Myosin Heavy Chain 7 Gene-derived miRNA-208b-3p Enhances the Fibrosis-related Gene Expression in Cardiac Fibroblasts / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of myosin heavy chain 7 gene-derived miRNA-208b-3p on the fibrotic phenotype of cardiac fibroblasts. MethodsmiRNA chip array was performed to detect the dysregulated miRNAs in the myocardium of diabetic db/db mice and db/m control mice. Neonatal mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes （NMVCs） and cardiac fibroblasts （CFs） were isolated from C57BL/6 mice and cultured. Real-time quantitative PCR （RT-qPCR） was conducted to determine the expression of miR-208b-3p in mouse CFs and NMVCs subjected to angiotensinⅡ（AngⅡ） and high glucose plus glucose oxidase （G/Go） treatment， respectively. Cell counting kit 8（CCk8） assay， flow cytometry and determination of fibrosis-related protein， including COL1A1， COL3A1and α-SMA， were performed in mCFs transfected with miR-208b-3p. Dual luciferase reporter assay was performed to confirm the interaction between miR-208b-3p and the 3'-UTR of metal response element binding transcription factor 2 （Mtf2） and progesterone receptor membrane component 1（Pgrmc1）， respectively. The expressions of Mtf2 and Pgrmc1 at the mRNA and protein levels in mCFs after miR-208b-3p mimic transfection were determined using RT-qPCR and Western blot assay， respectively. The small interfering RNA （siRNA） was used to inhibit Mtf2 and Pgrmc1 expression in mCFs， and the effects of Mtf2 siRNA， Pgrmc1 siRNA and miR-208b-3p on fibrosis-related protein expression in mCFs were investigated. ResultsResults of miRNA chip array and RT-qPCR assay showed that miR-208b-3p was up-regulated in the myocardium of the diabetic db/db mice. miR-208b precursor and the host gene of Myh7 were consistently increased in db/db mice. miR-208b-3p and Myh7 mRNA were expressed in mCFs and NMVCs， but the levels of miR-208b-3p and Myh7 mRNA in NMVCs were much higher than those in mCFs. miR-208b-3p was up-regulated in mCFs and NMVCs subjected to Ang Ⅱ and G/Go treatment， respectively. miR-208b-3p could significantly enhance fibrosis-related protein， including COL1A1， COL3A1 and α-SMA， in mCFs， without affecting the proliferation activity and cell cycle distribution of mCFs. Dual luciferase reporter assay revealed the interactions of miR-208b-3p with the 3'-UTR of Mtf2 and Pgrmc1. The results of RT-qPCR and Western blotting confirmed that miR-208b-3p inhibited Mtf2 and Pgrmc1 expression at the post- transcriptional level. Transfection with miR-208b-3p mimic， Mtf2 siRNA and Pgrmc1 siRNA could consistently enhance the fibrosis-related protein expression in the cardiac fibroblasts. ConclusionsmiR-208b-3p enhances fibrosis-related gene expression by targeting Mtf2 and Pgrmc1in mCFs.

Effect of Erjing Pills on alleviating neuroinflammation of AD rats based on TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway and its mechanism / 中国中药杂志

This paper aimed to study the effect of Erjing Pills on the improvement of neuroinflammation of rats with Alzheimer's di-sease(AD) induced by the combination of D-galactose and Aβ_(25-35) and its mechanism. SD rats were randomly divided into a sham group, a model control group, a positive drug group(donepezil, 1 mg·kg~(-1)), an Erjing Pills high-dose group(9.0 g·kg~(-1)), and an Erjing Pills low-dose group(4.5 g·kg~(-1)), with 14 rats each group. To establish the rat model of AD, Erjing Pills were intragastrically administrated to rats for 5 weeks after 2 weeks of D-galactose injection. D-galactose was intraperitoneally injected into rats for 3 weeks, and then Aβ_(25-35) was injected into the bilateral hippocampus. The new object recognition test was used to evaluate the learning and memory ability of rats after 4 weeks of intragastric administration. Tissues were acquired 24 h after the last administration. The immunofluorescence method was used to detect the activation of microglia in the brain tissue of rats. The positive expressions of Aβ_(1-42) and phosphory protein Tau~(404)(p-Tau~(404)) in the CA1 area of the hippocampus were detected by immunohistochemistry. The levels of inflammatory factors interleukin-1β(IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), and interleukin-6(IL-6) in the brain tissue were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB)/nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors 3(NLRP3) pathway-associated proteins in the brain tissue were determined by Western blot. The results showed that as compared with the sham group, the new object recognition index of rats in the model control group decreased significantly, the deposition of Aβ_(1-42) and p-Tau~(404) positive protein in the hippocampus increased significantly, and the levels of microglia activation increased significantly in the dentate gyrus. The levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 in the hippocampus of the model control group increased significantly, and the expression levels of TLR4, p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65, p-IκBα/IκBα, and NLRP3 proteins in the hippocampus increased significantly. Compared with the model control group, the Erjing Pill groups enhanced the new object recognition index of rats, decreased the deposition of Aβ_(1-42) and the expression of p-Tau~(404) positive protein in the hippocampus, inhibited the activation of microglia in the dentate gyrus, reduced the levels of inflammatory factors IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 in the hippocampus, and down-regulated the expression levels of TLR4, p-NF-κB P65/NF-κB P65, p-IκBα/IκBα, and NLRP3 proteins in the hippocampus. In conclusion, Erjing Pills can improve the learning and memory ability of the rat model of AD presumably by improving the activation of microglia, reducing the expression levels of neuroinflammatory factors IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6, inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 neuroinflammation pathway, and decreasing hippocampal deposition of Aβ and expression of p-Tau, thereby restoring the hippocampal morphological structure.

Analysis of the risk factors for poor prognosis and recurrence in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis / 中华预防医学杂志

To investigate the risk factors of poor prognosis and recurrence in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis. A single center, observational cohort study was used to retrospectively analyze 44 patients with anti NMDAR encephalitis hospitalized in the Department of Neurology of Beijing Tong Ren Hospital from January 2014 to October 2020. The results showed that the interval from onset to immunotherapy in the poor prognosis group was significantly longer than that in the good prognosis group (t=2.045,P=0.047), and the course of disease in the poor prognosis group was significantly longer than that in the good prognosis group (t=4.127,P=0.000 2). The number of patients with clinical manifestations of dyskinesia was significantly increased (Fisher exact test: P=0.014). The patients with abnormal brain MRI in the poor prognosis group were significantly more than those in the good prognosis group (Fisher exact test: P=0.017), and the patients with slow wave>50% in the poor prognosis group were significantly more than those with slow wave <50% (Fisher exact test: P<0.001). Patients with the first onset of immunotherapy time <3 months, long course of disease, high intracranial pressure, and high cerebrospinal fluid protein are prone to relapse. Bivariate logistic regression analysis showed that patients with dyskinesia, abnormal brain MRI, and slow wave EEG more than 50% were risk factors for poor prognosis (OR values were 4.687, 4.978, and 24.500, respectively; P values were 0.018, 0.016, and 0.000, respectively). The time of first-line immunotherapy for the first onset<3 months was the risk factor for recurrence (OR 17.231, P=0.010). In conclusion, dyskinesia, abnormal brain MRI and slow wave of EEG more than 50% may be the risk factors for poor prognosis of patients. The duration of immunotherapy less than 3 months after the first onset might be the risk factor for recurrence.

Research summary of chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Panax notoginseng and predictive analysis on its Q-markers / 中国中药杂志

Panax notoginseng contains triterpene saponins, flavonoids, amino acids, polysaccharides, volatile oil and other active components, which have the effects of promoting blood circulation, stopping bleeding, removing blood stasis, etc. This study summarized the herbal research, chemical constituents and main pharmacological activities of P. notoginseng, and based on the theory of Q-markers of traditional Chinese medicine, predicted and analyzed the Q-markers of P. notoginseng from the aspects of plant kinship, efficacy, drug properties, measurability of chemical components, etc. It was found that ginsenosides Rg_1, Re, and Rb_1 with specific content ratio, ginsenosides Rb_2, Rb_3, Rc, Rd, Rh_2, and Rg_3, notoginseng R_1, dencichine and quercetin could be used as potential Q-markers of P. notoginseng, which facilitated the formulation of quality standards reflecting the efficacy of P. notoginseng.

Research Progress in Diagnostic Reference Levels in Interventional Radiology / 中国医学科学院学报

During interventional procedures,subjects are exposed to direct and scattered X-rays.Establishing diagnostic reference levels is an ideal way to optimize the radiation dose and reduce radiation hazard.In recent years,diagnostic reference levels in interventional radiology have been established in different countries.However,because of the too many indicators for characterizing the radiation dose,the indicators used to establish diagnostic reference levels vary in different countries.The research achievements in this field remain to be reviewed.We carried out a retrospective analysis of the definition,establishment method,application,and main factors influencing the dose difference of the diagnostic reference level,aiming to provide a basis for establishing the diagnostic reference level for interventional procedures in China.

Prevalence of osteoporosis and related factors in postmenopausal women aged 40 and above in China / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To understand the prevalence of osteoporosis and related factors in postmenopausal women aged ≥40 years in China and provide scientific evidence for osteoporosis prevention and control. Methods: Data of this study were from the 2018 China Osteoporosis Epidemiological Survey, covering 44 counties (districts) in 11 provinces in China. Related variables were collected by questionnaire survey and physical measurement, and the BMD of lumbar spine and proximal femur was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorption method. The prevalence of osteoporosis and its 95%CI in postmenopausal women aged ≥40 years were estimated with complex sampling weights. Results: A total of 5 728 postmenopausal women aged ≥40 years were included in the analysis and the prevalence of osteoporosis was 32.5% (95%CI: 30.3%-34.7%). The prevalence of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women aged 40-49 years, 50-59 years, 60-69 years, 70-79 years, and ≥80 years were 16.0% (95%CI:4.5%-27.5%), 18.4% (95%CI:15.9%-20.8%), 37.5% (95%CI:34.5%-40.4%), 52.9% (95%CI: 47.5%-58.3%), and 68.0% (95%CI:55.9%-80.1%) respectively. The prevalence of osteoporosis was higher (P<0.001) in those with education level of primary school or below (47.2%, 95%CI: 43.0%-51.3%) and in those with individual annual income less than 10 000 Yuan, (40.3%, 95%CI: 36.9%-43.7%). The prevalence of osteoporosis was 35.1% in rural areas (95%CI: 32.0%-38.1%), which was higher than that in urban areas (P<0.001). The prevalence of osteoporosis in low weight, normal weight, overweight and obese groups were 69.9% (95%CI: 59.0%-80.8%), 42.2% (95%CI: 38.7%-45.7%), 24.2% (95%CI: 21.3%-27.1%) and 14.6% (95%CI: 11.1%-18.0%), respectively. The prevalence of osteoporosis in those with menstrual maintenance years ≤30 years and in those with menopause years ≥11 years were 46.1% (95%CI:40.8%-51.3%) and 48.2% (95%CI:45.0%-51.3%), respectively. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that age ≥60 years, education level of primary school or below, annual household income per capita less than 10 000 Yuan, low body weight, menstrual maintenance years ≤30 years, menopause years ≥11 years were risk factors of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women in China. Conclusions: The prevalence of osteoporosis was high in postmenopausal women aged ≥40 years in China, and there were differences in osteoporosis prevalence among different socioeconomic groups. Effective interventions should be taken for the prevention and control of osteoporosis in key groups in the future.

Burden of disease and risk factors among children under 5 years in China from 1990 to 2019: a perspective of international comparison / 中华预防医学杂志

Based on the Global Burden of Disease study 2019, the standardized mortality rate and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rate of children under 5 years old were selected as evaluation indicators to compare and analyze the current situation and differences of disease burden of children under 5 years old between China and other regions from 1990 to 2019. The change trend and difference of disease burden of children under 5 years old in China were analyzed by sexes. From 1990 to 2019, the all-cause standardized mortality rate of children under 5 years old in China decreased from 1 153.81/100 000 to 160.39/100 000, and the all-cause standardized DALY rate decreased from 104 426.40/100 000 to 16 479.01/100 000. In 2019, neonatal preterm birth, congenital heart anomalies and lower respiratory infections ranked the top three disease burden of children under 5 years old in China. Except that the disease burden of neonatal preterm birth was lower than that in North America, they were much higher than that in Western Europe and North America in the same period. The burden of unintentional injury diseases, including pulmonary aspiration and foreign body in airway and drowning, was higher than that in Western Europe and North America. The standardized mortality and DALY rate of the top ten diseases and injuries in boys and girls under 5 years old in China showed a downward trend (P<0.05), and most of them were higher in boys than girls (P<0.05). From 1990 to 2019, the disease burden of children under 5 years old in China decreased significantly. However, compared other regions, it is still necessary to strengthen the prevention and control of neonatal premature birth, birth defects and unintentional injuries, and take different sex-specific interventions to improve the overall health of children.

Overexpression of (3S)-linalool synthase gene (LIS) regulates the glycyrrhizic acid biosynthesis in Glycyrrhiza uralensis hairy roots / 药学学报

(3S)-Linalool synthase (LIS) is a key enzyme involved in the monoterpene biosynthetic pathway. Based on our previous transcriptome study, the expression level of LIS gene was exceedingly related to glycyrrhizic acid (GA) biosynthesis. Therefore, we used hairy root culturing to further investigate the effect of LIS on the GA biosynthesis. A LIS gene (GenBank accession number: MZ169552) was cloned from Glycyrrhiza uralensis. The plant binary overexpression vector pCA-LIS was constructed by gene fusion. G. uralensis hairy roots overexpressing LIS were induced by the Agrobacterium rhizogenes ATCC15834. The expression levels of LIS were analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and the contents of GA in hairy root lines were determined by UPLC. It was found that in the hairy root lines overexpressing LIS, the expression levels of LIS were significantly higher than that in the wild type, while the contents of GA were remarkably lower than those in the wild type and negative control. These findings indicate that the expression level of LIS is negatively correlated with the accumulation of GA. In this study, LIS was cloned from G. uralensis for the first time and the negative regulatory effect of LIS on GA biosynthesis was confirmed by reverse genetics. This work provides support for further improvement of the molecular regulatory network of GA biosynthesis in G. uralensis.

Oxygen Metabolism-induced Stress Response Underlies Heart-brain Interaction Governing Human Consciousness-breaking and Attention / 神经科学通报·英文版

Neuroscientists have emphasized visceral influences on consciousness and attention, but the potential neurophysiological pathways remain under exploration. Here, we found two neurophysiological pathways of heart-brain interaction based on the relationship between oxygen-transport by red blood cells (RBCs) and consciousness/attention. To this end, we collected a dataset based on the routine physical examination, the breaking continuous flash suppression (b-CFS) paradigm, and an attention network test (ANT) in 140 immigrants under the hypoxic Tibetan environment. We combined electroencephalography and multilevel mediation analysis to investigate the relationship between RBC properties and consciousness/attention. The results showed that RBC function, via two independent neurophysiological pathways, not only triggered interoceptive re-representations in the insula and awareness connected to orienting attention but also induced an immune response corresponding to consciousness and executive control. Importantly, consciousness played a fundamental role in executive function which might be associated with the level of perceived stress. These results indicated the important role of oxygen-transport in heart-brain interactions, in which the related stress response affected consciousness and executive control. The findings provide new insights into the neurophysiological schema of heart-brain interactions.

Distribution of mosquito species and associated viruses in Hami City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from 2019 to 2020 / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To investigate the distribution of mosquito species and their associated viruses, and identify Culex pipiens subspecies in Hami City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Methods Mosquitoes were captured using mosquito trapping lamps method in Yizhou District, Yiwu County, and Balikun County of Hami City in mi-July, 2019 and 2020. The species and subspecies of all captured mosquitoes were characterized. In addition, the flavivirus, alphavirus, bunyavirus, Japanese encephalitis virus, Liaoning virus, Tahyna virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus and West Nile virus were detected using reverse-transcription PCR assay in captured mosquitoes. Results A total of 1 496 mosquitoes were captured from Yizhou District, Yiwu County, and Balikun County of Hami City, belonging to 3 genus and 3 species. Cx. pipiens was the dominant mosquito species (986 mosquitoes, 65.91%), followed by Aedes caspius (457 mosquitoes, 30.55%), while Culiseta alaskaensis had the lowest number (53 mosquitoes, 3.54%). All captured Cx. pipiens mosquitoes were identified as Cx. pipiens pipiens based on the terminalia of male mosquitoes. RT-PCR assay tested negative for flavivirus, alphavirus, bunyavirus, Japanese encephalitis virus, Liaoning virus, Tahyna virus, tick-borne encephalitis or West Nile virus in captured Cx. pipiens mosquitoes. Conclusions There were 3 species of mosquitoes in Hami City from 2019 to 2020, including Cx. pipiens, Ae. Caspius and C. alaskaensis, with Cx. pipiens as the dominant mosquito species, and all captured Cx. pipiens mosquitoes were Cx. pipiens pipiens; however, no arboviruses were detected.

Effect of moxibustion at "oppositely-located points" on neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury and endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway in rats / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of moxibustion at oppositely-located points "Mingmen" (GV 4) and "Shenque" (CV 8) on the motor function of the hind limbs and bladder function in rats with neurogenic bladder after suprasacral spinal cord injury (SCI), so as to explore the effect of this therapy on bladder tissue apoptosis mediated by endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway.@*METHODS@#Twenty-eight female Wistar rats were randomly divided into a sham-operation group (8 rats) and a model establishment group (20 rats). Using the modified Allen's method, the spinal cord of T10 segment was injured to establish a neurogenic bladder model in the model establishment group. Sixteen rats were modeled successfully and then divided into a model group (8 rats) and a moxibustion group (8 rats). In the moxibustion group, 2 h after consciousness regaining from modeling anesthesia, moxibustion was exerted at "Shenque" (CV 8) and "Mingmen" (GV 4), 2 cones at each acupoint in one intervention. The intervention was administered once every two days and 5-time intervention was required totally. After intervention, Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan locomotor rating scale (BBB) score for the motor function of the hind limbs, and the urodynamics indexes (maximum bladder capacity, urine leakage pressure and bladder compliance) were compared among groups. HE staining method was adopted to observe the morphological changes of bladder tissue. With Western blot method and real-time PCR assay, the protein and mRNA expressions of the endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes (glucose- regulated protein 78 [GRP78], activating transcription factor 4 [ATF4] and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-12 [Caspase-12]) were determined.@*RESULTS@#The transitional epithelial cells were arranged irregularly, the bladder wall was getting thinner, and the cellular vacuolar degeneration and neutrophil infiltration were found in the model group. Whereas, compared with the model group, in the moxibustion group, the arrangement of transitional epithelial cells was clear and continuous in layers, the cellular vacuolar degeneration was mild and the infiltration presented in a small amount of neutrophil granulocytes. Compared with the sham-operation group, in the model group, the BBB score was reduced (P<0.01), the maximum bladder capacity and bladder compliance were increased (P<0.01), and the protein expression levels of GRP78, ATF4 and Caspase-12, as well as mRNA expressions were all increased (P<0.01). In comparison with the model group, in the moxibustion group, BBB score was increased (P<0.01), the maximum bladder capacity and bladder compliance were decreased (P<0.01), and the protein and mRNA expression levels of GRP78, ATF4 and Caspase-12 were all decreased (P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#Moxibustion at the "oppositely-located points" improves the urination function, alleviate urine retention in neurogenic bladder rats after spinal cord injury. The underlying mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of the expressions of GRP78, ATF4 and Caspase-12 in the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway of the bladder tissues, and thus to alleviate the apoptosis of bladder tissue.

Ferulate 5-hydroxylase gene (F5H) regulation of glycyrrhizic acid biosynthesis determined by gene overexpression and knockout / 药学学报

Ferulate 5-hydroxylase (F5H) is a key enzyme involved in the phenylpropane metabolism pathway. Based on our previous transcriptome sequencing study, F5H played a negative regulatory role in glycyrrhizic acid (GA) biosynthesis. Therefore, in this study we cloned the F5H gene and investigated its regulatory effect on GA accumulation through gene overexpression and knockout. F5H was cloned from Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (GenBank Accession No. MK882511). A plant binary expression vector pCA-F5H was constructed by inserting F5H into pCAMBIA1305.1 at Spe I and Bgl II sites. The sgRNA sequences were designed based on the first exon of F5H. The CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing vector pHSE-F5H was constructed by inserting F5H sgRNA into pHSE401 at two Bsa Ⅰ sites. PCA-F5H and pHSE-F5H were transfected into Agrobacterium tumefaciens ATCC15834, which was used to induce hairy root overexpressing or knocking out F5H with licorice hypocotyl as explants. At the same time, wild type and negative control hairy roots were also generated. UPLC was used to assay the GA content in different hairy root lines, and results showed that the GA content in hairy root lines knocking out F5H was significantly higher, whereas in hairy root lines overexpressing F5H GA content was lower than that in the wild-type and negative control. In this work, through a reverse genetics strategy, the negative regulatory effect of F5H on GA biosynthesis was confirmed through gene overexpression and knockout. This work will lay a foundation for further elucidation of the molecular regulatory network of GA biosynthesis.

Correlations between content of linarin in Chrysanthemum indicum and climatic factors in habitats / 中国中药杂志

Chrysanthemi Indici Flos(CIF), the capitulum of Chrysanthemum indicum, is widely used in proprietary Chinese medicine and daily chemical products. At present, CIF is mainly produced from wild resources and rarely cultivated. This study aims to reveal the correlations between linarin content in CIF and climatic factors in different habitats, and provide a theoretical basis for suitable zoning and rational production of medicinal materials. The content of linarin in CIF was determined by HPLC. Grey relational analysis and Pearson correlation analysis were carried out for linarin content with climatic factors. The results showed that the content of linarin in CIF was significantly different among different habitats. The grey relational degrees of climatic factors with linarin content was in an order of average annual precipitation>annual average sunshine hours>annual average temperature>longitude>annual frost-free period>latitude>altitude. Longitude, annual average temperature and average annual precipitation had significantly positive correlations with the content of linarin in CIF, whereas latitude and altitude showed negative correlations with it. The annual frost-free period and annual average sunshine hours had no significant correlation with the content of linarin in CIF. The content of linarin in CIF varied significantly in different habitats. High longitude, low latitude, low altitude, high annual average temperature and high annual average precipitation could be used as indicators for the habitats of high-quality Ch. indicum. This study provides a reference for selecting suitable producing areas of Ch. indicum and establishing artificial cultivation system.

Comparison of two vasopressor protocols for preventing hypotension post-spinal anesthesia during cesarean section: a randomized controlled trial / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Norepinephrine infusion decreases hypotension after spinal anesthesia during cesarean section. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of norepinephrine infusion and ephedrine bolus against post-spinal hypotension in parturients.@*METHODS@#In this double-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial, parturients scheduled for elective cesarean section were randomly allocated to receive norepinephrine infusion (0.05 μg·kg-1·min-1) just before spinal anesthesia continuing for 30 min or ephedrine bolus (0.15 mg/kg) just before spinal anesthesia. A rescue bolus (5 μg norepinephrine for the norepinephrine group, and 5 mg ephedrine for the ephedrine group) was administered whenever hypotension occurred. Our primary outcome was the incidence of hypotension within 30 min of spinal anesthesia administration. Secondary outcomes included maternal and neonatal outcomes 30 min after spinal block, and neonatal cerebral oxygenation 10 min after birth.@*RESULTS@#In total, 190 patients were enrolled; of these patients, 177 were included in the final analysis. Fewer patients suffered hypotension in the norepinephrine group than in the ephedrine group (29.5% vs. 44.9%, odds ratio [OR]: 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.28-0.95, P = 0.034). Moreover, the tachycardia frequency was lower in the norepinephrine group than in the ephedrine group (OR: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.11-0.44, P < 0.001), and patients suffered less nausea and vomiting (OR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.11-0.70, P = 0.004). There was no difference in Apgar scores and umbilical arterial blood gas analysis between the two groups. However, neonatal cerebral regional saturations were significantly higher after birth in the norepinephrine group than in the ephedrine group (mean difference: 2.0%, 95% CI: 0.55%-3.45%, P = 0.008).@*CONCLUSION@#In patients undergoing elective cesarean section with spinal anesthesia, norepinephrine infusion compared to ephedrine bolus resulted in less hypotension and tachycardia, and exhibited potential neonatal benefits.@*TRIAL REGISTRATION@#ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02542748; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT02542748.

Acupuncture-moxibustion treatment by stages based on the theory of "transformation of / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the efficacy between acupuncture-moxibustion treatment by stages and femoston for premature ovarian insufficiency (POI).@*METHODS@#A total of 66 patients with POI were randomly divided into an observation group (33 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and a control group (33 cases, 2 cases dropped off). The patients in the observation group, based on the theory of "transformation of @*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, the serum levels of FSH and LH were decreased (@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture- moxibustion treatment by stages based on the theory of "transformation of

Effect of Chuanxiong Rhizoma on the absorption and clearance of four coumarins in Angelicae Dahuricae Radix / 药学学报

To study the changes in the pharmacokinetic behavior of four coumarins (bergapten, oxypeucedanin, imperatorin and isoimperatorin) in rats before and after combinating Angelicae Dahuricae Radix with Chuanxiong Rhizoma. The plasma concentrations of the drugs were determined by ultra performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (UPLC-FLD) for dose response and time dependent curves. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by DAS 3.2.8, and SPSS 20.0 was used to analyze the differences of main pharmacokinetic parameters between the two groups. The result showed: comparing with Angelicae Dahuricae Radix group, the area under drug time curve (AUC0-24 h) of bergapten, oxypeucedanin and imperatorin increased by 177.2%, 97.14% and 54.43% respectively, AUC0-∞ increased by 282.3%, 104.2%, and 75.40% respectively, and clearance rate (CLZ/F) decreased by 68.26%, 51.08% and 43.98% respectively; the peak drug concentration (Cmax) of four coumarins was significantly increased; the distribution volume (VZ/F) of bergapten was significantly decreased. These data indicated that Chuanxiong Rhizoma can promote the absorption of coumarins in Angelicae Dahuricae Radix, slow down the elimination of coumarins, and increase their bioavailability in vivo. The animal experiment scheme in this study has been approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (approval number: BUCM-4-2020083105-3072).

The role of licorice DXS knockout and overexpression in glycyrrhizic acid biosynthesis / 药学学报

1-Deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (DXS) is a rate-limiting enzyme involved in the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway for terpenoid precursor biosynthesis. DXS plays an essential role in glycyrrhizic acid (GA) biosynthesis. Based on our previous transcriptome study, there was a negative correlation between DXS expression and GA content. Therefore, we explored the regulatory role of DXS in GA biosynthesis using both gene overexpression and gene knockout in a hairy root culture system. DXS was cloned from Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (GenBank Accession No. MN158121). A plant binary expression vector pCA-DXS was constructed by a gene fusion method. The sgRNA sequence was designed based on the first exon of DXS to construct the gene editing vector pHSE-DXS. Hairy roots overexpressing or knocking out DXS were generated through an Agrobacterium-mediated method with licorice hypocotyls as explants. Wild-type hairy roots and negative control hairy roots containing empty plasmids were also evaluated. UPLC was used to determine the GA content in each licorice hairy root line. Results showed that the content of GA in the hairy root group knocking out DXS was significantly higher than that in the wild-type and negative control groups, while in the hairy root group overexpressing DXS was significantly lower, suggesting that DXS plays a negative role in GA biosynthesis. This study provides a foundation for determining the function of DXS in terpenoid metabolism and for further establishment of a molecular regulatory network of GA biosynthesis.

The mechanism of Er-xian Decoction in regulating lipid metabolism disorders on bilateral ovariectomized rats based on metabolomics study / 药学学报

Studies have shown that women's menopause caused by permanent cessation of ovarian function is closely related to lipid metabolism disorders. Er-xian Decoction has been used in the clinical treatment for gynecological diseases and has a good effect on diseases related to reduced sex hormone function. In this study, metabolomics was performed on bilateral ovariectomized model rats within 12 weeks after modeling to mimic the physiological state of menopausal women in different menopausal stages and Er-xian Decoction dosed model rats. The results of liver oil red O staining sections showed lipid metabolic disorder of bilateral ovariectomized model rats and the regulating effects of Er-xian Decoction. 46 potential biomarkers (6 steroid hormones, 3 sphingolipids, 11 phospholipids and 26 glycerides) in plasma and 32 potential biomarkers (1 steroid hormones, 20 phospholipids and 11 glycerides) in liver were obtained based on lipidomics analysis. Then, we analyzed the differential metabolic pathways and construct the lipid metabolism network significantly regulated by Er-xian Decoction. The results provided valuable information for in-depth understanding of the gradual changes on lipid metabolism disorders under menopausal conditions and the characteristics and mechanisms of compound Er-xian Decoction's regulatory effects. The study complied with the procedures established by the Animal Experiment Ethics Committee of the Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and passed the animal experiment ethics examine (No. 00000918).

Progress of researches on novel diagnostic markers for alveolar echinococcosis / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Imaging and serological approaches play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of alveolar echinococcosis; however, they also suffer from some problems during their applications in clinical practices, which urges the identification of potential diagnostic markers. Novel serological, genomics and proteomics diagnostic markers alone or in combination may increase the sensitivity and specificity in early diagnosis of alveolar echinococcosis, which play vital roles in monitoring of disease courses and prognostic evaluation. This review mainly presents the advances in the studies on novel diagnostic markers for alveolar echinococcosis.

Overexpressing of chalcone isomerase (CHI) gene enhances flavonoid accumulation in Glycyrrhiza uralensis hairy roots / 药学学报

Chalcone isomerase (CHI) is the second rate-limiting enzyme involved in the biosynthetic pathway of flavonoids in Glycyrrhiza uralensis. Based on our previous studies, we selected the specific CHI haplotype (GenBank Accession No. KY115232) to maximize flavonoid accumulation. We constructed a plant binary expression vector for overexpression of this CHI gene by the gene fusion method and transfected the plasmid into Agrobacterium tumefaciens ACCC10060 by electroporation. The recombinant A. tumefaciens ACCC10060 subsequently was used to infect cotyledons and hypocotyls of G. uralensis to obtain transgenic hairy roots. A qRT-PCR method was used to determine the copy number of CHI and a UPLC method was used to assay the content of four flavonoids in different hairy root lines. The qRT-PCR results showed that the copy number of CHI in hairy roots was 1 or 5. UPLC results showed that the content of total flavonoids, liquiritin, liquiritigenin, and isoliquiritigenin in transgenic hairy root samples was significantly higher than that in wild-type samples. This study demonstrates that overexpression of CHI significantly increases the content of flavonoids in hairy roots of G. uralensis. This work provides a theoretical basis for clarifying the function of CHI. Three transgenic hairy root lines of G. uralensis were isolated which can be used to increase the accumulation of licorice flavonoids in vitro.