Clinical features of autoimmune glial fibrillary acidic protein astrocytopathy in children: an analysis of 34 cases / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the clinical features of children with autoimmune glial fibrillary acidic protein astrocytopathy (GFAP-A).@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 34 children with GFAP-A who attended the Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, from January 2020 to February 2022. The medical data included clinical manifestations, cerebrospinal fluid features, imaging examination results, treatment, and prognosis.@*RESULTS@#The median age of onset was 8.4 (range 1.9-14.9) years for the 34 children with GFAP-A. The main clinical manifestations included headache (50%, 17/34), fever (47%, 16/34), visual impairment (47%, 16/34), and disturbance of consciousness (44%, 15/34). Abnormal cerebrospinal fluid results were observed in 19 children (56%, 19/34), among whom 8 children had positive autoantibody. The children with overlap syndrome had significantly higher recurrence rate and rate of use of immunosuppressant than those without overlap syndrome (P<0.05). About 77% (24/31) of the children had good response to immunotherapy, and only 1 child had poor prognosis.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Children with GFAP-A often have non-specific clinical symptoms and show good response to immunotherapy. Children with overlap syndrome have a high recurrence rate, and early application of immunosuppressants may help to prevent recurrence and alleviate symptoms.

Mechanism of Chinese Medicine Against Angiogenesis in Lung Cancer： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Lung cancer is a malignant tumor with high incidence and high mortality， posing a great threat to human health. Neovascularization may be one of the important mechanisms of lung cancer. The growing lung cancer cells can obtain necessary nutrients from the newly formed blood vessels， thereby causing the spread and metastasis of lung cancer. Nowadays， anti-angiogenic drugs are commonly used in western medicine in addition to surgery，radiotherapy， chemotherapy， and immunotherapy. However， the resulting adverse reactions such as thrombosis， hypertension， diarrhea， and cardiotoxicity have seriously affected the quality of life of patients. As the recognition of angiogenesis deepens， the selection of lung cancer treatment options has become a research hotspot and difficulty in the field of lung cancer treatment. In traditional Chinese medicine（TCM）， angiogenesis is believed to fall into the category of “collateral disease”. The invasion of external pathogens and deficiency of healthy Qi will cause visceral dysfunction， which can be gradually followed by Qi obstruction and blood stasis and phlegm-turbidity congesting the collaterals. As a result， the collateral function will be damaged， providing favorable conditions for the occurrence of lung cancer. More and more modern studies have confirmed that TCM is able to inhibit angiogenesis in the lung cancer， thereby resisting the tumor. In addition， by virtue of the unique advantages， TCM effectively reduces adverse reactions， enhances the efficacy， and improves the living conditions of patients. Moreover， it can synergize with other western medicine therapies in the treatment of lung cancer， exhibiting a wide application prospect. This paper summarizes the mechanisms of TCM in inhibiting angiogenesis of lung cancer reported in relevant experimental research， hoping to provide reference for the optimization of clinical treatment strategies for lung cancer.

A prospective randomized controlled study on mouse nerve growth factor in the treatment of global developmental delay in children / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the clinical effect of mouse nerve growth factor (mNGF) in the treatment of children with global developmental delay (GDD).@*METHODS@#A prospective clinical trial was conducted in 60 children with GDD who were treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University between July 2016 and July 2017. These children were randomly divided into two groups: conventional rehabilitation treatment and mNGF treatment group (@*RESULTS@#Before treatment and after 1.5 months of treatment, there was no significant difference in the developmental quotient (DQ) of each functional area of the Gesell Developmental Scale between the mNGF treatment and conventional rehabilitation treatment groups (@*CONCLUSIONS@#In children with GDD, routine rehabilitation training combined with mNGF therapy can significantly improve their cognitive, motor, and social abilities.

Exploring molecular mechanisms of fucoidan in improving human proximal renal tubular epithelial cells aging by targeting autophagy signaling pathways / 中国中药杂志

Fucoidan(FPS) is an effective component of the Chinese patent medicine named Haikun Shenxi, which treats schronic renal failure in clinics, and has the potential anti-aging effects. However, it is still unclear whether FPS can improve renal aging, especially the molecular mechanism of its anti-aging. The human proximal renal tubular epithelial cells(HK-2) in vitro were divided into normal group(N), D-gal model group(D), low dose of FPS group(L-FPS), high dose of FPS group(H-FPS) and vitamin E group(VE), and treated by the different measures, respectively. More specifically, the HK-2 cells in each group were separately treated by 1 mL of 1% fetal bovine serum(FBS) or D-galactose(D-gal, 75 mmol·L~(-1)) or D-gal(75 mmol·L~(-1))+FPS(25 μg·mL~(-1)) or D-gal(75 mmol·L~(-1))+FPS(50 μg·mL~(-1)) or D-gal(75 mmol·L~(-1))+VE(50 μg·mL~(-1)). After the treatment for 24 h, firstly, the effects of D-gal on senescence-associated β-galactosidase(SA-β-gal) staining characteristics and klotho, P53 and P21 protein expression le-vels, as well as adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase(AMPK)-uncoordinated 51-like kinase 1(ULK1) signaling pathway activation in the HK-2 cells were detected, respectively. Secondly, the effects of FPS and VE on SA-β-gal staining characteristics and klotho, P53 and P21 protein expression levels in the HK-2 cells exposed to D-gal were investigated, respectively. Finally, the effects of FPS and VE on microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3) protein expression level and AMPK-ULK1 signaling pathway activation in the HK-2 cells exposed to D-gal were examined severally. The results indicated that, for the HK-2 cells, the dose of 75 mmol·L~(-1) D-gal could induce the changes of SA-β-gal staining characteristics and klotho, P53 and P21 protein expression levels. That is causing cells aging. FPS and VE could both ameliorate the changes of SA-β-gal staining characteristics and klotho, P53 and P21 protein expression levels in the HK-2 cells exposed to D-gal. That is anti-cells aging, here, the functions of FPS and VE are similar. D-gal could not only induce cell aging but also increase LC3Ⅱ, phosphorylated-AMPK(p-AMPK) and phosphorylated-ULK1(p-ULK1) protein expressions, and activate autophagy-related AMPK-ULK1 signaling pathway. FPS and VE could both improve the changes of LC3Ⅱ, p-AMPK and p-ULK1 protein expression levels in the HK-2 cells exposed to D-gal. That is inhibiting autophagy-related AMPK-ULK1 signaling pathway activation. On the whole, for the human proximal renal tubular epithelial cells aging models induced by D-gal, FPS similar to VE, can ameliorate renal cells aging by possibly inhibiting autophagy-related AMPK-ULK1 signaling pathway activation. This finding provides the preliminary pharmacologic evidences for FPS protecting against renal aging.

Multi-targeted therapeutic effects of Huangkui Capsules on insulin resistance and urine microalbumin in early diabetic kidney disease patients / 中国中药杂志

To observe the multi-targeted therapeutic effects of Huangkui Capsules(HKC)on insulin resistance(IR)and urine microalbumin in the early diabetic kidney disease(DKD)patients. The case data from the 83 DKD patients at G2 and A2 stage were collected respectively and analyzed retrospectively. According to the different treatment,all patients were divided into the control(A)group(40 cases)and the treated(B)group(43 cases). Among them,the A group patients were received "routine basic treatment";the B group patients were received "routine basic treatment+HKC". For the 2 group patients,firstly,the baseline parameters before receiving the treatment were compared respectively,and then,the changes of the total scores of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndromes and the indicators of IR,urine protein,renal function,blood lipids and safety after receiving the treatment for 8 weeks were compared,respectively. Furthermore,for the all patients,the correlation analysis between IR and urine protein or IR and the total scores of TCM syndromes was carried out,respectively. The results showed that,for the B group patients received "routine basic treatment",their total scores of TCM syndromes,urine protein indicators including urine microalbumin(micro-UAlb) and urine microalbumin/urinary creatinine(UACR),IR indicators including fasting serum insulin(FIN)and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)were significantly improved,respectively. For the all DKD patients,before and after the treatment,the main IR indicators(FIN and HOMA-IR)were positively correlated with urine protein indicators(micro-UAlb and UACR). The main IR indicators(FIN and HOMA-IR) were also positively correlated with the total scores of TCM syndromes. In addition,2 treatments had no significant effects on renal function,blood lipids and safety indicators in the all DKD patients. Overall, "routine basic treatment+HKC" can ameliorate IR and reduce urine microalbumin in the early DKD patients. Its therapeutic targets may be not only proteinuria,but also IR,which is the upstream risk factor of proteinuria.

Clinical and color Doppler ultrasound features of uterine sarcoma / 解放军医学杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of uterine sarcoma and clinical application of color Doppler ultrasonography in the sarcoma. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis on the clinical and ultrasonographic features in 128 surgically and pathologically confirmed uterine sarcoma patients from December 2011 to May 2018 in Tongji Hospital. The clinical features included age, clinical manifestation, serum tumor marker CA125 and clinical stage, and the features of ultrasonography included the size, boundary, echo type of the lesion and characteristics of blood flow signals. Results: The majority of uterine sarcoma in this study were endometrial stromal sarcoma and leiomyosarcoma. Endometrial stromal sarcoma occurred mostly in women in reproductive period, while leiomyosarcoma occurred mainly in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. The predilection age of uterine sarcoma was 49.6 ± 13.4 years. The main clinical manifestations were abnormal uterine bleeding, including postmenopausal vaginal bleeding or irregular vaginal bleeding (47.7%), and abdominal pain (32.0%). About 20.3% of patients had no symptoms. Serum CA125 was detected before operation in all the patients, and it was in normal range (≤ 35 U/ml) in 59 patients, slightly higher than normal level (35-100 U/ml) in 51 women and significantly higher than normal range (>100 U/ml) in 18 women. Pelvic three-dimensional ultrasonography was usually characterized by large uterine tumors with solid, unclear boundary, heterogeneous echo structures with or without cystic degeneration and rich blood flow signals, which can be roughly classified as malignant tumors. Conclusion: Combined with clinical manifestations such as vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, abdominal distension, ultrasonograms can help us identify and early predict large, ill-defined, hypoechoic or heterogeneous hypoechoic tumors with rich blood flow signals, and grasp the treatment opportunity reasonably and formulate treatment plans.

Influence of online social software on HIV transmission among men who have sex with men / 中华男科学杂志

The prevention and control of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is important for public health. Sexual contact transmission has replaced blood transmission as a major route of HIV transmission in China. The incidence of HIV infection increased significantly among young men who have sex with men (MSM). Online social software instead of traditional venues has become a main means of seeking sexual partners. The application of online social software may contribute to an increased incidence of HIV among young MSMs by promoting such risky behaviors as having occasional or multiple sexual partners and drug abuse. Compared with the MSMs enrolled from traditional venues, those recruited online showed significant differences in the educational level, sexual behaviors, and HIV knowledge. Online social software is a promising way to improve the prevention and control of HIV as well as HIV-related epidemic surveys.

Impacts of electromagnetic radiation from cellphones and Wi-Fi on spermatogenesis / 中华男科学杂志

With the development of Wi-Fi technology and widespread exposure to electromagnetic radiation (EMR), people are increasingly concerned about the health hazards caused by radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as from cellphones and Wi-Fi, particularly about the current decline in sperm concentration and increase in male infertility. Long-term exposure to EMR not only damages male reproductive organs, but also affects the number, morphology, motility and oocyte-binding ability of sperm, and indirectly increases the risk of infertility. However, EMR is not unavoidable. Low-intensity short-term or intermittent exposure to EMR has little adverse effect on reproductive organs and sperm. And many antioxidant and anti-free radical agents, such as vitamin E and melatonin, can protect some special populations from EMR. This review presents an overview of the impacts of EMR from cellphones and Wi-Fi on sperm, some countermeasures, and prospects of EMR protection.

Risk factors related to the sexual dimorphism in gastric cancer incidence / 上海预防医学

Primary gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers worldwide.The incidence of GC in male is approximately twice the incidence thereof in female.Before 60 years of age, the male-female ratio of GC incidence has no geographic and ethic differences, and rises with the increase of age.Studies of classic and molecular epidemiology have proved that the sexual dimorphism in GC is due to synergetic effects of various factors including chronic infection, dietary habit, gene mutation, genetic susceptibility, estrogenic effects and differences in lifestyle behaviors, etc.Studies on the above-mentioned factors can not only help clarify the carcinogenesis of GC, but also help improve the strategies of GC control and prevention, and reducing GC incidence subsequently.

Risk factors for recurrence of ovarian endometriomas after surgical excision / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Ovarian endometrioma is a common form of endometriosis, which may cause infertility, dysmenorrhea and pelvic pain in women of reproductive age. Although surgery is the treatment of choice for endometriomas, recurrence poses a formidable frustration. This study investigated potential risk factors of endometriomas recurrence, aiming to better understand its pathogenesis. A total of 307 patients with endometriomas were followed up for an average of 28.6 months and the 1-, 2- and 3-year cumulative recurrence rate was 9.5%, 21.9%, and 29.2%, respectively. Twenty-one potential risk factors for endometriomas recurrence were evaluated using Cox's proportional hazards models. Total revised American Fertility Society (rAFS) score was significantly associated with higher recurrence (OR=1.858, 95% CI=1.122-3.075, P=0.016), as well as younger age at surgery (OR=0.953, 95% CI=0.915-0.992, P=0.020). Semiradical surgical treatment was defined as surgical removal of cyst plus hysterectomy with preservation of bilateral or unilateral ovary, and was a significant factor that was associated with lower recurrence than the conservative surgery (OR=0.318, 95% CI=0.107-0.951, P=0.040). Postoperative pregnancy was favorable factors for disease recurrence (OR=0.217, 95% CI=0.102-0.460, P=0.000). The results suggest that endometrioma recurrence is inversely associated with age at surgery and postoperative pregnancy, and may correlate with total rAFS score and conservative surgery method.

Risk factors for recurrence of ovarian endometriomas after surgical excision / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Ovarian endometrioma is a common form of endometriosis, which may cause infertility, dysmenorrhea and pelvic pain in women of reproductive age. Although surgery is the treatment of choice for endometriomas, recurrence poses a formidable frustration. This study investigated potential risk factors of endometriomas recurrence, aiming to better understand its pathogenesis. A total of 307 patients with endometriomas were followed up for an average of 28.6 months and the 1-, 2- and 3-year cumulative recurrence rate was 9.5%, 21.9%, and 29.2%, respectively. Twenty-one potential risk factors for endometriomas recurrence were evaluated using Cox's proportional hazards models. Total revised American Fertility Society (rAFS) score was significantly associated with higher recurrence (OR=1.858, 95% CI=1.122-3.075, P=0.016), as well as younger age at surgery (OR=0.953, 95% CI=0.915-0.992, P=0.020). Semiradical surgical treatment was defined as surgical removal of cyst plus hysterectomy with preservation of bilateral or unilateral ovary, and was a significant factor that was associated with lower recurrence than the conservative surgery (OR=0.318, 95% CI=0.107-0.951, P=0.040). Postoperative pregnancy was favorable factors for disease recurrence (OR=0.217, 95% CI=0.102-0.460, P=0.000). The results suggest that endometrioma recurrence is inversely associated with age at surgery and postoperative pregnancy, and may correlate with total rAFS score and conservative surgery method.

The molecular mechanism of interaction of trivalent dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)) binding to rat hemoglobin / 药学学报

In our previous work, we found that trivalent dimethylarsinous acid (DMA(III)) have high affinity binding to cysteine residue 13 of rat hemoglobin. However, it is still unknown why arsenic intermediate metabolite DMA(III) has high binding affinity for Cysl3 but not for other cysteine residues 93, 140, 111 and 125. In order to better understand the molecular mechanism of DMA(III) with rat hemoglobin, we have done current study. So, SD rats were divided into control and arsenic-treated groups randomly. Arsenic species in lysate of red blood cells were analyzed by HPLC-ICP-MS, and then determined by a hybrid quadrupole TOF MS. In addition, trivalent DMA(III) binds to different cysteine residues in rat hemoglobin alpha and beta chains were also simulated by Molecular Docking. Only Cys13 in alpha chain is able to bind to DMA(III) from the experiment results. Cys13 of alpha chain in rat hemoglobin is a specific binding site for DMA(III), and we found that amino acids compose pockets structure and surround Cys13 (but not other cysteine residues), make DMA(III) much easy to bind cysteine 13. Taken together, the DMA(III) specific binding to Cys13 is related to spatial structure of Cys13.

Anti-thrombus activity of a novel anti-thrombus protein EPR-hirudin / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the anti-thrombus activitity of EPR-hirudin (EH), a derivative of hirudin obtained by adding three amino acids at the nitrogen terminus. METHODS: The anti-thrombus activitity of EH was investigated by chromophore substrate method in vitro as well as by rat models of carotid arterial thrombosis and inferior vena cava thrombosis in vivo. RESULTS: The result of anti-thrombin experiment in vitro showed that EH did not produced anti-thrombin activity unless it was cleaved by blood coagulation factors. Then the anti-thrombus feature of EH was confirmed in vivo separately in the rat models of carotid arterial thrombosis and inferior vena cava thrombosis. The formation of arterial clot was inhibited and the weight of venous clot was decreased after administration of EH in a dose-independent manner. However, the blooding time, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and thrombin time (TT) did not significantly increase in EH groups compared with HV and low molecular heparin. CONCLUSION: EPR-hirudin can inhibit the formation of arterial and venous clot and has low risk of blooding.

Association of FOXP3 gene polymorphism in Chinese women with endometriosis / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of forkhead box P3 gene (FOXP3) and endometriosis in Chinese Han women from central China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>MassARRAY IPLEX and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) technique was used to determine the genotypes of FOXP3 gene in 314 patients with endometriosis and 358 healthy controls.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Genotypes of C/T polymorphism for the rs2280883 locus, A/C for the rs3761548 locus, and C/T for the rs3761549 locus were determined. No significant difference was detected in distribution of genotypes CC, CT and TT (P=0.770, OR=0.960; P=0.923, OR=1.013) and frequencies of C and T alleles (P=0.772, OR=0.960; P=0.925, OR=1.013) for rs2280883 and rs3761549 between the two groups. And no significant difference was detected in distribution of genotypes AA, AC and CC (P=0.762, OR=0.958) and frequencies of A and C alleles (P=0.715, OR=0.950) for rs3761548 was detected between the two groups. Based on r-AFS classification, the patients were divided into two groups (respectively with I-II stage and III-IV stage endometriosis). Again, no significant difference was detected in distribution of genotypes CC, CT and TT (P=0.454, OR=1.198, P=0.526, OR=0.909; P=0.220, OR=0.750, P=0.548, OR=1.094) and frequencies of C and T alleles (P=0.473, OR=1.215, P=0.532, OR=0.912; P=0.204, OR=0.737, P=0.558, OR=1.089) for rs22080883 and rs3761549 loci between the two patient groups. No association was found between distribution of genotypes AA, AC and CC (P=0.431, OR=1.211; P=0.508, OR=0.905) and frequencies of A and C alleles (P=0.417, OR=1.226; P=0.516, OR=0.908) for rs3761548 locus between the two patient groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our study has failed to found any association between FOXP3 gene polymorphisms rs2280883, rs3761548 and rs3761549 with endometriosis in Chinese Han patients.</p>

Schisandrin B protects against nephrotoxicity induced by cisplatin in HK-2 cells via Nrf2-ARE activation / 药学学报

This study is to investigate the protection effect of schisandrin B (Sch B) against oxidation stress of HK-2 cells induced by cisplatin and the mechanisms involved. HK-2 cells were cultured and divided into different groups: solvent control group, cisplatin exposure group, positive group, Sch B treatment group. Cell viability and toxicity were evaluated by MTT and LDH assay. GSH level and SOD enzymes activities were also measured. DCFH-DA as fluorescence probe was used to detect ROS level by fluorescence microplate reader. Nrf2 translocation was detected by Western blotting. Real time Q-PCR was used to detect expressions of NQO1, HO-1 and GCLC mRNA level. The results showed that Sch B could significantly inhibit the decline of cell viability induced by cisplatin treatment (P < 0.05) and the protective effect was in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, Sch B treatment significantly inhibited the increase of ROS level induced by cisplatin and reversed the decrease of GSH level (P < 0.05). When Sch B concentration was up to 5 micromol x L(-1), SOD enzyme activities were also enhanced significantly compared with that of the cisplatin group (P < 0.05). It was shown that Sch B could cause nuclear accumulation of Nrf2 in association with downstream activation of Nrf2 mediated oxidative response genes such as GCLC, NQO1 and HO-1. These results suggested Sch B could protect against the oxidative damage of HK-2 cells induced by cisplatin via the activation of Nrf2/ARE signal pathway.