Progress on the neuroprotective effects of ginsenoside Rg1 / 药学学报

Ginsenoside Rg1 is one of the most important saponins in ginseng. It has a wide range of pharmacological activities. It is considered to be a powerful neuroprotective agent. It has neuroprotective effects such as anti-neuroinflammation, anti-oxidative stress, anti-neuronal apoptosis, and enhancing memory. Rg1 shows a good application prospect in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke, and mental diseases such as depression. This paper reviews the research on the neuroprotective mechanism of Rg1 at home and abroad in recent years, in order to provide new research ideas for the clinical treatment of nervous system diseases.

Guidelines for the application of the fundus autofluorescence in age-related macular degeneration(2023) / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Fundus autofluorescence(FAF)imaging is based on the fluorescence excited by the endogenous fluorophores in the retinal pigment epithelium and choroid, mainly referring to lipofuscin(LF)and melanin. The non-invasive examination method can imply the function of retinal pigment epithelium by observing the spatial distribution of LF or melanin. This technique has unique advantages in the diagnosis and differentiation of age-related macular degeneration(ARMD). This guideline is to standardize and interpret the application of FAF in different stages and classifications of ARMD.

Genotyping of nucleocapsid protein gene of HCV in HIVHCV co-infected patients in Kunming in 2019 / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract: Objective　To investigate the distribution characteristics of HCV genotypes and subtypes in patients with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus, HIV)/HCV co-infection in Kunming based on the nucleocapsid protein gene sequence of HCV (hepatitis C virus). Methods　Serum was collected from HIV/HCV co-infected patients with household registration in 14 county-level cities, districts and counties under the jurisdiction of Kunming, who admitted to Yunnan Provincial Infectious Disease Hospital from March to August 2019. The viral RNA was extracted from the serum, reverse transcribed to synthesize cDNA, and the HCV nucleocapsid protein gene-specific primers were used for nested PCR amplification. The positive amplification products were sequenced, bioinformatics software such as DNAstar and MEGAX were used for sequence analysis. Results　A total of 64 samples from co-infected patients with clinical diagnosis of suspected HIV/HCV were collected and amplified by HCV nucleocapsid protein gene-specific primers, of which 17 samples were amplified positively. The results of sequence analysis showed that the sequences of 9 cases were located in the same evolutionary branch as the HCV 3b subtype sequence, and the nucleotide homology was 93.3%-95.2%; the sequences of 5 cases were located in the same evolutionary branch as the HCV 1b subtype sequence, and the nucleotide homology was 96.8%-97.6%; the sequence of one case and the subtype sequence of HCV 3a gene were located in the same evolutionary branch, and the nucleotide homology was 95.2%; the sequence of one case and HCV 6n gene subtype sequence were located in the same evolutionary branch, and the nucleotide homology was 97.9%; One case was located in the same evolutionary branch as the HCV 6u gene subtype sequence, and the nucleotide homology was 98.4%. Conclusions　HCV 1b, HCV 3a, HCV 3b, HCV 6n and HCV 6u genotypes or subtypes of HCV are prevalent in Kunming, and HCV 3b is the most prevalent genotype.

Correlation between serum vitamin D level and glucose and lipid metabolism among primary and middle school students in Inner Mongolia / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To explore the correlation between serum vitamin D level and glucose and lipid metabolism among primary and middle school students in Inner Mongolia, so as to providing a scientific basis for guiding rational vitamin D supplementation among primary and middle school students in Inner Mongolia Region.@*Methods@#A total of 2 206 students of primary and middle school students from 8 counties (districts) in Inner Mongolia were enrolled for a questionnaire survey, physical examination, and laboratory test by a multi stage stratified random sampling approach.The levels of fasting blood glucose, blood lipid and other related indexes with different vitamin D levels were analyzed, and their correlation was further discussed.@*Results@#The deficiency and insufficiency rates of vitamin D among primary and middle school students were 33.2% and 42.8%, respectively, and the suitable rate was 24.0%. The body mass index (BMI) and waist height ratio (WHtR) of the vitamin D deficiency group [(22.87±7.41) kg/m 2 , 0.46±0.08)]were higher than the insufficiency [(20.59±8.00)kg/m 2, 0.44±0.09)] and suitable group [(18.01±7.38)kg/m 2, 0.43 ±0.08)] ( P <0.05). Compared with the vitamin D suitable group [(3.87±0.85) mmol/L], the total cholesterol (TC) level in the deficiency group [(3.73±0.67)mmol/L] decreased, with a statistically significant difference ( P <0.05). The levels of high density lipoproteins (HDL) in the vitamin D insufficiency[(1.40±0.33)mmol/L] and deficiency groups [(1.34±0.31)mmol/L] were lower than the suitable group [(1.48±0.34)mmol/L], with a statistically significant difference ( P <0.05). The detection rate of hyperuricemia (HUA) in the vitamin D deficiency group (22.95%) was higher than the suitable group (17.20%), with a statistically significant difference ( P <0.016 7). Pearson correlation analysis showed that vitamin D was negatively correlated with BMI and WHtR ( r =-0.23, -0.11), and positively correlated with TC and HDL level ( r =0.06, 0.16) ( P <0.05).@*Conclusions@#The deficiency and insufficiency rates of serum vitamin D among primary and middle school students in Inner Mongolia are high which are associated with several indicators of blood lipids. Therefore, it is recommended to supplement vitamin D preparations in moderation in daily life.

Research progress on epigenetic modification involved in metabolic memory of diabetic retinopathy / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Diabetes retinopathy(DR)may continue to develop even if blood sugar is well controlled, which indicates that previous hyperglycemia will lead to long-term harmful vascular dysfunction, and this phenomenon is defined as “metabolic memory” of diabetes retinopathy. Because the onset of DR is insidious, clinical symptomatic treatment is mainly used. Effective means of early diagnosis, accurate treatment and prognosis are lacking and new diagnosis and treatment ideas need to be developed urgently. In recent years, many new studies have shown that epigenetic modification is involved in the pathogenesis of DR “metabolic memory” in DNA methylation, histone post-translational modification and microRNA(microRNAs,miRNAs)regulation, which provides a direction and strategy for the exploration of DR molecular mechanism. In this review, we discussed the role of epigenetic modification in the pathogenesis of DR and analyzed the challenges and prospects of its application in the treatment of DR, with a view to provide a reference for early diagnosis and treatment of DR in the future.

Effects of early-life exposure to angiotensinⅡ type 1 receptor autoantibody on lipid metabolism in offspring rats / 中华围产医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of early-life (intrauterine and breastfeeding period) exposure to angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor autoantibody (AT 1-AA) on lipid metabolism in offspring rats. Methods:Thirty-two AT 1-AA negative healthy nonpregnant specific pathogen free female Sprague Dawley rats weighing 150-170 g were randomly divided into two groups. Those in the immune group ( n=16) were subcutaneously injected with the mixture of an equal volume of Freund's adjuvant and the second extracellular loop of human-derived angiotensin Ⅱ receptor type 1 (AT1R-ECⅡ) repeatedly to establish the AT 1-AA-positive rat model by active immunization and those in the control group ( n=16) with normal saline solution. Before each immunization, blood samples were collected from the tail of rats to detect serum AT 1-AA levels of those rats in both groups, and the AT 1-AA-positive rat model was successfully established when the serum AT 1-AA was positive and its level reached a plateau. After eight weeks of immunization, the female rats in the two groups were mated with healthy AT 1-AA-negative male rats to conceive. Serum samples were collected from the maternal and offspring rats at the gestation of 18 days (G18), postnatal 21 days (P21), and from the normally fed offspring rats from the time of weaning to 12 weeks old (W12). Active immunization was not performed on the offspring throughout the experiment. The serum AT 1-AA levels of maternal and offspring rats were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and serum AT1-AA was positive when the ratio of AT1-AA level of the immune group over the control group ≥2.1. The blood lipid levels of maternal and offspring rats were measured by an automatic biochemical analyzer. Serum AT 1-AA levels, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol [instead of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)], low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and free fatty acid levels of the offspring and maternal rats were determined for correlation analysis. Two independent sample t-test, linear regression analysis, and analysis of variance were adopted for statistical analysis. Results:(1) The serum levels of AT 1-AA in maternal rats at G18 and P21 in the immune group were significantly higher than those in the control group (G18: 1.170±0.190 vs 0.114±0.016, t=14.64; P21: 0.988±0.283 vs 0.084±0.006, t=9.57; both P<0.001). (2) The serum levels of AT 1-AA in the offspring at G18 and P21 in the immune group were significantly higher than those in the control group (offspring at G18: 0.948±0.220 vs 0.105±0.010, t=10.10; male offspring at P21: 0.758±0.273 vs 0.080±0.002, t=7.46; female offspring at P21: 0.774±0.274 vs 0.084±0.005, t=7.55; all P<0.001), which showed a positive correlation with those in maternal rats at the same period (offspring at G18: R=0.78; male offspring at P21: R=0.82; female offspring at P21: R=0.82; all P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the serum AT 1-AA level in offspring at W12 between the immune and control group ( P>0.05). (3) The serum levels of TC at G18 and P21, and HDL at P21 in maternal rats in the immune group were all higher than those in the control group [TC at G18: (2.36±0.32) vs (1.95±0.24) mmol/L, t=2.70; P21: (2.82±0.50) vs (2.18±0.26) mmol/L, t=3.41; HDL at P21: (1.94±0.33) vs (1.57±0.23) mmol/L, t=2.80; all P<0.05]. (4) Compared with the offspring in the control group, there was no significant change in lipid metabolism at G18 and W12 in the offspring in the immune group (both P>0.05). The serum levels of TC and HDL in male and female offspring at P21 in the immune group were higher than their counterparts in the control[TC in male offspring: (2.38±0.52) vs (1.83±0.30) mmol/L, t=2.73; HDL in male offspring: (1.44±0.32) vs (1.07±0.18) mmol/L, t=2.98; TC in female offspring: (2.50±0.72) vs (1.70±0.26) mmol/L, t=3.16; HDL in female offspring: (1.41±0.33) vs (1.00±0.14) mmol/L, t=3.41; all P<0.05]. (5) The serum levels of TC and HDL in male and female offspring at P21 in the immune group showed no correlation with those in maternal rats at P21 (all R<0.5, all P>0.05). The serum levels of HDL in male and female offspring at P21 in the immune group had a positive correlation with their own serum TC levels (male offspring: R=0.98; female offspring: R=0.97; both P<0.001) and also with their own serum AT 1-AA levels (male offspring: R=0.74, P=0.023; female offspring: R=0.91, P=0.001). The serum levels of TC in male and female offspring at P21 in the immune group had a positive correlation with their serum AT 1-AA levels (male offspring: R=0.72, P=0.030; female offspring: R=0.90, P=0.001). Conclusion:The early-life exposure to AT 1-AA may cause abnormal expression of TC and HDL in offspring rats.

Interpretation of Intelligence Attribute of Supramolecular "Qi Chromatography" Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Its Combined Application with Artificial Intelligence / 中国实验方剂学杂志

In the era of artificial intelligence based on big data， data acquisition， storage and processing are more convenient， which provides a guarantee for accelerating the development of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， but it has not yet achieved organic integration with TCM theory. Based on preliminary research on the supramolecular "Qi chromatography" theory of TCM， combined with the current development trend of artificial intelligence， this paper analyzed the biological intelligence attribute of the function of TCM supramolecular "imprinting template"， in order to provide reference for the development of TCM drug innovation. Both the human body and Chinese materia medica are giant complex supramolecular bodies evolved from natural organisms. According to the "imprinting template"， the "social molecules" are controlled step by step to form the meridians and viscera. The interaction produces the original theory of TCM， in which the self-recognition， self-assembly， self-organization and self-replication of the "imprinting template" reflect the "intelligence" function attributes：the human body uses the "imprinting template" to self-identify and sense the ingredients of TCM， and store the memory information database in the meridian and collateral organs in the form of "imprinting template"， and then pass the "imprinting template". The comparison， analysis， and judgment of imprinting templates guide the self-assembly， self-organization and self-replication among "molecular society"， synthesize biological machines， produce biological functions， repair or strengthen biological supramolecular bodies， and present the most basic "intelligence" attribute. This suggests that the theory of theory-method-prescription-medicine of TCM is the weak embodiment of biological "intelligence"， while the human brain function is the strong embodiment of biological "intelligence". Since the intelligent function of supramolecular "imprinting template" runs through the natural world， artificial intelligence that can characterize the strong "intelligence" form of the human brain will also be integrated into all aspects of the natural world， suggesting the development direction of "intelligence" functionalization of drug innovation mode.

Projections from Infralimbic Cortex to Paraventricular Thalamus Mediate Fear Extinction Retrieval / 神经科学通报·英文版

The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT), which serves as a hub, receives dense projections from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and projects to the lateral division of central amygdala (CeL). The infralimbic (IL) cortex plays a crucial role in encoding and recalling fear extinction memory. Here, we found that neurons in the PVT and IL were strongly activated during fear extinction retrieval. Silencing PVT neurons inhibited extinction retrieval at recent time point (24 h after extinction), while activating them promoted extinction retrieval at remote time point (7 d after extinction), suggesting a critical role of the PVT in extinction retrieval. In the mPFC-PVT circuit, projections from IL rather than prelimbic cortex to the PVT were dominant, and disrupting the IL-PVT projection suppressed extinction retrieval. Moreover, the axons of PVT neurons preferentially projected to the CeL. Silencing the PVT-CeL circuit also suppressed extinction retrieval. Together, our findings reveal a new neural circuit for fear extinction retrieval outside the classical IL-amygdala circuit.

Research advances on the effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on angiogenesis and vascular protection / 药学学报

Ginsenoside Rg1 is one of the most important active components of the "king of herbs" Panax ginseng, which is an important angiogenic protective agent. The research results have shown that Rg1 has a wide range of cardiovascular pharmacological effects in vivo and in vitro, mainly through promoting the proliferation of smooth muscle cells, inhibiting endothelial cell aging, antioxidant stress, inhibiting inflammatory response, activating key factors of angiogenesis, improving vasodilation and other ways. Many miRNAs participate in the process of Rg1 promoting angiogenesis, mediate the regulation of the specific expression of downstream related targets to promote angiogenesis and vascular remodeling, and have the potential to become new clinical biomarkers and therapeutic targets. New preparation technologies and materials are used to make up for the weakness of Rg1's blood-brain barrier permeability, and further promote and enrich the clinical application of Rg1.

Follow up study on sleep behavior, chronotype and emotional symptoms of college students in Anhui Province / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To explore the relationships between sleep behaviors, chronotype and emotional symptoms including depression and anxiety symptoms among college students.@*Methods@#Freshmen and sophomore from one university in Anhui Province were recruited through cluster sampling method. The baseline survey was conducted in November 2020, and the follow up survey was conducted 2 months later. The Morning and Evening Questionnaire 5 (MEQ-5) was used to assess chronotype. The Insomnia severity Index (ISI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale for Children and Adolescents (ESS-CHAD) were used to evaluate sleep behaviors. Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to assess depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The detection rate of depression and anxiety among college students with different demographic characteristics, different sleep chronotypes and sleep behavior were compared, and the association between sleep behavior, chronotypes and depression and anxiety symptoms was analyzed.@*Results@#The detection rates of depressive and anxiety symptoms were higher in the college students with daytime sleepiness and insomnia( χ 2=12.39，22.68；40.14，29.46， P <0.01). Logistic regression results showed that at the baseline daytime sleepiness and insomnia were positively associated with depression ( OR =3.03, 5.23) and anxiety symptoms ( OR =3.74, 4.24), respectively ( P ＜0.05), however, no association was found between chronotype and symptoms of depression and anxiety ( P ＞0.05). Follow up survey results were consistent with baseline.@*Conclusion@#Daytime sleepiness and insomnia are risk factors for depression and anxiety symptoms among college students. It is suggested that keeping healthy sleep behaviors play an important role in mental health promotion among college students in the future.

Essence of acupoints and meridians based on the studies of myofascial trigger points / 中国针灸

Based on the modern anatomy and physiology, the referred pain of myofascial trigger points of each muscle is integrated; compared with the twelve meridians as well as conception vessel and governor vessel, the similarity of their position and running course is observed. With the current research progress of myofascial trigger points and fasciology, based on the running course of referred pain of trigger points, combined with fascia mechanics, nerve and vascular, the location of acupoints and meridians, as well as the relationship between acupoints and meridians, are discussed.

Analysis of peptides and proteins from Asini Corii Colla using nano LC-Q-Exactive-MS/MS / 中国中药杂志

This paper aims to systematically analyze the peptides and proteins from Asini Corii Colla(ACC) through shotgun proteomics. After high-pH reversed-phase fractionation, the proteins and peptides in the hydrolysate of ACC were further separated by nano LC-Q-Exactive-MS/MS under the following conditions: Thermo Scientific EASY column(100 μm×2 cm, 5 μm, C_(18)) as precolumn, Thermo Scientific EASY column(75 μm×100 mm, 3 μm, C_(18)) for solid phase extraction, gradient elution with 0.1% formic acid in water(mobile phase A) and 84% acetonitrile in water containing 0.1% formic acid(mobile phase B), and MS in positive ion mode. Based on Uniprot_Equus caballus, MS data, and literature, 2 291 peptides were identified from ACC by MaxQuant, with 255 Maillard reactions(AML, CML, CEL)-modified peptides identified for the first time. Through alignment, the peptides were found to belong to 678 equine proteins. In conclusion, the combination of nano LC-Q-Exactive-MS/MS and shotgun proteomics achieved rapid and accurate identification of the proteins and peptides in ACC, which provides the key information and new insights for further investigation of chemicals and effective substances in ACC.

Research ideas and method on screening active components of traditional Chinese medicine against hepatotoxicity with mitochondria as target / 中国中药杂志

Liver is the main place of drug metabolism. Mitochondria of hepatocytes are important targets of drug-induced liver injury. Mitochondrial autophagy could maintain the healthy operation of mitochondria in cells and the stable proliferation of cells. Therefore, the use of mitochondrial autophagy to remove damaged mitochondria is an important strategy of anti-drug-induced liver injury. Active ingredients that could enhance mitochondrial autophagy are contained in many traditional Chinese medicines, which could regulate the mitochondrial autophagy to alleviate relevant diseases. However, there are only a few reports on how to accurately and efficiently identify and evaluate such components targeting mitochondria from traditional Chinese medicine. Liquid chromatography-mass spectro-metry(LC-MS) combined with serum pharmacology in vivo can be used to accurately and efficiently find active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine acting on mitochondrial targets. This paper reviewed the research ideas and methods of traditional Chinese medicine ingredients for increasing the hepatotoxicity of mitochondrial autophagy, in order to provide new ideas and methods for the study of active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine targeting mitochondria.

Chemical Constituents from the Aerial Parts of Korean Medicinal Herba Artemisiae sacrorum / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To isolate and purify the reference compounds and improve the quality standard of Korean medicinal Herba Artemisiae sacrorum. METHODS: The chemical constituents were isolated from the aerial parts of Korean medicinal herb Artemisia sacrorum by silica gel, ODS column chromatography and preparative HPLC, and the structures were identified by NMR and MS. RESULTS: Fourteen known compounds were isolated and identified as follows:1α-acetoxyeudesm-4-en-6β,11βH-12,6-olide(1),(11S)-3-oxoeudesma-1,4(15)-dieno-12,6α-lactone(2), 1-epi-dehydroisoerivanin(3), 11-epi-taurin(4), chrysanthemolide(5), 1α-acetyl-gallicadiol(6), erivanin(7), 1α, 4α-dihydroxyeudesm-2-en-5α, 6β, 11βH-12, 6-olide(8), vulgarin(9),(+)-dehydrovomifoliol(10), isoevodionol(11),(+)-epi-pinoresinol(12), lariciresinol-4'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(13), and lariciresinol-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(14). CONCLUSION: All compounds are obtained from this plant for the first time. These compounds can be used as reference substances for the quality control of this ethnic medicine.

Risk factors for surgical-site infections after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a study in China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#About 10% of patients get a surgical-site infection (SSI) after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer, but SSI remains controversial among surgeons. The aim of this study was to explore the risk factors for SSIs after radical gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer to guide clinical therapies and reduce the incidence of SSI.@*METHODS@#The study was a retrospective cohort study in patients who underwent radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. SSI was defined in accordance with the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance System. We evaluated patient-related and peri-operative variables that could be risk factors for SSIs. The Chi-squared test and logistic regression analysis were used to assess the association between these risk factors and SSI.@*RESULTS@#Among the 590 patients, 386 were men and 204 were women. The mean age was 56.6 (28-82) years and 14.2% (84/590) of these patients had an SSI. Among them, incisional SSI was observed in 23 patients (3.9%) and organ/space SSI in 61 patients (10.3%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified sex (odds ratios [ORs] = 2.548, and 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.268-5.122, P = 0.009), total gastrectomy (OR = 2.327, 95% CI: 1.352-4.004, P = 0.002), albumin level (day 3 after surgery) <30 g/L (OR = 1.868, 95% CI: 1.066-3.274, P = 0.029), and post-operative total parenteral nutrition (OR = 2.318, 95% CI: 1.026-5.237, P = 0.043) as independent risk factors for SSI.@*CONCLUSIONS@#SSI was common among patients after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. The method supporting post-operative nutrition and the duration of prophylactic antibiotics may be important modifiable influencing factors for SSI.

Expression of Ietalurus punetaus β-defensin based on recombinant Pichia pastoris / 生物工程学报

β-defensin is a primary protein immune factor in channel catfish's (Ietalurus punetaus) resistance to pathogenic microorganisms. Its primary structure contains a signal peptide composed of 24 amino acid residues at the N-terminal and a mature peptide composed of 43 amino acid residues at the C-terminal. The mature peptide region is responsible for the biological activity of β-defensin. In the present study, a recombinant strain of Pichia pastoris that produces channel catfish β-defensin, was constructed to realize the biosynthesis of channel catfish β-defensin based on eukaryotic expression. First, the β-defensin gene "IPBD" was isolated from the skin of channel catfish by RT-PCR. After linking it with the expression vector pPICZA, pPICZA-IPBD was transferred into competent P. pastoris X-33 cells to obtain recombinant P. pastoris strains. The yeast transformants with multi-copy gene inserts were obtained by using the culture medium containing 1 000 μg/mL zeocin. Using BMM culture medium (without amino nitrogen culture medium) instead of BMMY culture medium (with amino nitrogen culture medium), the fermentation and culture conditions of the recombinant strain were optimized, and the optimal conditions for producing channel catfish β-defensin were determined as follows: the expression was induced for 96 h with 1.0% methanol at 28 °C , 250 r/min. Purified protein with molecular weight of 5.98 kDa was obtained by nickel affinity chromatography, and MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry proved that it was the expected recombinant IPBD. The antibacterial test results showed that the inhibitory rates of recombinant IPBD on Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa were 69.6%, 71.6% and 65.8%, respectively. This study provides a recombinant DNA technique for the development of small molecule natural antibacterial peptide from fish.

Body mass index is a promising predictor of response to oral rehydration saline in children with vasovagal syncope / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Vasovagal syncope (VVS) greatly impairs quality of life. The therapeutic efficacy of oral rehydration saline (ORS) for unselected VVS patients is not satisfactory due to the diverse mechanisms of the disease. Body mass index (BMI) was demonstrated to reflect blood volume to a certain extent. Therefore, the present study explored the capability of BMI to predict the therapeutic response of children with VVS to ORS treatment.@*METHODS@#Seventy-four children with VVS who visited the Syncope Unit of Pediatrics at Peking University First Hospital from November 2010 to June 2019 receiving ORS treatment were enrolled for this retrospective case-control study. A comparison of demographic, clinical, and hemodynamic characteristics was performed between responders and non-responders. The correlation between baseline BMI and response time was analyzed. To determine the value of baseline BMI in predicting the therapeutic efficacy of ORS in children with VVS, a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed.@*RESULTS@#Fifty-two children were identified as responders, and the remaining 22 children were identified as non-responders. The baseline BMI of the responders was much lower than that of the non-responders (16.4 [15.5, 17.8] kg/m2vs. 20.7 ±e6 kg/m2, P < 0.001), and baseline BMI was positively correlated with response time in the head-up tilt test after adjusting for sex (r = 0.256, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.067-0.439, P = 0.029). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of baseline BMI was 0.818 (95% CI: 0.704-0.932, P < 0.001), and an optimal cut-off value of 18.9 kg/m2 yielded a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 73% to predict the efficacy of ORS in VVS.@*CONCLUSION@#Prior to treatment, baseline BMI is a promising predictor of response to ORS in children with VVS.

Fuzheng Huayu recipe, a traditional Chinese compound herbal medicine, attenuates renal interstitial fibrosis via targeting the miR-21/PTEN/AKT axis / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#MicroRNAs (miRNAs) may be viable targets for treating renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF). Fuzheng Huayu recipe (FZHY), a traditional Chinese compound herbal medicine, is often used in China to treat fibrosis. This study sought to assess the mechanisms through which FZHY influences miRNAs to treat RIF.@*METHODS@#RIF was induced in rats by mercury chloride and treated with FZHY. Hydroxyproline content, Masson's staining and type I collagen expression were used to evaluate renal collagen deposition. Renal miRNA profiles were evaluated using a miRNA microarray. Those miRNAs that were differentially expressed following FZHY treatment were identified and subjected to bioinformatic analyses. The miR-21 target gene phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) expression and AKT phosphorylation in kidney tissues were assessed via Western blotting. In addition, HK-2 human proximal tubule epithelial cells were treated using angiotensin II (Ang-II) to induce epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), followed by FZHY exposure. miR-21 and PTEN expressions were evaluated via quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), while E-cadherin and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expressions were assessed by immunofluorescent staining and qRT-PCR. Western blotting was used to assess PTEN and AKT phosphorylation.@*RESULTS@#FZHY significantly decreased kidney collagen deposition, hydroxyproline content and type I collagen level. The miRNA microarray identified 20 miRNAs that were differentially expressed in response to FZHY treatment. Subsequent bioinformatic analyses found that miR-21 was the key fibrosis-related miRNA regulated by FZHY. FZHY also decreased PTEN expression and AKT phosphorylation in fibrotic kidneys. Results from in vitro tests also suggested that FZHY promoted E-cadherin upregulation and inhibited α-SMA expression in Ang-II-treated HK-2 cells, effectively reversing Ang-II-mediated EMT. We also determined that FZHY reduced miR-21 expression, increased PTEN expression and decreased AKT phosphorylation in these cells.@*CONCLUSION@#miR-21 is the key fibrosis-related miRNA regulated by FZHY. The ability of FZHY to modulate miR-21/PTEN/AKT signaling may be a viable approach for treating RIF.

The protective effect of sulodexide on endothelial damage induced by pregnancy serum of preeclampsia / 医学研究生学报

ObjectiveThe relationship between glycosaminoglycans sulodexide (SDX) and HDP such as preeclampsia (PE) has not been reported. The purpose of this study is to observe the protective effect and molecular mechanism of SDX on the function damage of human umbilical vein endothelial cells induced by pregnancy serum of PE.Methodsthe indicated concentrations of SDX (0, 0.1, 0.3, 1, 3, 10, 30 LSU/mL) were used to interfere with HUVEC and Ea.hy926 cells. CCK8 and Matrigel methods were used to detect cell proliferation and tube formation. The normal pregnant women serum (NPS) or PE patients serum (PES) which collected at the 12 th week of pregnancy and the effective concentration of SDX were used to intervene the cells. Matrigel methods were used to observe the protective effect of SDX on endothelial function damage which induced by pathological serum. The secretion level of sFLT-1 and PlGF in supernatant were determined by ELISA.ResultsCompared with the control group, high concentration of SDX inhibited the proliferation of endothelial cells. SDX significantly promoted the tube formation activity wiht a peak at 0.3 LSU/mL (P<0.01). PES damaged the tube formation activity. 0.3 LSU/mL SDX protected cells from tube formation damage which induced by PES (P<0.01). PES promoted the secretion of sFLT-1 and inhibit the secretion of PlGF, while 0.3 LSU/mL SDX reversed the secretion of sFLT-1 and PlGF induced by PES (P<0.01).Conclusion0.3 LSU/mL SDX can protect endothelial cells from PES induced endothelial dysfunction, which is associated with the secretion balance regulation of sFLT-1 / PlGF.

Research Advances in the Diagnostic Value of Rapid On-site Evaluation in Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration for Lung Cancer / 中国医学科学院学报

Rapid on-site evaluation(ROSE),an auxiliary sampling quality evaluation technology,can be used to evaluate the adequacy and diagnostic category of samples,judge the histological type of lung cancer,and optimize the gene type of lung cancer.Applying ROSE to endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration of suspected lung cancer can improve the puncture success rate and diagnostic rate and reduce complications and puncture attempts.Rose performed via remote cytopathology technology or by trained respiratory specialists may become the future trends.