Research Progress of Age Estimation in the Living by Knee Joint MRI / 法医学杂志

Bone development shows certain regularity with age. The regularity can be used to infer age and serve many fields such as justice, medicine, archaeology, etc. As a non-invasive evaluation method of the epiphyseal development stage, MRI is widely used in living age estimation. In recent years, the rapid development of machine learning has significantly improved the effectiveness and reliability of living age estimation, which is one of the main development directions of current research. This paper summarizes the analysis methods of age estimation by knee joint MRI, introduces the current research trends, and future application trend.

The Nucleus Accumbens CRH-CRHR1 System Mediates Early-Life Stress-Induced Sleep Disturbance and Dendritic Atrophy in the Adult Mouse / 神经科学通报·英文版

Adverse experiences in early life have long-lasting negative impacts on behavior and the brain in adulthood, one of which is sleep disturbance. As the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1) system and nucleus accumbens (NAc) play important roles in both stress responses and sleep-wake regulation, in this study we investigated whether the NAc CRH-CRHR1 system mediates early-life stress-induced abnormalities in sleep-wake behavior in adult mice. Using the limited nesting and bedding material paradigm from postnatal days 2 to 9, we found that early-life stress disrupted sleep-wake behaviors during adulthood, including increased wakefulness and decreased non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep time during the dark period and increased rapid eye movement (REM) sleep time during the light period. The stress-induced sleep disturbances were accompanied by dendritic atrophy in the NAc and both were largely reversed by daily systemic administration of the CRHR1 antagonist antalarmin during stress exposure. Importantly, Crh overexpression in the NAc reproduced the effects of early-life stress on sleep-wake behavior and NAc morphology, whereas NAc Crhr1 knockdown reversed these effects (including increased wakefulness and reduced NREM sleep in the dark period and NAc dendritic atrophy). Together, our findings demonstrate the negative influence of early-life stress on sleep architecture and the structural plasticity of the NAc, and highlight the critical role of the NAc CRH-CRHR1 system in modulating these negative outcomes evoked by early-life stress.

Determinants of emergency department utilisation by older adults in Singapore: A systematic review

INTRODUCTION@#Adults aged ≥60 years contribute to disproportionately higher visits to the emergency departments (ED). We performed a systematic review to examine the reasons why older persons visit the ED in Singapore.@*METHODS@#We searched Medline, Embase and Scopus from January 2000 to December 2021 for studies reporting on ED utilisation by older adults in Singapore, and included studies that investigated determinants of ED utilisation. Statistically significant determinants and their effect sizes were extracted. Determinants of ED utilisation were organised using Andersen and Newman's model. Quality of studies was evaluated using Newcastle Ottawa Scale and Critical Appraisal Skills Programme.@*RESULTS@#The search yielded 138 articles, of which 7 were used for analysis. Among the significant individual determinants were predisposing (staying in public rental housing, religiosity, loneliness, poorer coping), enabling (caregiver distress from behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia) and health factors (multimorbidity in patients with dementia, frailty, primary care visit in last 6 months, better treatment adherence). The 7 included studies are of moderate quality and none of them employed conceptual frameworks to organise determinants of ED utilisation.@*CONCLUSION@#The major determinants of ED utilisation by older adults in Singapore were largely individual factors. Evaluation of societal determinants of ED utilisation was lacking in the included studies. There is a need for a more holistic examination of determinants of ED utilisation locally based on conceptual models of health seeking behaviours.

Relationship of sleep duration and annual changes in sleep duration with the incidence of gastrointestinal cancers: a prospective cohort study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Prospective analyses have yet to identify a consistent relationship between sleep duration and the incidence of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. The effect of changes in sleep duration on GI cancer incidence has scarcely been studied. Therefore, we aimed to examine the association between baseline sleep duration and annual changes in sleep duration and GI cancer risk in a large population-based cohort study.@*METHODS@#A total of 123,495 participants with baseline information and 83,511 participants with annual changes in sleep duration information were prospectively observed from 2006 to 2015 for cancer incidence. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and their confidence intervals (CIs) for GI cancers according to sleep duration and annual changes in sleep duration.@*RESULTS@#In baseline sleep duration analyses, short sleep duration (≤5 h) was significantly associated with a lower risk of GI cancer in females (HR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.10-0.90), and a linear relationship between baseline sleep duration and GI cancer was observed (P = 0.010), especially in males and in the >50-year-old group. In the annual changes in sleep duration analyses, with stable category (0 to -15 min/year) as the control group, decreased sleep duration (≤-15 min/year) was significantly associated with the development of GI cancer (HR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.04-1.61), especially in the >50-year-old group (HR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.01-1.71), and increased sleep duration (>0 min/year) was significantly associated with GI cancer in females (HR: 2.89; 95% CI: 1.14-7.30).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Both sleep duration and annual changes in sleep duration were associated with the incidence of GI cancer.

Characteristics and outcomes following transcatheter aortic valve replacement in China: a report from China aortic valve transcatheter replacement registry (CARRY) / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#The past decade has witnessed an ever-increasing momentum of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and a subsequent paradigm shift in the contemporary management of severe aortic stenosis (AS). We conducted a multi-centric TAVR registry based on Chinese patients (the China Aortic valve tRanscatheter Replacement registrY [CARRY]) to delineate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of Chinese patients who underwent TAVR and compare the results between different valve types in different Chinese regions.@*METHODS@#CARRY is an all-comer registry of aortic valve disease patients undergoing TAVR across China and was designed as an observational study that retrospectively included all TAVR patients at each participating site. Seven hospitals in China participated in the CARRY, and 1204 patients from April 2012 to November 2020 were included. Categorical variables were compared using the chi-squared test, and continuous variables were analyzed using a t test or analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. The Kaplan-Meier curve was used to estimate the risk of adverse events during follow-up.@*RESULTS@#The mean age of the patients was 73.8 ± 6.5 years and 57.2% were male. The median Society of Thoracic Surgeon-Predicted Risk of Mortality score was 6.0 (3.7-8.9). Regarding the aortic valve, the proportion of bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) was 48.5%. During the hospital stay, the stroke rate was 0.7%, and the incidence of high-degree atrioventricular block indicating permanent pacemaker implantation was 11.0%. The in-hospital all-cause mortality rate was 2.2%. After 1 year, the overall mortality rate was 4.5%. Compared to patients with tricuspid aortic valve (TAV), those with BAV had similar in-hospital complication rates, but a lower incidence of in-hospital mortality (1.4% vs. 3.3%) and 1 year mortality (2.3% vs. 5.8%).@*CONCLUSIONS@#TAVR candidates in China were younger, higher proportion of BAV, and had lower rates of post-procedural complications and mortality than other international all-comer registries. Given the use of early generation valves in the majority of the population, patients with BAV had similar rates of complications, but lower mortality than those with TAV. These findings further propel the extension of TAVR in low-risk patients.@*TRIAL REGISTRATION@#https://www.chictr.org.cn/ (No. ChiCTR2000038526).

Risk characteristics of hypertension in high-risk population： an analysis based on the surveillance data of chronic diseases in Shanghai / 上海预防医学

Objective:To understand the epidemiological characteristics of high-risk population of hypertension in Shanghai， and to provide references for health management and targeted lifestyle intervention of the high-risk population in community. Methods:The data from the 2013 Shanghai Non-communicable and Chronic Diseases Surveillance were used. The subjects who met the criteria of high-risk population of hypertension were included， and 11 753 subjects were finally identified， to analyze the distribution and level of risk characteristics. Result:Among six high-risk characteristics of hypertension， the detection rate of high salt in diet was the highest （55.3%）， followed by overweight/obesity （44.0%）， family history of hypertension （41.6%）， and blood pressure level of （130-139）/（85-89） mmHg （31.7%）. The detection rate of excessive drinking was the lowest （5.0%）. The percentage of population with one or two high-risk characteristics was higher than that with three or more high-risk characteristics （76.9% vs. 23.1%）. Systolic blood pressure， diastolic blood pressure， fasting plasma glucose level， and body mass index in the male high-risk group were higher than those in the female group， and the differences were statistically significant （P<0.05）. Systolic blood pressure， diastolic blood pressure， fasting plasma glucose level， body mass index and daily salt intake were different between different age groups， educational level and occupational types （P<0.05）. Systolic blood pressure， diastolic blood pressure， body mass index and daily salt intake were significantly different among high-risk groups with different marital status （P<0.05）. The daily salt intake and systolic blood pressure levels of high-risk population in different areas were significantly different （P<0.05）. Conclusion:We should identify high-risk groups of hypertension as early as possible and actively carry out community health management and targeted lifestyle interventions. The focus should be on the groups and individuals with high-risk characteristics such as dietary high salt and overweight/obesity， male， middle-aged and low-educated groups. In this way， we can reduce the level of high-risk characteristics， prevent and delay the occurrence of hypertension.

Characteristics of immune function of full-term infants with different feeding patterns at the age of 3 months: a prospective cohort study / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To explore the characteristics of immune function of healthy full-term infants at the age of 3 months, and to analyze the relationship of immune function with feeding pattern and sex.@*METHODS@#A total of 84 healthy full-term infants born in four hospitals in Beijing and Hohhot, China were prospectively recruited. Their feeding patterns remained unchanged within 4 months after birth. They were divided into a breast-feeding group and a milk powder feeding group according to their feeding patterns. At the age of 3 months after birth, peripheral venous blood samples of the two groups were collected to evaluate cellular immunity and humoral immunity and perform routine blood test. The laboratory indices were compared between infants with different feeding patterns and sexes.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the milk powder feeding group, the breast-feeding group had significantly lower proportion of T cell second signal receptor CD28, immunoglobulin M, and proportion and absolute count of neutrophils (@*CONCLUSIONS@#Sex has no significant effect on the proportion of lymphocyte subsets in 3-month-old full-term infants, but feeding patterns are associated with the proportion of CD28

Changing trend in prognosis of primary hypopharyngeal carcinoma and reason analysis: date comparison of 2003-2007 and 2010-2014 in a single centre / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

To explore changing trend in prognosis of primary hypopharyngeal carcinoma and to analyze the reasons at the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital of Fudan University. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 461 patients with primary hypopharyngeal carcinoma treated at the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital of Fudan University from 2003 to 2007 (Group 1) and 2010 to 2014 (Group 2) according to the inclusion criteria. 142 from Group 1, including 133 males and 9 females, rangedfrom 38 to 82 years old and 319 from Group 2, including 313 males and 6 females, ranged from 39 to 81 years old, were included in this work. The laryngeal function preservation rate, survival outcome, application and effect of pre-and post-operative adjuvant therapy were compared. SPSS 24.0 was used for statistical analyses. There were 62 patients with early disease (T1-2N0) including 18 in Group 1 and 44 in Group 2, in whom 3 (16.7%) underwent surgical procedures with laryngeal function preservation in Group 1, while, 30 (68.2%) underwent laryngeal function preservation surgery in Group 2. The laryngeal function preservation rate showed an obviously upward trend in recent years (χ(2)=13.617, 0.001), whereas, the recurrence-free survival rate (RFS) and overall survival rate (OS) showed no significant differences between two groups (0.469 and 0.808, respectively). Among the 399 patients with advanced disease, 124 were in Group 1 and 275 in Group 2. After propensity score matching (PSM) was used, the OS rate was significantly higher for Group 2 than Group 1 (0.017), while the application of laryngeal function preservation surgery was significantly higher in Group 2 (χ(2)=4.686, 0.030). The application rates of preoperative adjuvant therapy and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy were significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1 (χ(2)=5.687, 0.017; χ(2)=19.407, 0.001). The application of laryngeal function preserving surgery significantly increases the retention rate of laryngeal functions in patients with early-stage hypopharyngeal carcinoma, with similar long-term survival outcomes. The application of comprehensive treatment including preoperative adjuvant therapy and postoperative adjuvant treatments, especially postoperative chemoradiotherapy, shows an obvious increase in the function preservation rate and long-term survival in patients with advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nomogram for Predicting Central Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Two Clinical Centers / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Purpose@#Central lymph node metastasis (CNM) are highly prevalent but hard to detect preoperatively in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients, while the significance of prophylactic compartment central lymph node dissection (CLND) remains controversial as a treatment option. We aim to establish a nomogram assessing risks of CNM in PTC patients, and explore whether prophylactic CLND should be recommended. @*Materials and Methods@#One thousand four hundred thirty-eight patients from two clinical centers that underwent thyroidectomy with CLND for PTC within the period 2016–2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to examine risk factors associated with CNM. A nomogram for predicting CNM was established, thereafter internally and externally validated. @*Results@#Seven variables were found to be significantly associated with CNM and were used to construct the model. These were as follows: thyroid capsular invasion, multifocality, creatinine > 70 μmol/L, age 1 cm, body mass index 1 ng/mL. The nomogram had good discrimination with a concordance index of 0.854 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.843 to 0.867), supported by an external validation point estimate of 0.825 (95% CI, 0.793 to 0.857). A decision curve analysis was made to evaluate nomogram and ultrasonography for predicting CNM. @*Conclusion@#A validated nomogram utilizing readily available preoperative variables was developed to predict the probability of central lymph node metastases in patients presenting with PTC. This nomogram may help surgeons make appropriate surgical decisions in the management of PTC, especially in terms of whether prophylactic CLND is warranted.

Changing trend in prognosis of primary hypopharyngeal carcinoma and reason analysis: date comparison of 2003-2007 and 2010-2014 in a single centre / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective@#To explore changing trend in prognosis of primary hypopharyngeal carcinoma and to analyze the reasons at the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital of Fudan University.@*Methods@#We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 461 patients with primary hypopharyngeal carcinoma treated at the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital of Fudan University from 2003 to 2007 (Group 1) and 2010 to 2014 (Group 2) according to the inclusion criteria. 142 from Group 1, including 133 males and 9 females, rangedfrom 38 to 82 years old and 319 from Group 2, including 313 males and 6 females, ranged from 39 to 81 years old, were included in this work. The laryngeal function preservation rate, survival outcome, application and effect of pre-and post-operative adjuvant therapy were compared. SPSS 24.0 was used for statistical analyses.@*Results@#There were 62 patients with early disease (T1-2N0) including 18 in Group 1 and 44 in Group 2, in whom 3 (16.7%) underwent surgical procedures with laryngeal function preservation in Group 1, while, 30 (68.2%) underwent laryngeal function preservation surgery in Group 2. The laryngeal function preservation rate showed an obviously upward trend in recent years (χ2=13.617, P<0.001), whereas, the recurrence-free survival rate (RFS) and overall survival rate (OS) showed no significant differences between two groups (P=0.469 and 0.808, respectively). Among the 399 patients with advanced disease, 124 were in Group 1 and 275 in Group 2. After propensity score matching (PSM) was used, the OS rate was significantly higher for Group 2 than Group 1 (P=0.017), while the application of laryngeal function preservation surgery was significantly higher in Group 2 (χ2=4.686, P=0.030). The application rates of preoperative adjuvant therapy and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy were significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1 (χ2=5.687, P=0.017; χ2=19.407, P<0.001).@*Conclusion@#The application of laryngeal function preserving surgery significantly increases the retention rate of laryngeal functions in patients with early-stage hypopharyngeal carcinoma, with similar long-term survival outcomes. The application of comprehensive treatment including preoperative adjuvant therapy and postoperative adjuvant treatments, especially postoperative chemoradiotherapy, shows an obvious increase in the function preservation rate and long-term survival in patients with advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma.

Efficacy and safety of less invasive surfactant administration in the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome: a Meta analysis / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the efficacy and safety of less invasive surfactant administration (LISA) in the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS).@*METHODS@#PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, China Biology Medicine disc, China Scientific Journal Database, CNKI Database, and Wanfang Database were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the use of LISA strategy in the treatment of NRDS. Literature screening and quality assessment were performed according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Review Manager 5.3 software was used to perform the Meta analysis.@*RESULTS@#A total of 9 RCTs were included, with a total of 1 212 children with NRDS. There were 611 children in the experimental group (treated with LISA strategy) and 601 children in the control group [treated with intubation-surfactant-extubation (INSURE) strategy]. The Meta analysis showed that the use of LISA strategy reduced the rate of mechanical ventilation within 72 hours after birth (OR=0.39, 95%CI: 0.29-0.51, P0.05). There was no significant difference in the rate of repeated use of pulmonary surfactant (PS) between the two groups (P>0.05), but there was a higher incidence rate of PS reflux observed by LISA strategy (OR=2.60, 95%CI: 1.64-4.12, P<0.001).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Compared with INSURE strategy, LISA strategy has advantages in reducing the need for mechanical ventilation and the incidence rates of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and pneumothorax in children with NRDS.

The relationship between inflammatory factors and the risk of breast cancer in Kailuan cohort / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective To investigate whether elevated baseline levels of high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP) and neutrophil (NE) are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in Kailuan female cohort. Methods Females from Kailuan cohort (2006-2007) were included in this study. Information on check-up, hsCRP and NE were collected at baseline for all subjects. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) of association between baseline hsCRP and NE values and breast cancer risk. Results By December 31, 2015, a total of 18 866 participants were enrolled in this study. During the follow-up, 183 new cases of breast cancer were observed. All participants were divided into three groups according to the level of hsCRP (3 mg/L). The cumulative incidence of breast cancer were 829/105, 1 211/105 and 1 495/105 in these 3 groups, respectively ( 2=12.08， P=0.002). Compared with participants with lower hsCRP levels (3 mg/L) levels had significantly increased risk of breast cancer (HR=1.71,95%CI: 1.18-2.47, P=0.005), howerver, we didn’t find the statistically significant association between NE level (0.05). Conclusions Elevated levels of hsCRP at baseline might increase the risk of breast cancer in females.

Factors affecting follow-up non-attendance in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension: a systematic review

This is a systematic review of the factors and reasons associated with follow-up non-attendance (FUNA) in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension in an outpatient setting. We performed a systematic literature search using electronic databases and related keywords with the PRISMA-P checklist, focusing on the factors, types of studies and number of studies that showed a positive, negative or neutral association with FUNA. Data was presented in three categories: patient, disease and medication, and healthcare provider factors. In total, 4,822 articles were reviewed. Among the 24 articles that were relevant to the stated objective, 83 factors were found to be associated with FUNA. A target-board model for FUNA was presented for clinicians to better understand the various aspects contributing to and implications involved in FUNA. Greater awareness and understanding of the multifactorial nature of FUNA and taking a multifaceted approach are important to effectively reduce this problem.

A systematic review of the association of obesity with the outcomes of inflammatory rheumatic diseases

This was a systematic review of the literature on the association between obesity and the outcome of inflammatory rheumatic diseases. We conducted a literature search using PubMed®, Embase and PsycINFO®. Articles were classified into three categories based on the effects of obesity on the outcomes of inflammatory rheumatic diseases. The subject population, country, type of studies, number of patients, measurement of obesity and outcomes assessed were presented. Quality was appraised using Kmet et al's criteria. 4,331 articles were screened and 60 were relevant to the objective. Obesity had a negative, positive and neutral association with outcomes of inflammatory rheumatic diseases in 38 (63.3%) studies with 57,612 subjects, 11 (18.3%) studies with 3,866 subjects, and 11 (18.3%) studies with 3,834 subjects, respectively. In most studies, the disease population had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Tumour necrosis factor-α inhibitors were mostly associated with negative outcomes. More studies examining subjects outside Europe and North America and diseases other than RA are warranted.

Risk factors for cytomegalovirus disease in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): a systematic review

Abstract Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is an opportunistic pathogen causing reactivation and disease in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients. This study aims to systematically review the literature for risk factors associated with CMV disease in SLE patients, in order to identify those more susceptible to CMV infection during their treatment. Methods: A systematic review was conducted on 4 different search engines and via hand search until May 2017. Studies were included after quality assessment via the Standard Quality Assessment Criteria for Evaluating Primary Research Papers from a Variety of Fields (HTA KMET). Results: Two studies on CMV disease were included. Elevated CMV viral load, higher steroid doses, use of immunosuppressants and disease duration were the most commonly associated risk factors for CMV disease. Conclusion: High CMV viral loads, longer SLE disease duration and higher steroid doses were associated with CMV disease. Further studies studying the risk of treatment drugs and role of interventions in the development of CMV infection are needed.

Diagnosis of two Wilson's disease patients in one pedigree and analysis of related factors of its different clinical phenotypes / 基础医学与临床

Objective To study the clinical features of Wilson's disease patients with different clinical phenotypes in one pedigree. To make the diagnosis and summarize the factors influencing the clinical manifestations of patients with Wilson's disease. Methods The clinical data of siblings in this pedigree were collected.The literature about the fac-tors influencing the clinical phenotype of Wilson's disease were found. Results There were two siblings in one pedi-gree with Wilson's disease.The younger brother whose phenotype is liver-type,was 6 years old. His brother was 16 years old and showed mixed type(nerve+kidney).Their genotype are exon5.c.1714delG(maternal),exon8.c.2333G>T,p.R778L(paternal). They have the same genotype but different phenotypes and different age of onset. After re-viewing the literature,we found some factors outside the ATP7B gene may also affect the clinical phenotype. Conclu-sions Genetic testing is of great importance in children with Wilson's disease.Screening for hepatolenticular degener-ation should be performed in children with liver disease or neurological manifestations.In addition to the ATP7B gene, the clinical phenotype of hepatolenticular degeneration may also be affected by many other factors.

Regulatory effect of icariin and oleanolic acid combined with dexamethasone on JAKs/STATs signaling pathway in hormone-resistant CEM-C1 cells / 医学研究生学报

Objective The mechanisms of epimedium and Ligustrum Lucidum with glucocorticoid (GC) acting on asthma are closely related to the regulation of the JAKs / STATs pathway associated with the Th1/Th2 balance in the lung tissue of the asthmatic rats. This study aimed to investigate the synergistic effect of icariin and oleanolic acid with dexamethasone on the protein expressions of JAKs/STATs in GC-sensitive CEM-C7 and GC-resistant CEM-C1 cells.Methods We divided CEM-C7 and CEM-C1 cells into groups A (complete culture medium control), B (dexamethasone at 10-6mol/L), C (icarrin at 100 mg/mL), D (oleanolic acid at 100 mg/mL), E (icarrin+oleanolic acid both at 50 mg/mL), and F (icariin+oleanolic acid+dexamethasone at 50 mg/mL, 50 mg/mL and 10-6 mol/L, respectively), and treated them with corresponding agents for 24 hours. Then, we determined the protein expressions of JAKs (JAK1 and JAK2) and STATs (STAT1, STAT3, STAT5, and STAT6) in the CEM-C7 and CEM-C1 cells of different groups by Western blot.Results The protein expressions of JAK1 and JAK2 in the CEM-C1 cells were 0.22±0.01 and 0.23±0.01 in group A, 0.24±0.01 and 0.24±0.01 in group B, 0.23±0.01 and 0.22±0.01 in group C, 0.24±0.01 and 0.23±0.01 in group D, 0.22±0.01 and 0.21±0.01 in group E, and 0.18±0.01 and 0.19±0.01 in group F, both significantly lower in groups E and F than in B (P<0.01), and in groups C, D and F than in E (P<0.01). The expressions of STAT1 and STAT3 proteins were 0.23±0.01 and 0.23±0.01 in group A, 0.23±0.01 and 0.22±0.01 in group B, 0.23±0.01 and 0.22±0.01 in group C, 0.23±0.01 and 0.23±0.01 in group D, 0.18±0.01 and 0.20±0.02 in group E, and 0.17±0.01 and 0.16±0.01 in group F, both remarkably lower in groups E and F than in B (P<0.01), and that of STAT3 even lower in F than in E (P<0.01). The expressions of STAT5 and STAT6 were 0.24±0.01 and 0.24±0.01 in group A, 0.23±0.01 and 0.23±0.02 in group B, 0.23±0.01 and 0.24±0.01 in group C, 0.23±0.01 and 0.24±0.01 in group D, 0.19±0.01 and 0.19±0.01 in group E, and 0.16±0.01 and 0.20±0.02 in group F, both markedly lower in groups E and F than in B (P<0.01), and even lower in F than in E (P<0.01). The protein expressions of JAK1 and JAK2 in the CEM-C7 cells were 0.24±0.01 and 0.22±0.02 in group A, 0.12±0.01 and 0.49±0.01 in group B, 0.23±0.01 and 0.27±0.01 in group C, 0.25±0.01 and 0.25±0.02 in group D, 0.27±0.01 and 0.23±0.01 in group E, and 0.20±0.01 and 0.32±0.01 in group F, the former increased while the latter decreased significantly in groups B, C, D, E and F as compared with group A (P<0.01), the former even lower and the latter even higher in groups C and F than in E (P<0.01). The expressions of STAT1 and STAT3 were 0.23±0.01 and 0.23±0.01 in group A, 0.10±0.01 and 0.11±0.02 in group B, 0.27±0.01 and 0.26±0.01 in group C, 0.27±0.01 and 0.27±0.01 in group D, 0.28±0.01 and 0.27±0.01 in group E, and 0.21±0.01 and 0.23±0.02 in group F, both remarkably higher in groups C, D, E and F than in B (P<0.01), though lower in F than in E (P<0.01). The expressions of STAT5 and STAT6 were 0.24±0.01 and 0.24±0.01 in group A, 0.10±0.01 and 0.11±0.02 in group B, 0.23±0.01 and 0.23±0.02 in group C, 0.23±0.01 and 0.23±0.01 in group D, 0.24±0.01 and 0.24±0.01 in group E, and 0.20±0.01 and 0.21±0.05 in group F, both significantly upregulated in groups C, D, E and F as compared with B (P<0.01), though lower in F than in E (P<0.05).Conclusion In case of hormone resistance, icariin and oleanolic acid combined with dexamethasone may regulate the JAKs/STATs signaling pathway and improve the sensitivity to hormone action.

Comparison of Ulcerative Colitis Models Respectively Induced by Free Drinking and Intragastric Administration of Dextran Sodium Sulfate in Mice / 中国药师

Objective:To investigate the differences in related indices of ulcerative colitis (UC) respectively induced by free drinking and intragastric administration of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in mice to provide experimental reference for the optimization of UC model.Methods:Totally 30 C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the normal control group,free drinking group and intragastric administration group with 10 ones in each.The mice drank water freely with free drinking or intragastric administration of 3% DSS solution at the dose of 4 g·kg-1·day-1 for 7 days to establish the UC model.The differences in disease activity index (DAI),histological damage sore and activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) among the groups were compared.Results:Two mice died during the experiment in the free drinking group,and DAI of survival mice was (8.8±1.6).There was no death of mice in intragastric administration group,and DAI was (9.0±0.8),and there was no significant difference in DAI between the groups (P>0.05),while the coefficient of variation in the free drinking group was higher than that in the intragastric administration group (18.7 vs 8.6).The colonic histological damage score of the free drinking group and the intragastric administration group was 24.8±4.2 and 27.0±2.8,respectively,which was typical inflammatory change with no significant difference (P>0.05),while the coefficient of variation of the free drinking group was higher than that of the intragastric administration group (16.9 vs 10.4).MPO of the normal control group,free drinking group and intragastric administration group was (0.41±0.03),(2.32±0.34) and (2.05±0.18) U·g-1,respectively.Compared with the normal control group,significant difference in MPO was shown in the free drinking group and the intragastric administration group (P0.05),and the coefficient of variation in the free drinking group was higher than that in the intragastric administration group (14.7 vs 8.8).Conclusion:Both free drinking and intragastric administration of DSS can successfully induce the UC model in mice.Compared with the free drinking group,the intragastric administration group has low mortality rate and low coefficient of variation.Therefore,intragastric administration has more advantages than free drinking in inducing the UC model in mice.

High Spicy Food Intake and Risk of Cancer: A Meta-analysis of Case-control Studies / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>Background:</b>Studies on the association between spicy food intake and cancer risk have reported inconsistent results. We quantitatively assessed this association by conducting a meta-analysis based on evidence from case-control studies.</p><p><b>Methods:</b>PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched for eligible publications. Combined odds ratios (OR s) with their 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random- or fixed-effects model. The methodological quality of the included articles was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS). All data were analyzed using STATA 11.0 software (version 11.0; StataCorp., College Station, TX, USA). Subgroup analyses were also performed with stratification by region, sex, number of cases, cancer subtype, source of the control group, and NOS score.</p><p><b>Results:</b>A total 39 studies from 28 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis (7884 patients with cancer and 10,142 controls). Comparison of the highest versus lowest exposure category in each study revealed a significant OR of 1.76 (95% CI = 1.35-2.29) in spite of significant heterogeneity (P < 0.001). In the subgroup analyses, this positive correlation was still found for gastric cancer, different regions, different numbers of cases, different sources of the control group, and high-quality articles (NOS score of ≥ 7). However, no statistically significant association was observed for women, esophageal cancer, gallbladder cancer, or low-quality articles (NOS score of <7). No evidence of publication bias was found.</p><p><b>Conclusions:</b>Evidence from case-control studies suggested that a higher level of spicy food intake may be associated with an increased incidence of cancer despite significant heterogeneity. More studies are warranted to clarify our understanding of the association between high spicy food intake and the risk of cancer.</p>

Anti-tumor effect and impact on tumor immune microenvironment of tumor-targeted Salmonella VNP20009 / 药学学报

Salmonella is a gram-negative bacterium that has an ability of tumor-targeting growth and proliferation. Attenuated Salmonella VNP20009 is a virulence genes-knockout bacterial strain based on Salmonella typhimurium, and it has an advantage of good therapeutic effect and low toxicity. One of the mechanisms of anti-tumor effect of VNP20009 is the induction of inflammatory reaction within tumor tissues. We used B16F10 melanoma model to investigate the mechanism of the anti-tumor effect of VNP20009. VNP20009 treatment effectively inhibited tumor growth and promoted the apoptosis and necrosis of tumor cells. VNP20009 increased the accumulation or infiltration of CD8+ T cells and CD11b+ monocytes within tumor tissue by raising the level of immune response and thus, induce the production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) to kill tumor cells by breaking the immuno-evasion barrier in the tumor microenvironment.