infant separation （MS） combined with lipopolysaccharide （LPS） stress， and to explore the possible anti-depression mechanisms of Wenyang （WY）， Jieyu （JY）， and Wenyang Jieyu （WYJY） prescriptions from the perspective of warming Yang and relieving depression. Method:Seventy offspring mice were randomly divided into a normal group （<italic>n</italic>=10）， a LPS stress group （<italic>n</italic>=10）， and a modeling group （<italic>n</italic>=50）. After undergoing 8 h·d^-1mother-infant separation during postnatal day 5 （PD₅）–PD₁₄， mice in the modeling group were further divided into the MS + LPS group， WY group， JY group， WYJY group， and fluoxetine （FLU） group， with 10 in each group. The birth date of the offspring mice was recorded as PD₀. The mice in the normal， LPS， and MS + LPS groups were fed a normal diet during PD₂₁–PD₉₀， while those in the other groups were treated with the mixtures of corresponding drugs and feed， followed by seven-day intraperitoneal injection of LPS since PD₉₁ for inducing depression. The depression-like behavior of mice in each group was detected in the open-field， O-maze， and social interaction tests. The protein expression of microglia-specific ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 （Iba-1） in the hippocampus was assayed by immunohistochemistry， and the mRNA expression of interleukin-1<italic>β </italic>（IL-1<italic>β</italic>）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-<italic>α </italic>（TNF-<italic>α</italic>）， Iba-1， and glucocorticoid receptor （GR） by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR （Real-time PCR）. Result:Compared with the normal group， the LPS group exhibited significantly reduced residence time at the central area within 5 min （<italic>P</italic><0.01） and shortened total exercise distance （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. In the MS + LPS group， the open-arm activity time and the total activity distance decreased significantly （<italic>P</italic><0.01， <italic>P</italic><0.05）， whereas the training， discrimination and exploration time increased significantly （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The expression of Iba-1 in hippocampal CA1 region of mice in the LPS and MS + LPS groups was remarkably elevated （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the LPS group， the MS + LPS group displayed significantly prolonged distance of 5-min exercise （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， increased training， discrimination and exploration time （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）， and up-regulated Iba-1 expression in hippocampal CA1 area （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. As revealed by comparison with the MS + LPS group， both the total 5-min exercise distance （<italic>P</italic><0.01） and the training and discrimination time （<italic>P</italic><0.01， <italic>P</italic><0.05） of mice in each administration group was significantly shortened. The discrimination and exploration time of mice in the JY， WYJY， and FLU groups was significantly reduced （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the expression of Iba-1 in hippocampal CA1 region of mice in each administration group was significantly down-regulated （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Conclusion:The warming Yang and relieving depression method helps to inhibit the occurrence and development of depression due to its efficacy in activating microglia in hippocampus of depression mice and lowering the expression of IL-1<italic>β</italic>， IL-6， and TNF-<italic>α</italic>.

Cloning and functional analysis of caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid glycosyltransferases from Arnebia euchroma / 中国中药杂志

Caffeic acid and its oligomers are the main water-soluble active constituents of the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) Arnebiae Radix. These compounds possess multiple biological activities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, cardiovascular protective, liver protective, anti-liver fibrosis, antiviral and anticancer activities. The phenylpropanoid pathway in plants is responsible for the biosynthesis of caffeic acid and its oligomers. Glycosylation can change phenylpropanoid solubility, stability and toxic potential, as well as influencing compartmentalization and biological activity. In view of the important role played by de-glycosylation in the regulation of phenylpropanoid homeostasis, the biosynthesis of caffeic acid and its oligomers are supposed to be under the control of relative UDP-glycosyltransferases(UGTs). Through the data mining of Arnebia euchroma transcriptome, we cloned 15 full-length putative UGT genes. After recombinant expression using the prokaryotic system, the crude enzyme solution of the putative UGTs was examined for the glycosylation activities towards caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid in vitro. AeUGT_01, AeUGT_02, AeUGT_03, AeUGT_04 and AeUGT_10 were able to glycosylate caffeic acid and/or rosmarinic acid resulting in different mono-and/or di-glycosylated products in the UPLC-MS analyses. The characterized UGTs were distantly related to each other and divided into different clades of the phylogenetic tree. Based on the observation that each characterized UGT exhibited substrate or catalytic similarity with the members in their own clade, we supposed the glycosylation abilities towards caffeic acid and/or rosmarinic acid were evolved independently in different clades. The identification of caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid UGTs from A. euchroma could lead to deeper understanding of the caffeic acid oligomers biosynthesis and its regulation. Furthermore, these UGTs might be used for regiospecific glycosylation of caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid to produce bioactive compounds for potential therapeutic applications.

Core position of secondary metabolism of medicinal plants in ecological planting of Chinese materia medica and its utilization / 中国中药杂志

This paper summarized the effects of ecological planting on secondary metabolism firstly and pointed out that ecological planting can increase the content of secondary metabolites in plants, especially the content of defensive secondary metabolites. The possible mechanism was analyzed subsequently. Then, we reviewed the induction and utilization of secondary metabolism in the ecological planting of Chinese materia medica from the perspectives of biological control of pests and diseases, promotion of beneficial microorganism accumulation, optimization of mixed planting, regulation of no-tillage and straw cover. In this article, we pointed out that paying close attention to secondary metabolism is the most important feature of ecological planting of Chinese materia medica. Ecological planting can promote the accumulation of secondary metabolites of Chinese materia medica which means can improve the quality of Chinese materia medica, beneficial to the prevention and control of diseases, insects and weeds. Furthermore, lacking of systemic researches,the extensive verifications and systematic in-depth researches on the ecological planting of Chinese materia medica should be carry out urgently.

Research Progress in Astragalus Membranaceus and Its Active Components on Immune Responses in Liver Fibrosis / 中国结合医学杂志

The interaction between immune cells and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) can modulate the development of hepatic fibrosis. It can also regulate hepatic fibrosis and liver cirrhosis caused by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM). This article reviews the action mechanism of immune cells on liver fibrosis and the effect of Astragalus membranaeus and its active components on immune cells. In-depth study of interaction between immune cells and HSCs on the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis, and the regulatory effect of Astragalus membranaeus and its active components on immune mechanism will provide new insights in the treatment of liver fibrosis.

Herbal Textual Research and Modern Analysis of Pheretima / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Pheretima has a long history of medication, its original name was earthworm, and it was first recorded in Shennong Bencaojing, which was listed as inferior product. In the 2015 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia, two varieties of Pheretima were included. However, due to the variety of Pheretima, there are mixed non-pharmacopoeia collection of Pheretima family status. Based on the systematic review of ancient and modern literature, this paper conducts herbal textual research on Pheretima in terms of name, origin, distribution of origin, genuine production area, harvesting time, processing methods, etc. Based on the analysis of various ancient books and modern research documents of herbal medicine and their accompanying drawings, it is found that the Pheretima and white-necked Pheretima mentioned in ancient books are the general names of the genus Pheretima. The ancient people thought that white-necked Pheretima was a good medicinal material, which was the same as the opinion that Guangdilong was better in quality than Tudilong in modern research. In ancient and modern literature, the origin of earthworm is relatively consistent, but due to the change of environment, the output of wild Pheretima is reduced, and now the output of Pheretima is mainly artificial breeding. In ancient times, harvesting should be as far as possible in spring, summer and autumn. However, in modern times, the best harvest time is autumn. Different processing methods of earthworm in different ages and regions are different. Attention should be paid to following and inheriting the ancient processing methods, combining with modern research techniques, the quantitative standard of processing of Pheretima should be formulated, so that Pheretima medicinal materials can be applied comprehensively and effectively. This research provides the basis for the original source, resource development, correct use, genuine producing area and processing method determination of Pheretima.

Clinical Efficacy of Dahuang Zhuyu Decoction for Oral Administration and Enema on Severe Acute Pancreatitis with Syndromes of Blood Stasis, Toxin and Its Effect on Serum Inflammatory Factors / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To observe the clinical efficacy of Dahuang Zhuyu decoction for oral administration and enema on severe acute pancreatitis with syndromes of blood stasis and toxin and its effect on serum inflammatory factors. Method::Sixty eight patients with severe acute pancreatitis with syndromes of blood stasis and toxin who were admitted in Henan Provincial People's Hospital from September 2017 to December 2018 were randomly divided into treatment group (34 cases) and control group (34 cases). The control group was treated with western medicine. The treatment group was treated with Dahuang Zhuyu decoction for oral administattion and enema in addition to the therapy of the control group. Both groups were treated for 7 days. Before and after treatment, abdominal pain, bloating, nausea and vomiting were scored separately, serum amylase (AMS), lipase (LPS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected, and abdominal pain disappearance time, bloating disappearance time and exhaust recovery time were recorded. Result::After treatment, the abdominal pain score, abdominal distension score, nausea and vomiting score, serum AMS, LPS, IL-6 and TNF-α were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05), and those in treatment group was lower than those in control group (P<0.05). After treatment, IL-10 level in both groups was higher than those before treatment (P<0.05), and that in treatment group was higher than that in control group (P<0.05). The disappearance time of abdominal pain, the disappearance time of abdominal distension and the recovery time of exhaust were shorter in treatment group than in control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the treatment group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion::Dahuang Zhuyu decoction for oral administration and enema for severe acute pancreatitis with syndromes of blood stasis and toxin can alleviate clinical symptoms, reduce amylase and lipase levels, inhibit the expression of pro-inflammatory factors, promote the expression of anti-inflammatory factors, restore intestinal function, and improve clinical efficacy.

Characteristics of skin damage among healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic: an epidemiological survey / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective:To investigate epidemiological features of skin damage among front-line healthcare workers fighting against COVID-19 pandemic.Methods:A self-designed questionnaire was released on an online survey website "wenjuan.com", and sent to the front-line medical staff caring for patients with confirmed COVID-19 in 6 infectious disease wards of the General Hospital of Central Theater Command of PLA via WeChat from March 10th to 20th, 2020. Then, the questionnaires were collected, a database was established, and statistical analysis was performed on the incidence, types and epidemiological characteristics of skin damage among the medical staff.Results:A total of about 550 medical staff were surveyed, 404 questionnaires were collected, of which 391 were valid, and 303 cases had skin damage. The survey showed that females, hand cleaning frequency > 10 times per day, wearing three-level protective equipment for more than 6 hours per week were risk factors for skin damage, and frequent use of a hand cream could reduce skin problems. Among the respondents, the incidence of skin damage was significantly higher in the females (79.81%, 249/312) than in the males (38.35%, 54/79; χ2 = 4.741, P = 0.029), and higher in the groups with hand cleaning frequency of 10-20 times per day (79.73%, 118/148) and > 20 times per day (85.71%, 84/98) than in the group with hand cleaning frequency of 1-10 times per day (69.66%, 101/145; χ2 = 9.330, P = 0.009). The incidence of skin damage was significantly lower in the group wearing protective equipment for 1-5 hours per week (64.04%, 73/114) than in the groups wearing protective equipment for 6-10 hours per week (81.48%, 66/81), 11-15 hours per week (95.24%, 20/21), 16-20 hours per week (81.82%, 36/44), 21-25 hours per week (86.49%, 32/37), and > 25 hours per week (80.85%, 76/94; χ2 = 19.164, P = 0.002). Among the 391 respondents, the skin damage related to disinfection and protective equipment mainly manifested as dry skin (72.89%), desquamation (56.78%), skin pressure injury (54.48%), skin maceration (45.01%), and sensitive skin (33.50%) ; acne (27.11%) was the related skin disease with the highest incidence, followed by facial dermatitis (23.27%), eczematous dermatitis (21.48%), folliculitis (18.92%), dermatomycosis (11.00%), urticaria (9.21%), etc. Conclusion:There was a high incidence of skin damage related to protective equipment among the front-line healthcare workers fighting against COVID-19, and strengthening skin protection could markedly reduce the incidence of skin damage.