Optical coherence tomography imaging in keratoconus / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Keratoconus is a chronic, non-inflammatory corneal disease, characterized by thinning of the corneal stroma and local corneal dilation with cone-shaped protrusion, and it usually leads to irregular astigmatism and myopia, posing great threat to eyesight. Corneal topography is the primary diagnostic tool for confirming keratoconus, while optical coherence tomography is now playing an increasingly important role in the diagnosis and treatment of keratoconus due to its ability of corneal sublayer imaging and superiority in repeatability, resolution, and data acquisition speed. This article discusses and reviews the clinical characteristics of keratoconus, the classification and characteristics of optical coherence tomography and its novel applications in the early diagnosis of keratoconus, contact lens fitting, corneal cross-linking therapy, and corneal transplantation; furthermore, progress in derivative technologies including optical coherence elastography, optical coherence tomography angiography, and polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography associated with keratoconus is included in this article. We hope our study will help to further exploit the role of optical coherence technology in clinical keratoconus management.

Establishment of multiple evidence-integrated evaluation and prediction method for "toxic" Chinese medicines / 中国中药杂志

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) carries the experience and theoretical knowledge of the ancients, and the use of "toxic" Chinese medicines is a major feature and advantage of TCM. "Toxic" Chinese medicines have unique clinical value and certain medication risk under the guidance of TCM theories such as compatibility for detoxification and treatment based on syndrome differentiation. In recent years, the safety events of Chinese medicines have occurred frequently, which has made the safety of Chinese medicine a public concern in China and abroad. However, limited by conventional cognitive laws and technical methods, basic research on toxicity of Chinese medicines fails to be combined with the clinical application. As a result, it is difficult to identify the clinical characteristics of, predict toxic and side effects of, or form a universal precise medication regimen for "toxic" Chinese medicines, which restricts the clinical application of them. In view of the problem that the toxicity of "toxic" Chinese medicines is difficult to be predicted and restricts the clinical application, the evidence-based research concept will provide new ideas for safe applcation of them in clinical practice. The integrated development of multiple disciplines and techniques in the field of big data and artificial intelligence will also promote the renewal and development of the research models for "toxic" Chinese medicines. Our team tried to propose the academic concept of evidence-based Chinese medicine toxicology and establish the data-intelligence research mode for "toxic" Chinese medicines and the intelligent risk prediction method for medicinal combination in the early stage, which provided methodological supports for solving the above problem. Thus, on the basis of summarizing the research status and problems of the clinical medication regimen of "toxic" Chinese medicines, our team took the evidence-based toxicology of TCM as the core concept, and tried to construct the multiple-evidence integrated evaluation and prediction method for "toxic" Chinese medicine, so as to guide the establishment of the non-toxic medication regimen of "toxic" Chinese medicines. Specifically, through the analysis of multivariate data obtained from the basic research, the evidence-based toxicology database of Chinese medicines and the individualized "toxicity-effect" intelligent prediction platform were built based on the disease-syndrome virtual patients, so as to identify the clinical characteristics and risks of "toxic" Chinese medicines and develop individualized medication regime. This study is expected to provide a methodological reference for the establishment of medication regimen and risk prevention strategy for "toxic" Chinese medicines. The method established in this study will bridge clinical research and basic research, enhance the transformation of the scientific connotation of attenuated compatibility, promote the development of evidence-based Chinese medicine toxicology, and ensure the clinical safety of "toxic" Chinese medicines.

Guiding significance of "disease-syndrome-symptom" mode in FU Qing-zhu's Obstetrics and Gynecology (FU Qing-zhu Nyu Ke) for dealing with ovulation disorder infertility caused by hyperprolactinemia / 中国中药杂志

This paper discussed the guiding significance of "disease-syndrome-symptom" mode in FU Qing-zhu's Obstetrics and Gynecology(FU Qing-zhu Nyu Ke) for dealing with ovulation disorder infertility caused by hyperprolactinemia(HPRL). FU Qing-zhu's Obstetrics and Gynecology(FU Qing-zhu Nyu Ke) concentrates on the disease entities, main symptoms, pathogenesis, and syndrome differentiation, based on which the prescriptions are prescribed. This reflects the "disease-syndrome-symptom" mode, with the core lying in the "combination of disease with syndrome". The contained Discussion on Menstruation Regulation(Tiao Jing Pian) and Discussion on Getting Pregnant(Zhong Zi Pian) have important reference significance for later doctors in the diagnosis and treatment of inferti-lity, and many prescriptions are still in use due to good effects. It is believed in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) that HPRL results from kidney deficiency and liver depression, among which kidney deficiency is the main cause. Liver depression accelerates the onset of HPRL, so the kidney-tonifying and liver-soothing herbs were mainly selected. The "disease-syndrome-symptom" mode in FU Qing-zhu's Obstetrics and Gynecology(FU Qing-zhu Nyu Ke) sheds enlightenment on the diagnosis and treatment of ovulation infertility caused by HPRL, in that it is not confined to disease entity and syndrome type. The integration of "disease-syndrome-symptom" highlights the main complaint of patients and emphasizes the main pathogenesis, thus giving full play to the overall advantage of syndrome differentiation. For multiple diseases in FU Qing-zhu's Obstetrics and Gynecology(FU Qing-zhu Nyu Ke) such as infertility due to liver depression, infertility due to obesity, delayed menstruation, and irregular menstruation, although the typical lactation symptom of HPRL is not mentioned, the medication can still be determined according to the chief complaint, syndrome type, and symptoms and signs, making up for the defects of excessive reliance on serum biochemical indicators in modern Chinese medicine. We should learn its diagnosis and treatment thoughts of paying attention to liver, spleen, kidney, and heart, holism, and strengthening body resistance to eliminate pathogenic factors.

Association of C-reactive Protein with Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Mendelian Randomization Study in the Japanese Population / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#Traditional epidemiological studies have shown that C-reactive protein (CRP) is associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, whether this association is causal remains unclear. Therefore, Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to explore the causal relationship of CRP with cardiovascular outcomes including ischemic stroke, atrial fibrillation, arrhythmia and congestive heart failure.@*METHODS@#We performed two-sample MR by using summary-level data obtained from Japanese Encyclopedia of Genetic association by Riken (JENGER), and we selected four single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with CRP level as instrumental variables. MR estimates were calculated with the inverse-variance weighted (IVW), penalized weighted median and weighted median. MR-Egger regression was used to explore pleiotropy.@*RESULTS@#No significant causal association of genetically determined CRP level with ischemic stroke, atrial fibrillation or arrhythmia was found with all four MR methods (all Ps > 0.05). The IVW method indicated suggestive evidence of a causal association between CRP and congestive heart failure ( OR: 1.337, 95% CI: 1.005-1.780, P = 0.046), whereas the other three methods did not. No clear pleiotropy or heterogeneity were observed.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Suggestive evidence was found only in analysis of congestive heart failure; therefore, further studies are necessary. Furthermore, no causal association was found between CRP and the other three cardiovascular outcomes.

Danggui Buxuetang in Malignant Tumor： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

The occurrence and development of malignant tumors seriously affect the survival time and quality of life of people all over the world， and finding proper treatment methods has been a focus for doctors. Especially in recent years， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has developed and attracted the attention of doctors and patients. From the perspective of TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment， deficiency and stasis are the most fundamental causes of malignant tumors， and supplementing deficiency and removing stasis can be regarded as the basic criteria of TCM treatment of malignant tumors. TCM prescriptions can treat diseases by means of multiple components and multiple targets， with the characteristics of slight side effect and high efficacy， safety and cost performance， as well as easiness to be accepted and taken. As a classic recipe for invigorating Qi and generating blood， Danggui Buxuetang consists of Astragali Radix -Angelicae Sinensis Radix 5∶1. It has excellent effects in anti-tumor， bone marrow suppression after chemotherapy， immune function decline， anemia， heart and cerebral vessels protection， blood deficiency-led fever， diabetes， anti-atherosclerosis， anti-fatigue， anti-radiation， myocardial ischemia alleviation， inhibition of platelet aggregation， liver damage， etc. In addition， with many active anti-tumor ingredients， Danggui Buxuetang can exert anti-tumor effects via acting on multiple targets in different binding sites. However， there has been a lack of reviews on the role of Danggui Buxuetang in malignant tumors so far. Therefore， in this paper， the functions of Danggui Buxuetang in malignant tumors were reviewed. Besides， molecular docking technology was used to analyze the main active anti-tumor ingredients and action targets of Danggui Buxuetang.

Prognostic implications and functional enrichment analysis of LTB4R in patients with acute myeloid leukemia / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the expression patterns, prognostic implications, and biological role of leukotriene B4 receptor (LTB4R) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).@*METHODS@#We collected the data of mRNA expression levels and clinical information of patients with AML from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database for mRNA expression analyses, survival analyses, Cox regression analyses and correlation analyses using R studio to assess the expression patterns and prognostic value of LTB4R. The correlation of LTB4R expression levels with clinical characteristics of the patients were analyzed using UALCAN. The co-expressed genes LTB4R were screened from Linkedomics and subjected to functional enrichment analysis. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed using STRING. GSEA analyses of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were performed based on datasets from TCGA-LAML stratified by LTB4R expression level. We also collected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from AML patients and healthy donors for examination of the mRNA expression levels of LTB4R and immune checkpoint genes using qRT-PCR. We also examined serum LTB4R protein levels in the patients using ELISA.@*RESULTS@#The mRNA expression level of LTB4R was significantly increased in AML patients (4.898±1.220 vs 2.252±0.215, P < 0.001), and an elevated LTB4R expression level was correlated with a poor overall survival (OS) of the patients (P=0.004, HR=1.74). LTB4R was identified as an independent prognostic factor for OS (P=0.019, HR=1.66) and was associated with FAB subtypes, cytogenetic risk, karyotype abnormalities and NPM1 mutations. The co- expressed genes of LTB4R were enriched in the functional pathways closely associated with AML leukemogenesis, including neutrophil inflammation, lymphocyte activation, signal transduction, and metabolism. The DEGs were enriched in differentiation, activation of immune cells, and cytokine signaling. Examination of the clinical serum samples also demonstrated significantly increased expressions of LTB4R mRNA (P=0.044) and protein (P=0.008) in AML patients, and LTB4R mRNA expression was positively correlated with the expression of the immune checkpoint HAVCR2 (r= 0.466, P=0.040).@*CONCLUSION@#LTB4R can serve as a novel biomarker and independent prognostic indicator of AML and its expression patterns provide insights into the crosstalk of leukemogenesis signaling pathways involving tumor immunity and metabolism.

Status Quo and Analysis of the Cardiovascular Clinical Practice Guidelines/Expert Consensuses of Chinese and Integrative Medicine: A Systematic Review / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To describe and analyze the status quo of cardiovascular clinical practice guidelines or expert consensuses including both Chinese medicine (CM) and integrative medicine, through systematic literatures searching and quality assessment.@*METHODS@#Data bases including Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, China Science and Technology Journal Database were searched for published CM or integrative cardiovascular clinical practice guidelines or expert consensuses. The website www. medlive.cn was also retrieved as supplementary. The clinical practice evaluation tool AGREE II was used to assess the quality of included guidelines or consensuses.@*RESULTS@#A total of 31 relevant clinical practice guidelines or expert consensuses were included, covering diagnosis, treatment, Chinese patent and patient fields. Common cardiovascular diseases like coronary heart diseases, heart failure and arrhythmia were also involved. Through analysis it was found that both the quantity and quality of included guidelines have been improved year by year. A total of 4 evidence-based clinical practice guideline has been found, one of which was a guideline project plan. Except that, the remaining 27 reports were all consensus-based guidelines. The scores of each field, from highest to lowest, were clarity of presentation (58%), scope and purpose (54%), stakeholder involvement (28%), rigor of development (21%), applicability (13%) and editorial independence (8%).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Although clinical practice guidelines in cardiovascular domain of Chinese have gained increasing concern, with both quantity and quality improved, there is still huge gap in methodology and reporting standards between CM guidelines and international ones. On the one hand, it is essential to improve and standardize the methodology of developing CM guidelines. On the other hands, the evaluation system of evidence and recommendation with CM characters should be developed urgently.

Biomechanical affect of percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy on adjacent segments with different degrees of degeneration:a finite element analysis / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the biomechanical affect of percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy(PTED) on adjacent segments with different degrees of degeneration and related risk of adjacent segment diseases (ASD) caused by this operation.@*METHODS@#A healthy male adult volunteer was selected, and the lumbosacral vertebra image data was obtained by CT scan, and the external contour of the bone structure was reconstructed. On this basis, the external contour of the bone structure was fitted by using the smooth curve in 3D-CAD software, and the complete three-dimensional finite element modelof the non degenerate L@*RESULTS@#In the finite element model without adjacent segmental disc degeneration, the annulus fibrosus von Mises stress and intradiscal pressure of the PTED model showed only a slight increase under most stress conditions, and a slight decrease in a few conditions, and there was no significant change trend before and after surgery. In the original degenerated adjacent segment disc model, the biomechanical indicators related to disc degeneration in the pre- and post-PTED model showed significant deterioration, leading to an increased risk of potential adjacent spondylopathy.@*CONCLUSION@#PTED surgery will not lead to the significant deterioration of postoperative biomechanical environment of non-degeneration adjacent intervertebral discs, and the original degeneration of adjacent intervertebral discs is a important risk factor for ASD.

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

Calycosin （CA）， a functional phytoestrogenic isoflavone extracted from Chinese herb Astragali Radix， is characterized by high efficiency， low toxicity， and multiple targets and has multiple pharmacological activities such as anti-oxidation， anti-radiation， anti-bacteria， cardio-cerebrovascular protection， and immunity enhancement. A number of studies have proved its significant anti-tumor effect， making it expected to become a potential component for the treatment of malignant tumors. Research shows that CA exerts the anti-tumor effect via multiple mechanisms like inducing tumor cell apoptosis and inhibiting tumor cell proliferation， migration， and invasion. It has been proved to be effective in suppressing breast cancer， colorectal cancer， lung cancer， cervical cancer， ovarian cancer， nasopharyngeal cancer， and other common malignant tumors. Its anti-tumor activity is mainly related to the regulation of B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2） family genes， microRNA （miRNA）， and estrogen receptor β （ERβ） to trigger tumor cell apoptosis. Its anti-proliferation activity is mainly reflected in the regulation of cyclin family， WD repeat-containing protein 7 （WDR7-7）， and Ewing sarcoma-associated transcript 1 （EWSAT1）. By blocking the epithelial mesenchymal transformation （EMT）， vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）， matrix metalloproteinases （MMPs）， CA inhibits tumor cell metastasis and invasion. In addition， it inhibits tumors by regulating autophagy marker Beclin-1 induced tumor cell autophagy and increases the sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs， thus improving the treatment effect. Although there are many reports about the wide range of applications and good effects of CA in anti-tumor， the systematic review of its anti-tumor mechanism is still lacking. Therefore， this study reviewed the anti-tumor effects and mechanisms of CA， aiming to provide reference for researchers and clinical workers.

Effect of corneal limbal trapezoid conjunctival flap incision and modified Parks incision on tear film function and postoperative complications in patients with strabismus / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM: To explore the effect of corneal limbal trapezoid conjunctival flap incision and modified Parks incision on tear film function and postoperative complications in patients with strabismus.<p>METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in patients with strabismus who had been treated with surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanyang Medical College between January 2017 and October 2019. The subjects were divided into conjunctival flap incision group(60 cases with 82 affected eyes treated with strabismus surgery <i>via</i> corneal limbal trapezoid conjunctival flap incision)and modified Parks group(62 cases with 83 affected eyes treated with strabismus surgery <i>via</i> modified Parks incision). Therapeutic effects on strabismus were evaluated, and dry eye symptoms were scored before and after surgery. Schirmer I test(SⅠt), tear film break up time(BUT)and cornea fluorescein staining score(FL score)were recorded. Comprehensive ocular surface examination was performed to determine tear river height(TMH)and noninvasive keratograph tear breakup time(NIKBUT). Satisfaction with surgery was surveyed, and adverse reactions were statistically analyzed.<p>RESULTS: Both groups of patients completed the surgery. Totally 80 eyes and 79 eyes of the conjunctival flap incision group and the modified Parks group were basically in normal position(within±10PD), and there was no statistically significant difference in cure rate between the two groups(<i>P</i>>0.05). S I t and BUT of the modified Parks group were significantly higher than those of the conjunctival flap incision group at 7 and 14d after surgery, and the FL score was significantly lower than that of the conjunctival flap incision group at 7d after surgery(<i>P</i><0.05). TMH of the modified Parks group was significantly higher than that of the conjunctival flap incision group at 14d after surgery, and NIKBUT was significantly longer than that of the conjunctival flap incision group at 7d and 14d after surgery(<i>P</i><0.05). The overall incidence rates of complications in the conjunctival flap incision group and the modified Parks group were 7.3% and 2.4%, respectively(<i>P</i>>0.05). The overall satisfaction rates of the conjunctival flap incision group and the modified Parks group were 83.3% and 95.2%, respectively(<i>P</i><0.05).<p>CONCLUSION:Surgeries with corneal limbal trapezoid conjunctival flap incision or modified Parks incision can achieve good correction effects on strabismus, but surgery with modified Parks incision has less effect on tear film stability, with higher surgical satisfaction and better clinical application effect.

Research progress on role of mast cells in irritable bowel syndrome / 中国药理学通报

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one kind of functional gastrointestinal tract disorders with high incidence in the world. IBS is induced by avariety of factors,such as visceral hypersensitivity .abnormal gastrointestinal motility, intestinal barrier dysfunction, intestinal inflammation, neuro-immunity disorder, etc. The pathogenesis of IBS is complex and diverse. Mast cells (MCs) play an important role in the occurrence and development of IBS. The present article reviews the role of MCs both in the pathogenesis and in the treatment of IBS.

Clinical study of Xihuang Capsule combined with albumin paclitaxel in treatment of advanced triple negative breast cancer / 中草药

Objective: To investigate the clinical effect of Xihuang Capsule combined with albumin paclitaxel in the treatment of advanced triple negative breast cancer. Methods: A total of 80 patients with advanced triple negative breast cancer admitted to Cangzhou Central Hospital were selected as the study subjects. All patients were randomly divided into the control group and the treatment group, with 40 patients in each group. Patients in the control group were given albumin paclitaxel for a cycle of 21 d, and received continuous treatment for at least three cycles. The difference between the treatment group was given six capules of Xihuang Capsules twice a day for one course of treatment for 21 d based on the treatment of control group. The clinical effects of the two groups were compared and analyzed. The KPS and VAS scores of the two groups of patients were evaluated, and the tumor markers and the incidence of adverse reactions after taking the drug were recorded for statistical analysis. Results: After treatment, the objective remission rate (ORR) was 60.0% in the control group and 75.0% in the treatment group. The disease control rate (CBR) was 77.5% in the control group and 85.7% in the treatment group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). After treatment, KPS score and VAS score in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, CA-153 and CEA levels of tumor markers in both groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < 0.05), while CA-153 and CEA levels in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Xihuang Capsule combined with albumin paclitaxel has higher clinical efficacy and safety in patients with advanced triple negative breast cancer.

Establishment of a new genus of filovirus (Mengla virus) entry evaluating system and entry inhibitors discovery / 药学学报

Mengla virus (MLAV), isolated from the bats in China, was identified as a new genus of filovirus in 2019, i.e. Dianlovirus genus of Filoviridae family. Among filoviruses, Ebola virus (EBOV) and Marburg virus (MARV) are the most contagious viruses with mortality rates of 24%-90%. Phylogenetic analysis showed that MLAV was closely related to MARV among the members of filovirus family. MLAV enters into host cells via viral glycoprotein (GP). The recombinant virus study indicated that MLAV has a potential for bat-to-human cross-species transmission. In this study, a GP-mediated MLAV entry evaluating model was established, and by using this model, we investigated the susceptibility of MLAV to the human cell lines sourced from different tissues and the African green monkey kidney cell lines. Four compounds, chloroquine, tetrandrine, clomiphene, and toremifene, which were known as EBOV and MARV entry blockers, were tested for HIV/MLAV-GP infection. It was found that chloroquine effectively blocked the entry of MLAV with the half maximal effective concentration (EC50) of 1.56 μmol·L-1, resembling its anti-EBOV and -MARV activities. To the best of our acknowledge, there is no anti-MLAV drug reported by far, and the identification of chloroquine as an MLAV entry inhibitor may provide an insight for developing anti-filovirus agents.

Effects and mechanism of 3,5,6,7,4'-pentamethoxyflavone forblocking arenavirus entry / 药学学报

Arenaviruses are enveloped RNA viruses, and eight members in this family are known to cause human hemorrhagic fever. Treatments for the viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) by arenaviruses are very limited. We have identified the first flavone, tangeretin, with broad-spectrum inhibitory activities on VHF-arenaviruses infection by blocking viral entry. In this study, we evaluated thirty-four tangeretin analogues and found 3,5,6,7,4'-pentamethoxyflavone as a Lassa virus entry inhibitor, with EC50 of 5.2 µmol·L-1, by blocking the viral fusion process. The compound 3,5,6,7,4'-pentamethoxyflavone is effective on all known VHF-arenaviruses, with EC50 range of 0.84-10.2 µmol·L-1. These results suggest that 3,5,6,7,4'-pentamethoxyflavone is able to serve as a start point for discovery of arenavirus entry inhibitors from flavone natural products.

Application of a support vector regression on prediction of bacillary dysentery combined with meteorological and air pollutants index / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective To explore the application of support vector regression (SVR) model combined with meteorological and air pollutants index in the prediction of the cases of bacillary dysentery in Lanzhou City, so as to provide scientific reference for the prevention and control of bacillary dysentery.Methods Time series data of the reported cases of bacillary dysentery from December 2013 to August 2016, combined with the meteorological and air pollutants data, were used as training set to fit support vector regression model. The data from September 2016 to December 2017 was used as validation set to verify the model and compare the effect in fit and prediction with different models. Results A total of 7 192 bacillary dysentery cases were reported in Lanzhou City from 2013 to 2017. The correlation coefficient of meteorological and pollution factors with the cases of bacillary dysentery was more than 0.4, except air pressure. The parameters of the fit model were selected based on the integrated data, acquiring the three parameters with the smallest test error were C=5, γ=0.02 and ε=0.000 1, respectively. The validation set was used to test the different models, which showed that the integrated data model had the best predictive accuracy and robustness . The root mean squared error (RMSE) was 0.164 7 and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) was 16.405%. Conclusion SVR model combined with meteorological and air pollutants index is effective in the prediction of bacterial dysentery.

Establishment of evaluation system for a cell-based arenavirus entry inhibitor / 药学学报

Arenaviruses are enveloped RNA viruses. The genus mammarenavirus contains nine members that are known to be human pathogens, and eight of them cause human hemorrhagic fever. Lassa hemorrhagic fever, caused by Lassa virus (LASV) infection, is the most prevalent arenavirus hemorrhagic fever with potential to cause major epidemics. LASV belongs to category A agents, and biosafety level-4 (BSL-4) facility is required for live virus experiments. Currently there are few specific treatments available for arenavirus diseases. Here, we established efficient cell-based pseudovirus infection models using an HIV-1 core (pNL4-3.Luc.R-E-) packed with arenavirus glycoproteins. Nine recombinant arenaviruses (arenavirus-GP/HIV-luc) were generated, and 17 cell lines were tested for susceptibilities to these viruses. These pseudovirus infection models were further validated by known arenavirus entry inhibitors. The models are safe and specific to pseudovirus infection, which are readily used for pharmacodynamic evaluation of arenavirus entry inhibitors in BSL-2 laboratory. The models will facilitate screening of the anti-arenavirus drugs and vaccines.

Relationship between Early Peak Temperature and Neutropenia Duration in Acute Leukemia Patients after Chemotherapy and Its Mechanism / 中国实验血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relationship between early peak body temperature and neutropenia duration and its potential mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 111 patients with CR1 phase acute leukemia (AL) with neutropenia infection were enrolled in this study. The relationship between early peak body temperature and neutropenia duration was analyzed retrospectively, and the IL-6 serum level in patients with different peak of body temperature was detected, and the single cell culture system in vitro was established, the incorparation rate of EdU in vivo was detected, and the effect of IL-6 on mouse hematopoietic stem cells /progenitor cells was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Out of 111 patients with nentropenia, the body temperature <38 °C and the neutropenia duration 9.5±3.69 d were observed in 44 patients, while the body temperature >38 °C and neutropenia duration 7.33±4.20 d were observed in 69 patients, the differences between 2 groups was statistically signficant (P<0.05). The EdU test showed that the number of EdU hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells increased. The IL-6 level was different in patients with different peaks of initial bady temperature (P<0.05). The results of amimal experiment showed that the IL-6 could promote the proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells/ progenitor cells in vitro and in vivo.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>For patients with neutropenic infection when initial body temperature peak is <38 °C, the probability of neutropenia duration prolonging after chamotherapy increases, which may relate with promotive effect of pro-inflammatory cytokins on prliferation of hematopoietic stem cells/progenitor cells.</p>

Berberine-Promoted CXCR4 Expression Accelerates Endothelial Repair Capacity of Early Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Persons with Prehypertension / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate whether the berberine treatment can improve endothelial repair capacity of early endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from prehypertensive subjects through increasing CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) signaling.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>EPCs were isolated from prehypertensive and healthy subjects and cultured. In vivo reendothelialization capacity of EPCs from prehypertensive patients with or without in vitro berberine treatment was examined in a nude mouse model of carotid artery injury. The protein expressions of CXCR4/Janus kinase-2 (JAK-2) signaling of in vitro EPCs were detected by Western blot analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CXCR4 signaling and alteration in migration and adhesion functions of EPCs were evaluated. Basal CXCR4 expression was significantly reduced in EPCs from prehypertensive patients compared with normal subjects (P<0.01). Also, the phosphorylation of JAK-2 of EPCs, a CXCR4 downstream signaling, was significantly decreased (P<0.01). Berberine promoted CXCR4/JAK-2 signaling expression of in vitro EPCs (P<0.01). Transplantation of EPCs pretreated with berberine markedly accelerated in vivo reendothelialization (P<0.01). The increased in vitro function and in vivo reendothelialization capacity of EPCs were inhibited by CXCR4 neutralizing antibody or pretreatment with JAK-2 inhibitor AG490, respectively (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Berberinemodified EPCs via up-regulation of CXCR4 signaling contributes to enhanced endothelial repair capacity in prehypertension, indicating that berberine may be used as a novel potential primary prevention means against prehypertension-related atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.</p>

Construction of Lentiviral Expression Vector Carrying SOX9 Gene and Its Stable Expression in LNcap Cell / 昆明医科大学学报

Objective To construct the lentiviral expression vector of SOX9 gene and establish a LNcap cell strain with stable expression of SOX9 . Methods SOX9 gene was amplified by PCR and cloned into lentiviral expression vector pLVX-IRES-Puro. pLVX-IRES-FLAG-SOX9 recombinant plasmid was verified by restriction enzyme digestion and DNA sequencing. Then we gained recombinant virus particles in packaging cell HEK 293 and infected LNcap cell. The monoclonal LNcap cell strain stably expressed were obtained through puromycin screening. The mRNA level and protein level in the infected LNcap cell were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot respectively. Results Restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing demonstrated that SOX9 cDNA was successfully cloned into pLVX-IRES-FLAG lentiviral vector. After the transfection to LNCaP cells, the monoclonal cell strain of stably expressed SOX9 were obtained by puromycin screening, which showed expression of SOX9 mRNA detected by qRT-PCR. Western blot analysis revealed that SOX9 protein expressed markedly. Conclusion The recombinant lentiviral vector bearing human SOX9 cDNA has been successfully constructed, and the exogenous expression of SOX9 in LNcap cells was achieved.

Effects of 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine on proliferation of human breast cancer cell line Hs578T and methylation of PRDM10 gene / 天津医药

Objective To investigate effects of 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR) on proliferation of human breast cancer cell line Hs578T,and the methylation status of PRDM10 gene in vitro in this cell line.Methods The human breast cancer cell line Hs578T was cultured with 1,3 and 5 μmol/L DNA methylation inhibitor 5-Aza-CdR respectively, and untreated cells were used as control.Cell proliferation was detected by MTT assay.Methylation-Specific PCR(MSP)was used to detect the methylation status of PRDM10 gene. The mRNA and protein expression levels of PRDM10 gene were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot assay. Results MTT results showed that the higher the concentration of 5-Aza-CdR,and the longer the treatment time,the more significant inhibitory effect on the proliferation of Hs578T cells.Compared with the control group(0 μmol/L),the proliferation of Hs578T was significantly inhibited after the treatment for 72 h in the 1 μmol/L group, and for 48 h in the 3 μmol/L and 5 μmol/L groups (P<0.05). MSP results showed that the higher the concentration of 5-Aza-CdR,the more significant demethylation of PRDM10.Results of RT-PCR and Western blot showed that the higher the concentration of 5-Aza-CdR, the higher the expression levels of mRNA and protein in PRDM10 (P<0.05).Conclusion 5-Aza-CdR could inhibit the cell proliferation of Hs578T,which might be related to the demethylation of PRDM10 gene in the cells.