Effect of intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents on systemic concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Chorioretinal disease has become a significant problem affecting human vision. Abnormal expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)leads to increased fundus permeability and neovascularization. Vitreous injection of anti-VEGF agents can rapidly inhibit the level of VEGF in the eye and effectively control the development of the disease. At present, anti-VEGF agents are widely administered in ophthalmology. However, studies have shown that intravitreal anti-VEGF agents can reduce plasma VEGF concentration after entering the circulatory system, and the pointless off-target effects of drugs may lead to systemic adverse reactions. For elderly patients, patients with serious comorbidities, lactating women, premature infants and other special populations, attention should be paid to systemic VEGF inhibition after multiple injections. In this paper, in order to provide reference for clinical anti-VEGF therapy, the pharmacokinetics therapy, systemic adverse reactions, contralateral eye effects, and effects of anti-VEGF on breast milk and preterm infants were discussed, and the systemic effects of vitreous injection of anti-VEGF agents were reviewed.

Grape Seed Extract Attenuates Demyelination in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Mice by Inhibiting Inflammatory Response of Immune Cells / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To examine the anti-inflammatory effect of grape seed extract (GSE) in animal and cellular models and explore its mechanism of action.@*METHODS@#This study determined the inhibitory effect of GSE on macrophage inflammation and Th1 and Th17 polarization in vitro. Based on the in vitro results, the effects and mechanisms of GSE on multiple sclerosis (MS)-experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice model were further explored. The C57BL/6 mice were intragastrically administered with 50 mg/kg of GSE once a day from the 3rd day to the 27th day after immunization. The activation of microglia, the polarization of Th1 and Th17 and the inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF- α), interleukin-1 β (IL-1 β), IL-6, IL-12, IL-17 and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) secreted by them were detected in vitro and in vivo by flow cytometry, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence staining and Western blot, respectively.@*RESULTS@#GSE reduced the secretion of TNF-α, IL-1 β and IL-6 in bone marrow-derived macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (P<0.01), inhibited the secretion of TNF-α, IL-1 β, IL-6, IL-12, IL-17 and IFN-γ in spleen cells of EAE mice immunized for 9 days (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and reduced the differentiation of Th1 and Th17 mediated by CD3 and CD28 factors (P<0.01). GSE significantly improved the clinical symptoms of EAE mice, and inhibited spinal cord demyelination and inflammatory cell infiltration. Peripherally, GSE downregulated the expression of toll-like-receptor 4 (TLR4) and Rho-associated kinase (ROCKII, P<0.05 or P<0.01), and inhibited the secretion of inflammatory factors (P<0.01 or P<0.05). In the central nervous system, GSE inhibited the infiltration of CD45+CD11b+ and CD45+CD4+ cells, and weakened the differentiation of Th1 and Th17 (P<0.05). Moreover, it reduced the secretion of inflammatory factors (P<0.01), and prevented the activation of microglia (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#GSE had a beneficial effect on the pathogenesis and progression of EAE by inhibiting inflammatory response as a potential drug and strategy for the treatment of MS.

The protective effects and underlying mechanisms of dapagliflozin on diabetes-induced testicular dysfunction / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Male diabetic individuals present a marked impairment in fertility; however, knowledge regarding the pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutic strategies is unsatisfactory. The new hypoglycemic drug dapagliflozin has shown certain benefits, such as decreasing the risk of cardiovascular and renal events in patients with diabetes. Even so, until now, the effects and underlying mechanisms of dapagliflozin on diabetic male infertility have awaited clarification. Here, we found that dapagliflozin lowered blood glucose levels, alleviated seminiferous tubule destruction, and increased sperm concentrations and motility in leptin receptor-deficient diabetic db/db mice. Moreover, the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) antagonist exendin (9-39) had no effect on glucose levels but reversed the protective effects of dapagliflozin on testicular structure and sperm quality in db/db mice. We also found that dapagliflozin inhibited the testicular apoptotic process by upregulating the expression of the antiapoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) and inhibiting oxidative stress by enhancing the antioxidant status, including total antioxidant capacity, total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, as well as decreasing the level of 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE). Exendin (9-39) administration partially reversed these effects. Furthermore, dapagliflozin upregulated the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) level in plasma and GLP-1R expression by promoting AKT8 virus oncogene cellular homolog (Akt) phosphorylation in testicular tissue. Exendin (9-39) partially inhibited Akt phosphorylation. These results suggest that dapagliflozin protects against diabetes-induced spermatogenic dysfunction via activation of the GLP-1R/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway. Our results indicate the potential effects of dapagliflozin against diabetes-induced spermatogenic dysfunction.

Establishment and evaluation of rabbit model of closed tibial fracture / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effect of a modified three-point bending fracture device for establishing a rabbit model of closed tibial fracture.@*METHODS@#The model of closed tibial fracture was established in 40 6-month-old male New Zealand white rabbits with a body weight of 2.5 to 3.0 kg, and the model was verified at 6 weeks after operation. Five rabbits underwent pre modeling without temporary external fixation before modeling, and then were fractured with a modified three-point bending fracture device;35 rabbits underwent formal modeling. Before modeling, needles were inserted, and splints were fixed externally, and then the fracture was performed with a modified three-point bending fracture device. The fracture model and healing process were evaluated by imaging and histopathology at 2 hours, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks after operation.@*RESULTS@#Two hours after modeling, the prefabricated module showed oblique fracture in varying degrees and the broken end shifted significantly;Except for 1 comminuted fracture, 2 curved butterfly fractures and 2 without obvious fracture line, the rest were simple transverse and oblique fractures without obvious displacement in formal modeling group. According to the judgment criteria, the success rate of the model was 85.71%. Four weeks after modeling, the fixed needle and splint of the experimental rabbits were in good position, the fracture alignment was good, the fracture line was blurred, many continuous callus growths could be seen around the fracture end, and the callus density was high. Six weeks after modeling, many thick new bone trabeculae at the fracture, marginal osteoblasts attached, and a small number of macrophages were seen under the microscope. The intramembrane osteogenesis area was in the preparation bone stage, the medullary cavity at the fracture had been partially reopened, the callus was in the absorption plastic stage, and many osteoclasts were visible. The X-ray showed that the fracture line almost disappeared, part of the medullary cavity had been opened, the external callus was reduced around, the callus was in the plastic stage, and the bone cortex was continuous. It suggests that the fracture model showed secondary healing.@*CONCLUSION@#The improved three-point bending fracture device can establish a stable rabbit model of closed tibial fracture, and the operation is simple, which meets the requirements of closed fracture model in basic research related to fracture healing.

Study on long-acting analgesic lappaconitine hydrobromide lyotropic liquid crystal injection / 药学学报

Long-acting analgesia is a common clinical treatment method after surgery. The slow-release injection with long-acting analgesia has the advantages of less medication frequency and stable effect. In this study, the analgesic drug lappaconitine hydrobromide lyotropic liquid crystal injection was prepared, and its sustained release mechanism, drug release and pharmacodynamic characteristics were evaluated. The results of polarizing microscope and freeze-transmission electron microscope showed that the lyotropic liquid crystal injection of the liquid crystal precursor preparation of lappaconitine hydrobromide could be obtained by the combination of glycerol monooleate (GMO) and soybean lecithin (SPC) in different proportions. The results of dissolution study in vitro showed that the drug release rate of different forms of liquid crystal preparations was layered liquid crystal > cubic liquid crystal > hexagonal liquid crystal. The mathematical model fitting results of the release data showed that the external release of layered liquid crystal, cubic liquid crystal and hexagonal liquid crystal conforms to the Ritger-Peppas model, and the release mechanism was Fick diffusion. The results of pharmacodynamics study in vivo showed that the analgesic effect of lappaconitine hydrobromide lyotropic liquid crystal injection lasted for 3 days, and there was no abnormality in the incision and local tissue, showing good safety and tolerance. The study on drug release and elimination process of the in vivo gel repository showed that lappaconitine hydrobromide could be completely released from the lyotropic liquid crystal 3 days after administration, and the sustained-release materials could be gradually eliminated locally. All animal experiments were approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. 2021-08-GY-61) and the experiments were conducted in accordance with the relevant guiding principles and regulations. The lyotropic liquid crystal injection of lappaconitine hydrobromide prepared in this study presented a solution state at room temperature, and underwent phase transition in contact with the body fluid at the administration site, formed a drug depot and exerted a slow drug release effect. This preparation can reduce systemic toxicity, prolong the duration of analgesia, reduce the number of administrations, improve the compliance of postoperative patients, and provide a reference for the design of long-term sustained release analgesic preparations.

Molecular quantification for quality control of Jinqian Baihuashe in Jinlong Capsule / 药学学报

The quality control of Chinese patent medicines containing animal-derived crude drugs is relatively difficult, because the effective constituents of most animal-derived crude drugs remain unknown. Even if there are relevant methods, they are usually qualitative, and quantitative indicators are either lacking or have poor specificity. This paper has proposed to use molecular quantitative technology to control the quality of Chinese patent medicines containing animal-derived crude drugs. In this study, a molecular quantitative method based on fluorescence quantitative PCR was established for the determination of Jinqian Baihua She in Jinlong Capsule. The method has good specificity, sensitivity, and repeatability. There is a good linear relationship between the content of DNA fragments and the CT (cycle threshold) value. The content of the Bungarus multicinctus-specific fragment in Jinlong Capsule is 24.1-46.6 IU·mg-1. It is suggested that the content of the specific fragment of Jinqian Baihua She should not be less than 19.3 IU·mg-1 as one of the quality control criteria of Jinlong Capsule. The study can provide a reference for the quality control of Chinese patent medicines containing animal-derived crude drugs.

Epidemiological characteristics of hand, foot and mouth disease among people aged 6 and over in Beijing, 2011-2020 / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) among people ≥6 years old in Beijing from 2011 to 2020. Methods: The incidence data of HFMD cases from 2011 to 2020 were collected from the National Notifiable Infectious Disease Reporting System of China Information for Disease Control and Prevention and the etiological surveillance of HFMD in 29 sentinel hospitals from 16 districts of Beijing. Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the distributions, pathogen constituents, and changes of HFMD cases in Beijing people ≥6 years old. Results: From 2011 to 2020, a total of 38 183 cases of HFMD were reported among people ≥6 years old in Beijing, of which 46 (0.12%) cases were severe. The average annual reported incidence was 19.04/100 000. The ratio of males to females were 1.37∶1(22 064∶16 119). The proportion of HFMD in people ≥6 years old increased from 7.56%(2 606/34 488) in 2011 to 24.54% (546/2 225) in 2020. The average incidence of HFMD was higher in Shunyi district, Yanqing district, and Tongzhou district than in other districts in Beijing. The positive rate of enterovirus in sentinel surveillance was 66.78% (1 976/2 959), the proportion of enterovirus group A 71 (EV-A71) was 45.29% (101/223) in 2014, no EV-A71 positive was detected in 2020, and the proportion of Coxsackievirus A 6 (CV-A6) increased from 15.11% (34/225) in 2016 to 81.08% (60/74) in 2020. Conclusions: From 2011 to 2020, the proportion of cases with HFMD in people ≥6 years old in Beijing increased yearly, and the proportion of EV-A71 positive patients decreased basically. Since 2016, CV-A6 has gradually become the dominant pathogen. More attention should be paid to the epidemic situation and dynamic pathogen changes of hand foot mouth disease in people ≥6 years old.

Effect of Different Steaming Processes on Variation of Active Ingredients in Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo study on the correlation between the apparent color， near-infrared spectroscopy and dynamic changes of index constituent content of samples during the processing of steamed Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma， and to provide reference for the processing process optimization and quality control of this decoction piece. MethodSamples were dried and crushed by setting three steaming temperature gradients of 100-105， 114-118， 130-136 ℃， and sampled at steaming times of 1， 2， 4， 8， 12， 24 h， respectively. The effects of different steaming temperatures and times on the color and absorption of steamed Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma at different infrared wavelengths were observed， and principal component analysis and cluster analysis were performed on the obtained data by R 4.1.0 and SPSS 21.0 software to observe the changes in color and infrared absorption characteristics of samples. High performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） was employed to determine the content changes of notoginsenoside R1， ginsenoside Rg1， ginsenoside Rb1， ginsenoside Re， 20（S）-ginsenoside Rg3 and 20（R）-ginsenoside Rg3 before and after steaming of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma， mobile phase was acetonitrile （A）-water （B） for gradient elution （0-30 min， 19%A； 30-60 min， 19%-44%A； 60-78 min， 44%-74%A； 78-80 min， 74%-100%A； 80-86 min， 100%A； 86-87 min， 100%-19%A； 87-95 min， 19%A） with the detection wavelength of 203 nm. ResultDuring the steaming process of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma， with the increase of steaming temperature and time， the b* （yellow-blue value）， L* （brightness）， △E* （comprehensive color difference value） of sample powder showed a decreasing trend， while the a* （red-green value） showed an increasing trend， and the color gradually deepened from gray to brown and dark black. There was no significant difference in the infrared absorption between raw and steamed Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma sample powder in the low and medium wavelength bands， but significant difference in the infrared absorption of high band， especially in the band of 9 600-10 000 cm-1. HPLC showed that the contents of the original components （notoginsenoside R1， ginsenoside Rg1， Re and Rb1） decreased and 20（S）-ginsenoside Rg3 and 20（R）-ginsenoside Rg3 were newly produced after steaming of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma. The content proportion of these six index components reached the best when the steaming temperature at 130-136 ℃ and the steaming time of 1 h. ConclusionThe color and infrared absorption of samples are affected by the dynamic changes of chemical composition during the steaming process， and the composition change is the result of the joint influence of steaming temperature and time. In this paper， through multi-dimensional analysis of the apparent color indexes， the change pattern of near-infrared absorption characteristics and the index components of the samples， the different process parameters of steamed Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma were evaluated holistically， and the quality transfer pattern of its processing process was initially revealed， which can provide scientific basis for processing optimization and quality evaluation of steamed Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma.

Predictors and Dynamic Nomogram to Determine the Individual Risk of Malignant Brain Edema After Endovascular Thrombectomy in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background@#and Purpose This study aimed to construct an optimal dynamic nomogram for predicting malignant brain edema (MBE) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients after endovascular thrombectomy (ET). @*Methods@#We enrolled AIS patients after ET from May 2017 to April 2021. MBE was defined as a midline shift of >5 mm at the septum pellucidum or pineal gland based on follow-up computed tomography within 5 days after ET. Multivariate logistic regression and LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) regression were used to construct the nomogram. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and decisioncurve analysis were used to compare our nomogram with two previous risk models for predicting brain edema after ET. @*Results@#MBE developed in 72 (21.9%) of the 329 eligible patients. Our dynamic web-based nomogram (https://successful.shinyapps.io/DynNomapp/) consisted of five parameters: basal cistern effacement, postoperative National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, brain atrophy, hypoattenuation area, and stroke etiology. The nomogram showed good discrimination ability, with a C-index (Harrell’s concordance index) of 0.925 (95% confidence interval=0.890–0.961), and good calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow test, p=0.386). All variables had variance inflation factors of 0.7, suggesting no significant collinearity among them. The AUC of our nomogram (0.925) was superior to those of Xiang-liang Chen and colleagues (0.843) and Ming-yang Du and colleagues (0.728). @*Conclusions@#Our web-based dynamic nomogram reliably predicted the risk of MBE in AIS patients after ET, and hence is worthy of further evaluation.

Establishment of the fingerprints for Danggui buxue pills and the method for the content determination of three indicative constituents / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To establish the fingerprints of Danggui buxue pills a nd the method for the content determination of three indicative constituents （ferulic acid ，calycosin 7-O-β-D-glucoside and astragaloside Ⅳ）. METHODS Fifteen batches of Danggui buxue pills from two manufacturers were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）. The determination was performed on a Hypersil ODS 2 C18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile- 0.2％ formic acid （gradient elution ）at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The column temperature was set at 25 ℃，and the sample size was 20 μL. UV detector [detection wavelengths were 250 nm （calycosin 7-O-β-D-glucoside），323 nm （ferulic acid ）] and evaporative light scattering detector （astragaloside Ⅳ）were selected as detectors. HPLC fingerprints of 15 batches of Danggui buxue pills were established with Similarity Evaluation System of TCM Chromatographic Fingerprint （2012 edition）. The chromatographic peaks were identified and assigned by comparing with the chromatogram of the reference substance and reference medicinal material ；the contents of ferulic acid ，calycosin 7-O-β-D-glucoside and astragaloside Ⅳ were also determined. RESULTS There were 33 common peaks in the fingerprints of 15 batches of samples with the similarities not lower than 0.893. Ferulic acid and calycosin 7-O-β-D-glucoside were identified as peak 13 and 15，respectively. Compared with the chromatogram of reference medicinal material，it could be found that peaks 1-3，7，8，10，12，13（ferulic acid ），17-19，27-29，32 and 33 belonged to Angelica sinensis，and peak 14，15（calycosin 7-O-β-D-glucoside），20-23，25 belonged to Astragalus membranaceus . The methodology of content determination met the requirements. The mean contents of ferulic acid ，calycosin 7-O-β-D-glucoside and astragaloside Ⅳ in 15 batches of samples were 0.050 1，0.402 6，0.913 4 mg/g. CONCLUSIONS In this study ，HPLC fingerprints of Danggui buxue pills and the method of HPLC quantitative analysis for three indicative constituents are established. Established methods are accurate，reliable and repeatable.

Systematic screening and analysis of bZIP transcription factors in Glycyrrhiza uralensis and their response to ABA stress / 药学学报

Licorice, one of the most commonly used medicinal materials in China, grows mainly in arid and semi-arid regions and has important economic and ecological values. Basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors in plants play an important role in regulating biological or abiotic stress responses, growth, and secondary metabolite synthesis. bZIP transcription factors in the published whole genome database of Glycyrrhiza uralensis were identified using bZIP sequences found in Arabidopsis thaliana genome as reference, and ABA-dependent bZIP genes were identified by using Illumina high-throughput sequencing. The physical and chemical properties, structure of the encoded proteins, and the gene expression patterns with exogenous ABA stress were analyzed. A total of 69 bZIP transcription factor genes were identified in G. uralensis, named Gubzip1-69, and they were divided into 10 subfamilies (A-I and S) according to their similarity to bZIPs of A. thaliana. By calculating the relative expression levels of the 69 GubZIPs genes under different concentrations of exogenous ABA stress, genes that may be involved in the regulation of ABA signaling pathways were identified, namely GubZIP1, GubZIP5, GubZIP8, GubZIP30, GubZIP33 and GubZIP56. The results of expression pattern analysis of these GubZIPs genes under exogenous ABA stress showed that the expression pattern of GubZIPs genes changed significantly with 50 mg·L-1 ABA. The relative expression levels of these genes decreased 3 h after treatment, and gradually increased 6 h after treatment. Except for GubZIP8, the relative expression levels of these genes were significantly increased after 12 h. Further research on the function of bZIP transcription factors of G. uralensis and elucidating their regulatory mechanisms should be of interest and will provide a scientific basis for cultivating high-quality cultivars of G. uralensis through molecular breeding methods.

Sperm-specific protein ACTL7A as a biomarker for fertilization outcomes of assisted reproductive technology / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Obtaining high-quality embryos is one of the key factors to improve the clinical pregnancy rate of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). So far, the clinical evaluation of embryo quality depends on embryo morphology. However, the clinical pregnancy rate is still low. Therefore, new indicators are needed to further improve the evaluation of embryo quality. Several studies have shown that the decrease of sperm-specific protein actin-like 7A (ACTL7A) leaded to low fertilization rate, poor embryo development, and even infertility. The aim of this study was to study whether the different expression levels of ACTL7A on sperm can be used as a biomarker for predicting embryo quality. In this study, excluding the factors of severe female infertility, a total of 281 sperm samples were collected to compare the ACTL7A expression levels of sperms with high and low effective embryo rates and analyze the correlation between protein levels and in-vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory outcomes. Our results indicated that the ACTL7A levels were significantly reduced in sperm samples presenting poor embryo quality. Furthermore, the protein levels showed a significant correlation with fertilization outcomes of ART. ACTL7A has the potential to be a biomarker for predicting success rate of fertilization and effective embryo and the possibility of embryo arrest. In conclusion, sperm-specific protein ACTL7A has a strong correlation with IVF laboratory outcomes and plays important roles in fertilization and embryo development.

Research progress on chemical constituents and biological activities of Sarcandra glabra / 中国中药杂志

Sarcandra glabra, a medicinal plant in family Chloranthaceae, has been taken as an important raw material for multiple Chinese patent drugs due to its diverse indications. Considering the diversified chemical constituents and rich biological activities of S. glabra, numerous phytochemical and pharmacodynamic investigations were conducted to explore the material basis for its medicinal use. It has been found that its main chemical constituents were sesquiterpenoids, sesquiterpenoid polymers, phenolic acids, coumarins, and flavonoids. As revealed by pharmacological research, it possesses multiple biological activities like anti-inflammation, anti-bacteria, anti-tumor, anti-oxidation, and neuroprotection. Some unreported novel structures, including polymers of lindenane sesquiterpenes and monoterpenes, sesquiterpene trimers, and adducts of flavonoids and monoterpenes, have been identified from S. glabra in recent years. Moreover, biological studies relating to its anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant activities have been deepened. This paper reviewed the chemical constituents and bioactivities of S. glabra explored over the past ten years, so as to provide a scientific basis for further development and utilization of this plant.

Analysis of volatile constituents and chemical relationship of cultivated and wild Angelica dahurica / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the volatile constituents and their contents in the roots of 5 cultivated Angelica dahurica and one wild A. dahurica and analyze the chemical relationship among the plants of A. dahurica.@*METHODS@#The essential oil was extracted from the roots of 5 cultivated plants of Angelica dahurica and one wild A. dahurica by water steam distillation. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to separate and identify all the volatile oil components in the extracts, and their relative contents were calculated with area normalization method. We also conducted clustering analysis and principal component analysis of the volatile oil components.@*RESULTS@#We identified a total of 81 compounds from the roots of the 6 plants of Angelica dahurica, including 27 in Chuanbaizhi (Angelica dahurica cv. 'Hangbaizhi'), 34 in Hangbaizhi (Angelica dahurica cv. 'Hangbaizhi'), 24 in Qibaizhi (Angelica dahurica cv. 'Qibaizhi'), 32 in Yubaizhi (Angelica dahurica cv.'Qibaizhi'), 28 in Bobahizhi (Angelica dahurica cv.'Qibaizhi'), and 34 in Xinganbaizhi (Angelica dahuirca). These compounds included, in the order of their relative contents (from high to low), alkanes, olefins, esters, organic acids and alcohols. Among the common components found in the roots of all the plants of A. dahurica, nonylcyclopropane, cyclododecane and hexadecanoic acid were identified as the volatile oil components that showed the highest relative contents. Clustering analysis of the volatile oil components showed that wild Angelica dahurica (Xing'anbaizhi) and the 5 cultivated Angelica dahurica (Chuanbaizhi, Hangbaizhi, Qibaizhi, Yubaizhi, Bobaizhi) could be divided into two groups, and the cultivated Angelica dahurica could be divided into two subgroups: Chuanbaizhi, Yubaizhi and Hangbahizhi were clustered in one subgroup, and Qibaizhi and Bobaizhi in another. The results of principal component analysis was consistent with those of clustering analysis.@*CONCLUSION@#The main volatile oil components and their contents vary among the 6 plants of A. dahurica. Nonylcyclopropane, cyclododecane and hexadecanoic acid are the most abundant volatile oil components in all the plants of A. dahurica, which can be divided into two clusters.

Analysis of the associations of chemokine receptors expression on circulating Tfh2 and Th2 cells with sIgE level and disease severity in patients with AR / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To clarify the chemotactic characteristics of type 2 helper T cells (Th2 cells) and type 2 follicular helper T cells (Tfh2 cells) in peripheral blood of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR), and to explore the associations between the chemokine receptors expression and the levels of antigen-specific IgE (sIgE) and the severity of the disease. Methods: The peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 41 patients with AR (20 males and 21 females, aged 35.0 (24.5, 47.0) years) and 42 healthy controls (24 males and 18 females, aged 35.0 (24.8, 46.5) years) treated in Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology from April 2017 to February 2018 were isolated. The expressions of chemokine receptor (CCR)2, CCR3, CCR4, CCR5, CCR7, CCR8, chemokine C-X3-C-motif receptor 1 (CX3CR1) and C-X-C motif receptor 4 (CXCR4) in Th2 and Tfh2 cells were explored by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACs). The relationship between the expression of these chemokine receptors in Th2 cells and Tfh2 cells and the levels of serum sIgE and the scores of visual analogue scale (VAS) was analyzed. Graphpad prism 7.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: The significant differences in chemotactic characteristics between Th2 cells and Tfh2 cells in the control group were found: Th2 cells highly expressed chemokine receptors CCR2, CCR3, CCR5, CCR8 and CX3CR1, while Tfh2 cells highly expressed immune cell homing chemokine receptors CCR7 and CXCR4. AR patients, compared to the control, expressed higher levels of CCR2, CCR5 and CX3CR1 on peripheral Th2 cells(all P<0.01). At the same time, the proportion of CCR2+and CCR5+Th2 cells was positively correlated with VAS score (r value was 0.58 and 0.61, respectively, both P<0.01). In AR patients, higher expression levels of CCR7 on Tfh2 cells were detected (P<0.01), and the proportion of CCR7+Tfh2 cells was positively correlated with the level of serum sIgE (r=0.51, P<0.01). Conclusion: The percentage of CCR2+ and CCR5+ Th2 cells in peripheral of AR patients can reflect the severity of AR to some extent, while the percentage of CCR7+ Tfh2 cells is positively correlated with the level of serum sIgE.

Testosterone levels in patients with varicocele and azoospermia / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#Androgen deficiency is common in aging males and may have unfavourable health consequences. Large-scale studies suggested low testosterone level might increse mortality and morbidity in ageing males. However, young men with low testosterone level might be neglected. Recent studies reported young men with infertility may have reduced testosterone level. To investigate the incidence of androgen deficiency in males with infertility and possible factors affecting the low testosterone level.@*METHODS@#Between January 2011 and December 2012, 407 men with infertility caused by varicocele (VC), obstructive azoospermia (OA) and nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) in our center were included. The number of men in each group of OA, NOA and VC was 141, 97 and 169, respectively. All the eligible patients underwent a serum testosterone assessment by a single morning blood draw (between 8:00 to noon) to test for concentration of the total testosterone. All serum samples were determined by radioimmunoassay in our andrology laboratory. Androgen deficiency was defined as having a total testosterone level less than 300 ng/dL.@*RESULTS@#The mean age was (30.4±5.8) years. The mean testosterone level was (4.18±1.64) ng/dL (range 0.30 to 11.32 ng/dL). The overall incidence of androgen deficiency was 26.5% (108/407). The incidences of androgen deficiency in NOA, OA and VC groups were 40.2% (39/97), 19.1% (27/141) and 24.9% (42/169), respectively, which were significantly higher in the NOA than in the VC and OA groups (P < 0.001). The incidences had no difference between the VC and OA groups (P=0.229). Univariate analysis revealed the cause of infertility, FSH and the mean testis volume as possible affecting factors for androgen deficiency. However, on multivariate analysis the only cause of infertility was an independent predictor. The incidence of androgen deficiency was the highest in the NOA group [OR 0.492 (95% confidence interval 0.288-0.840)].@*CONCLUSION@#NOA and varicocele might be risk factors of androgen deficiency. Young men with NOA may have a higher possibility of low testosterone level. Testosterone level should be followed up after NOA and varicocele treatment. Androgen deficiency should be assessed in males with infertility in clinical practice.

A multi-center retrospective study of perioperative chemotherapy for gastric cancer based on real-world data / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To explore the effect of perioperative chemotherapy on the prognosis of gastric cancer patients under real-world condition. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried out. Real world data of gastric cancer patients receiving perioperative chemotherapy and surgery + adjuvant chemotherapy in 33 domestic hospitals from January 1, 2014 to January 31, 2016 were collected. Inclusion criteria: (1) gastric adenocarcinoma was confirmed by histopathology, and clinical stage was cT2-4aN0-3M0 (AJCC 8th edition); (2) D2 radical gastric cancer surgery was performed; (3) at least one cycle of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) was completed; (4) at least 4 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) [SOX (S-1+oxaliplatin) or CapeOX (capecitabine + oxaliplatin)] were completed. Exclusion criteria: (1) complicated with other malignant tumors; (2) radiotherapy received; (3) patients with incomplete data. The enrolled patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy were included in the perioperative chemotherapy group, and those who received only postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy were included in the surgery + adjuvant chemotherapy group. Propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to control selection bias. The primary outcome were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) after PSM. OS was defined as the time from the first neoadjuvant chemotherapy (operation + adjuvant chemotherapy group: from the date of operation) to the last effective follow-up or death. PFS was defined as the time from the first neoadjuvant chemotherapy (operation + adjuvant chemotherapy group: from the date of operation) to the first imaging diagnosis of tumor progression or death. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the survival rate, and the Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the independent effect of perioperative chemo therapy on OS and PFS. Results: 2 045 cases were included, including 1 293 cases in the surgery+adjuvant chemotherapy group and 752 cases in the perioperative chemotherapy group. After PSM, 492 pairs were included in the analysis. There were no statistically significant differences in gender, age, body mass index, tumor stage before treatment, and tumor location between the two groups (all P>0.05). Compared with the surgery + adjuvant chemotherapy group, patients in the perioperative chemotherapy group had higher proportion of total gastrectomy (χ(2)=40.526, P<0.001), smaller maximum tumor diameter (t=3.969, P<0.001), less number of metastatic lymph nodes (t=1.343, P<0.001), lower ratio of vessel invasion (χ(2)=11.897, P=0.001) and nerve invasion (χ(2)=12.338, P<0.001). In the perioperative chemotherapy group and surgery + adjuvant chemotherapy group, 24 cases (4.9%) and 17 cases (3.4%) developed postoperative complications, respectively, and no significant difference was found between two groups (χ(2)=0.815, P=0.367). The median OS of the perioperative chemotherapy group was longer than that of the surgery + adjuvant chemotherapy group (65 months vs. 45 months, HR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.62-0.89, P=0.001); the median PFS of the perioperative chemotherapy group was also longer than that of the surgery+adjuvant chemotherapy group (56 months vs. 36 months, HR=0.72, 95% CI:0.61-0.85, P<0.001). The forest plot results of subgroup analysis showed that both men and women could benefit from perioperative chemotherapy (all P<0.05); patients over 45 years of age (P<0.05) and with normal body mass (P<0.01) could benefit significantly; patients with cTNM stage II and III presented a trend of benefit or could benefit significantly (P<0.05); patients with signet ring cell carcinoma benefited little (P>0.05); tumors in the gastric body and gastric antrum benefited more significantly (P<0.05). Conclusion: Perioperative chemotherapy can improve the prognosis of gastric cancer patients.

Application of Automatic Nucleic Acid Extractor Combined with Vacuum Concentrator in Forensic Science / 法医学杂志

Objective To explore the application value of automatic nucleic acid extractor combined with vacuum concentrator in forensic DNA extraction. Methods Gradient samples of human peripheral venous blood were collected at 40, 80, 120, 160, 200, 240, 280 and 320 fold dilution. The samples of each gradient were treated with no inhibitor, black oil, rust, fruit acid, tin foil and indigo, respectively. The automatic nucleic acid extractor was used for DNA purification and extraction of the above samples. The extracted DNA eluent （6 μL） was taken for amplification directly, and the rest was concentrated by vacuum concentrator. DNA was amplified and examined using the Investigator 26plex QS kit before and after concentration. Results Only gradient samples treated with fruit acid obtained complete STR typing results at 40 fold dilution. The other 5 methods obtained complete STR typing results at 40-160 fold dilution. The results of STR typing after DNA concentration showed that the average peak height and detection rates of gene loci both increased to a certain extent, but the effect was not obvious. Conclusion The automatic nucleic acid extractor has an efficient inhibitor removal ability and high extracting efficiency of DNA. The vacuum concentrator can concentrate DNA samples to a certain extent. Combining the automatic nucleic acid extractor with the vacuum concentrator can improve the examination success rate of forensic materials.

Differences in the chemical composition of Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo and Dendrobium crepidatum Lindl based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and metabolomics / 药学学报

italic>Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo is a rare Chinese herbal medicine, while Dendrobium crepidatum Lindl is a local medicine in Yunnan, both of which have the function of nourishing yin and stomach. To reveal the differences in chemical composition between the two species, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) was used to analyze the chemical composition of stems and leaves of D. officinale and D. crepidatum. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were used to determine the differences in metabolites between species and parts of Dendrobium. Fifty-eight chemical compounds were identified in the two species. Analysis indicated that the side ring of alkaloids connected with nitrogen was readily cleaved during analysis. The results of PCA analysis showed that the stems and leaves of D. officinale and D. crepidatum could be easily differentiated, and the chemical constituents of D. officinale and D. crepidatum were significantly different. OPLS-DA analysis showed that there were 16 metabolite differences between the stems and 22 differences in metabolites between the leaves of D. officinale and D. crepidatum. The main metabolite differences in components between the two Dendrobium species were dendrocrepidine B, dendrocrepidine C and dendrocrepine. There were 14 differences in metabolites between the stems and leaves of D. crepidatum. In conclusion, the chemical compositions of D. officinale and D. crepidatum are quite different; the small molecular compounds of D. officinale are mainly terpenoids and flavonoids, and the content of alkaloids is low. There is no significant difference between stem and leaf. In contrast, D. crepidatum is mainly composed of alkaloids and terpenoids, with crepidamine and dendrocrepine as its unique components, and there are great differences in the components between stems and leaves. This study provides a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of Dendrobium resources.

Research progress on chemical constituents from Chloranthus plants and their biological activities / 中国中药杂志

The genus Chloranthus has 13 species and 5 varieties in China, which can be found in the southwest and northeast regions. Phytochemical studies on Chloranthus plants have reported a large amount of terpenoids, such as diterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, and sesquiterpenoid dimers. Their anti-inflammation, anti-tumor, antifungal, antivirus, and neuroprotection activities have been confirmed by previous pharmacological research. Herein, research on the chemical constituents from Chloranthus plants and their biological activities over the five years was summarized to provide scientific basis for the further development and utilization of Chloranthus plants.