Telbivudine-Induced Myopathy: Clinical Features, Histopathological Characteristics, and Risk Factors

Background@#and Purpose Oral nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) are the mainstay treatment for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Myotoxicity is an important extrahepatic effect related to NA treatment. Telbivudine is the NA for CHB that is frequently associated with muscle-related side effects. The risk factors for telbivudine-induced myopathy (TIM) are not yet clear. @*Methods@#This study characterized the clinical, magnetic resonance images (MRI), and pathological features of 12 TIM cases. A group of telbivudine-tolerant (TT) patients with CHB who received regular telbivudine treatment during the same period without the occurrence of myopathy was collected. Demographic and clinical factors were compared between the patients with TIM and the TT controls. Factors independently associated with TIM were identified using logistic regression analysis. @*Results@#The patients with TIM (males/females: 7/5, mean age: 57 years) developed myopathy after using telbivudine for a median period of 19.5 months. Muscle histopathology revealed abnormal proliferation, subsarcolemmal or sarcoplasmic accumulations, and ultrastructural defects of mitochondria. When compared with TT cases, patients with TIM had a lower estimated glomerular filtration rate and were more frequently positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg). @*Conclusions@#Mitochondrial abnormalities are characteristic histopathological features, and impaired renal function and HBeAg positivity are risk factors for TIM. Telbivudine-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and immune activation related to mitochondrial damage and HBeAg serostatus changes may underlie TIM. Constant clinical surveillance of myopathy during telbivudine treatment is needed due to the significant latency of its development. Dose adjustment for impaired renal function does not eliminate the risk of TIM occurrence.

A study on the association of postprandial hypotension with insulin and neurotensin in very old adults / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the association of postprandial hypotension(PPH)with insulin and neurotensin(NT)in very old adults.Methods:In this retrospective study, 22 people with PPH and 21 without non-PPH, aged ≥80, were enrolled from patients hospitalized at the First Division of the Health Department of China-Japan Friendship Hospital between September 2015 and October 2021.The levels of blood pressure, blood glucose, insulin and NT at fasting and 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after a meal were monitored.Changes in values of each parameter before and after a meal were compared between the two groups, and the correlation of the maximum decrease in postprandial blood pressure with the maximum increase in blood glucose, insulin and neurotensin was analyzed.Results:The maximum decrease in postprandial systolic blood pressure(SBP)in the PPH group was significantly higher than that in the non-PPH group[(35.5±13.2)mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) vs.(16.0±8.6)mmHg, t=4.135, P<0.01)]. The maximum increase in postprandial insulin was significantly higher than that in the non-PPH group[(20.9±4.2)mU/L vs.(12.1±4.1)mU/L, t=3.949, P<0.01)]. There was no statistically significant difference between the PPH and non-PPH groups in the maximum increase in postprandial blood glucose[(3.6±1.8)mmol/L vs.(2.5±0.5)mmol/L, t=1.912, P>0.05)]or NT[65.7(22.0, 110.1)ng/L vs.112.2(47.2, 270.2)ng/L, Z=1.817, P>0.05)]. There was a significant positive correlation between the maximum decrease in postprandial systolic blood pressure and the maximum increase in insulin( r=0.907, P<0.05). There was no correlation between the maximum decrease in postprandial systolic blood pressure and the maximum increase in blood glucose( r=0.016, P>0.05). There was no correlation between the maximum decrease in postprandial systolic blood pressure and the maximum increase in NT( r=0.396, P>0.05). Conclusions:The PPH is related to abnormal increases in postprandial insulin secretion.

Multi-functional osteoclasts in matrix-based tissue engineering bone / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

The repair of bone defects, especially for the large segment of bone defects, has always been an urgent problem in orthopedic clinic and attracted researchers' attention. Nowadays, the application of tissue engineering bone in the repair of bone defects has become the research hotspot. With the rapid development of tissue engineering, the novel and functional scaffold materials for bone repair have emerged. In this review, we have summarized the multi-functional roles of osteoclasts in bone remodeling. The development of matrix-based tissue engineering bone has laid a theoretical foundation for further investigation about the novel bone regeneration materials which could perform high bioactivity. From the point of view on preserving pre-osteoclasts and targeting mature osteoclasts, this review introduced the novel matrix-based tissue engineering bone based on osteoclasts in the field of bone tissue engineering, which provides a potential direction for the development of novel scaffold materials for the treatment of bone defects.

Acupuncture as adjuvant therapy for 32 cases of coronavirus disease 2019 / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) based on the conventional treatment.@*METHODS@#A total of 35 patients with COVID-19 of mild or ordinary type were involved (3 cases dropped off). Acupuncture was applied on the basis of western medicine and Chinese materia medica treatment. Dazhui (GV 14), Fengchi (GB 20), Kongzui (LU 6), Hegu (LI 4), etc. were selected as the main acupoints, the supplementary acupoints and the reinforcing and reducing manipulations were selected according to syndrome differentiation. Acupuncture treatment was given once a day, 5 times a week. On day 3 and day 7 of acupuncture, relief condition of the main symptoms was observed. Before acupuncture and on day 3 and day 7 of acupuncture, efficacy evaluation scale of TCM on COVID-19 (efficacy evaluation scale) score was recorded. The effects of different intervention time of acupuncture on patients' hospitalization time were compared, the understanding of acupuncture treatment of patients discharged from hospital was recorded, the clinical efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment were evaluated.@*RESULTS@#On day 3 and day 7 of acupuncture, the symptoms of lung system and non lung system were both relieved; the scores of efficacy evaluation scale were both decreased compared before acupuncture (P<0.05), and the efficacy evaluation scale score of day 7 of acupuncture were lower than day 3 of acupuncture (P<0.05). The average hospitalization time of patients received early acupuncture was shorter than late acupuncture (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 84.4% (27/32) on day 7 of acupuncture, which was higher than 34.4% (11/32) on day 3 of acupuncture (P<0.05). During the acupuncture treatment, there were neither adverse reactions in patients nor occupational exposures in doctors. The patients generally believed that acupuncture could promote the recovery of COVID-19 and recommended acupuncture treatment.@*CONCLUSION@#On the basis of the conventional treatment, acupuncture can effectively relieve the clinical symptoms in patients with COVID-19, early intervention of acupuncture can accelerate the recovery process. Acupuncture has good safety, clinical compliance and recognition of patients.

Case-control study on association of female reproductive factors with risk of papillary thyroid cancer / 环境与职业医学

Background Papillary thyroid cancer is the result of a variety of pathogenic factors. The prevalence of papillary thyroid cancer varies greatly in different regions, and the disease is more harmful to women. Objective This study aims to explore the relationship between reproductive factors and papillary thyroid cancer, and to provide basic data for prevention and control of the disease. Methods A 1∶1 age (±3 years) matched case-control study was conducted in 331 pairs of newly confirmed papillary thyroid cancer cases and controls from two hospitals in Shanghai from November 2012 to December 2013. Comparisons were made in the history of menstruation, pregnancy, gynecological and breast diseases, and other variables between the two groups. Results The results of univariate analysis indicated that the proportions of education below bachelor degree, married, and mainly manual workers in the case group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05); the proportion of those with a family history of thyroid diseases in the case group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05); the proportions of the cases with irregular menstruation (77.34%), a history of using oral contraceptive or hormone drugs (24.77%), a history of benign gynecological diseases (31.72%), and a history of gynecological surgery (9.67%) were significantly higher than the proportions in the control group (P<0.05). After adjusting potential confounding factors such as history of CT examination, age, kinds of family salt, total iodine intake every day, education level, occupation, marital status, body mass index, and family history of thyroid diseases, the results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that irregular menstruation (OR=1.767, 95%CI: 1.122-2.782; P=0.014), surgical menopause (OR=12.787, 95%CI: 3.202-51.057; P<0.001), pregnancy >1 time (OR =2.490, 95%CI: 1.196-5.184; P=0.015), and the history of using oral contraceptive or hormone drugs (OR=2.389, 95%CI: 1.338-4.268; P=0.003) were the risk factors of papillary thyroid cancer. Conclusion Irregular menstruation, surgical menopause, history of pregnancy, and history of using oral contraceptive or hormone drugs might be the risk factors of papillary thyroid cancer. To reduce the incidence of papillary thyroid cancer, strengthened health education and rational use of contraceptives are recommended.

Establishment of UPLC-PDA Fingerprint of Baoyuantang Substance Benchmark and Identification of Its Chemical Constituents / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To establish the fingerprint of Baoyuantang substance benchmark， and to analyze and identify the common peaks. Method:A total of 15 batches of Baoyuantang substance benchmark were prepared， ultra performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector method （UPLC-PDA） was used to establish the fingerprint of the substance benchmark， and the methodology was developed. The chromatographic conditions were as follows：ACQUITY UPLC BEH Shield C₁₈ column （2.1 mm×100 mm， 1.7 μm）， mobile phase of 0.05% formic acid solution （A） and 0.05% formic acid acetonitrile solution （ B） for gradient elution （0-0.5 min， 5%-19%B； 0.5-6 min， 19%B； 6-10 min， 19%-27%B； 10-20 min， 27%-45%B； 20-20.1 min， 45%-95%B； 20.1-23 min， 95%B）， the flow rate of 0.4 mL·min^-1， the column temperature of 30 ℃， the detection wavelength at 203 nm and 260 nm， and the injection volume of 2 μL. Similarity evaluation system of traditional Chinese medicine fingerprint （2012 edition） was used to establish the fingerprint and generate the control fingerprint. The chemical constituents of Baoyuantang substance benchmark were identified by comparison of standard substances and UPLC-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry （UPLC-ESI-MS/MS） with full information tandem mass spectrometry （MS^E） and scanning range of <italic>m</italic>/<italic>z</italic> 50-1 200. Result:The similarities of 15 batches of Baoyuantang substance benchmark were above 0.90 by comparing with the control fingerprint. There were 37 common peaks， 22 of which were identified through UPLC-ESI-MS/MS， including liquiritin， violanthin， ginsenoside Rg₁， ginsenoside Rb₁， ginsenoside Re and so on. These components were all from Astragali Radix， Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma， Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. Conclusion:This method is accurate， stable and reliable， which will basically reflect the overall chemical composition characteristics of Baoyuantang， and it provides experimental basis for development of the granules of this famous classical formulas.

Role of osteoclast differentiation in the occurrence of osteoarthritis of temporomandibular joint / 华西口腔医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#This study aimed to explore the role of osteoclast differentiation in the occurrence of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA).@*METHODS@#A mouse TMJOA model was constructed. Micro-CT was used to observe the changes in condylar bone during the development of TMJOA. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the histological structure changes of the condyle of TMJOA mice. Tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining was used to observe the presence of osteoclasts in TMJOA joint tissue. The synovial fluid of patients with TMJ-OA was collected to determine the effect on osteoclast differentiation.@*RESULTS@#Micro-CT revealed that the condyle of the TMJOA group had the most obvious damage in the second and third weeks, and the shape of the condyles also changed in a beak-like manner. HE staining showed that the condyle cartilage and subchondral bone structure of TMJOA mice were disordered in the second week. TRAP tissue staining showed that the number of osteoclasts of the TMJOA group obviously increased in the second week. Results of cell experiments showed that the number of osteoclast differentiation significantly increased after stimulation of synovial fluid from TMJOA patients, and the cell volume increased.@*CONCLUSIONS@#TMJOA animal models and TMJOA patient synovial cell experiments could induce osteoclast differentiation, indicating that osteoclast differentiation plays an important role in TMJOA occurrence.

Improvement in dyspepsia related symptoms treated with acupuncture in 278 patients with postprandial distress syndrome: a secondary analysis of a multi-center randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the clinical effect of acupuncture for the improvements in various dyspeptic symptoms of postprandial distress syndrome.@*METHODS@#The secondary analysis on the data of a multi-center randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted. 278 patients with postprandial distress syndrome were randomized into an acupuncture group (138 cases) and a sham-acupuncture group (140 cases). In the acupuncture group, acupuncture was applied to Baihui (GV 20), Danzhong (CV 17), Zhongwan (CV 12), Qihai (CV 6), Neiguan (PC 6), Zusanli (ST 36), etc. In the sham-acupuncture group, 6 sites, neither located on meridians nor belonged to meridian acupoints, were selected and punctured shallowly. The duration of treatment was 20 min each time, 3 times a week, for 4 weeks totally in the two groups. The follow-up visit lasted for 12 weeks. The scores of dyspeptic symptoms were compared between the two groups before treatment, during treatment (in week 1, 2, 3 and 4) and during follow-up (in week 8, 12 and 16) separately.@*RESULTS@#Besides the scores of early satiety and vomiting in the sham-acupuncture group in week 1, the scores of the other dyspepsia symptoms during treatment and follow-up were all reduced in the two groups as compared with those before treatment (@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture remarkably relieves postprandial fullness, early satiety, upper abdominal bloating and belching in patients with postprandial distress syndrome.

Analysis school absenteeism in Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students area from 2012-2017 / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To investigate the changes of school absenteeism among students received Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Student (NIPCES), and to provide basic data for further nutritional health improvement for rural students.@*Methods@#Among 699 NIPCES monitored counties among 22 provinces across western and central China, 10%-30% of elementary and junior high schools were randomly selected as monitoring schools within each stratification according to the food supply pattern (school canteen, company and mix) in each county, school absenteeism information were collected and analyzed from 2012 to 2017.@*Results@#The total rate of student absenteeism was 26.0 per 10 000. From 2012 to 2016, it dropped from 30.8 per 10 000 to 23.4 per 10 000 year by year, but it increased again in 2017(28.2 per 10 000). The rate of school absenteeism in the western region (29.4 per 10 000) was higher than that in the central region (21.5 per 10 000); The sick leave rate (15.0 per 10 000) of primary school students was higher than that of junior high school students (13.4 per 10 000), and the rate of personal leave absences (16.9 per 10 000) of junior high school students was higher than that of elementary school students(9.9 per 10 000); the absentees rate in mixed-food supply schools (28.5 per 10 000) was higher than that in canteen food supply schools(26.4 per 10 000), the latter was higher than that of company food supply schools(25.0 per 10 000). The rate of sick leave absenteeism was highest in December(18.4 per 10 000), and the rate of personal leave absenteeism in June was highest(14.6 per 10 000).@*Conclusion@#The rate of school absenteeism among students in the NIPCES area showed an overall downward trend year by year. The absentee rate of students varies by regions, grade, food supply patterns and school locations.

Temporal trend in energy and macronutrients for pilot schools involved in the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students in 2012-2017 / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To evaluate temporal trend in food supply among pilot schools involved in the National Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students (NNIPRCES).@*Methods@#Ten percent of pilot schools were randomly selected and asked to report the information on food supplies. Daily intake of energy, carbohydrates and protein for each student were calculated and compared with the reference value in Nutrition Guidelines of School Meals (WS/T 554-2017).@*Results@#Energy and protein supply increased among those pilot schools. The supply of energy increased from 1 566.5 kcal in 2012 to 1 927.4 kcal in 2017, protein increased from 49.0 g to 61.0 g. The energy ratio of fat increased from 31.9% to 34.9%, while energy ratio of carbohydrate decreased significantly (F=83.38, 128.36, 20.27 and 17.28, all P<0.05). The proportion of reasonable energy supply from carbohydrate and fat in 2017 were 17.5% and 26.8%, respectively.@*Conclusion@#The supply of energy and macronutrients in the pilot areas were unreasonable, more measures including dietary guide and monitoring need to be adopted to improve students nutrition status among rural areas.

Snack consumption and the influencing factors of students participation in the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education in 2019 / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To evaluate snack consumption and the influencing factors associated with student participation in the Nutrition Improvement Program, and to provide a scientific basis for improving the program.@*Methods@#Among the 50 monitoring counties that implemented the Compulsory Education Student Nutrition Improvement Program, two primary schools and two junior schools were randomly selected according to different food supply patterns (i.e., school, company, and mix). This study randomly selected one or two classes from each grade, which ranged from grade 3 to grade 9. A questionnaire, which addressed snack consumption and choice, was distributed to 27 374 students.@*Results@#The findings revealed that 14.0% of students from poor rural areas in central and western regions consumed snacks two or more times per day, and 21.6% of students spent 3 yuan or more on snacks each day. The top three choices of snacks included fruit and vegetables (50.6%), biscuits and bread (50.1%), and puffed food (40.0%). Students who had mothers who worked outside the home, parents who worked outside the home, who consumed corporate meals, and who had access to a small shop on campus were more likely to consume snacks one or more times per day(OR=1.35，1.19，1.11，1.51，P<0.05).@*Conclusion@#The phenomenon of snack consumption among primary and middle school students from poor rural areas in central and western regions is common, and the selection of unhealthy snacks was identified as a problem. A health education system with comprehensive support and guidance from individuals, families, schools, and society should be established to guide students to opt for healthier snacks.

School canteen construction and canteen meal provision from 2012 to 2017 in schools under the National Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Eudcation Students / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To analyze changes of school canteen construction and canteen meal provision in surveilled schools after the initiation of the National Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Student (NNIPRCES), therefore to provide data basis for improving efficacy of school canteen meals.@*Methods@#From 2012 to 2017, among the 699 trial counties in 22 provinces under NNIPRCES, at least 10% of elementary schools and middle schools with each food supply model (canteen meals, enterprise meals, and family meals) were randomly selected in each county in each year. Questionnaire survey was conducted to collect school canteen construction and meal provision information. The sample size were around 8 000 to 11 000 schools every year.@*Results@#From 2012 to 2017, the proportion of schools that have canteens only, have both canteen and dining room, as well as those have canteen and dining room with tables and chairs significantly increased with years(χ 2=3 043.95, 6 383.85, 6 731.17, P<0.01). The proportion of schools having canteen increased from 59.5% in 2012 to 87.0% in 2017. The proportion of schools with canteen providing breakfast, lunch or dinner varied across years(χ 2=51.85, 144.96, 189.19, P<0.01). The varieties of food groups of three meals all significantly increased during 2012, 2014 and 2017(χ 2=702.30, 892.38, 550.55, P<0.01). The canteen construction indicators, proportion of canteens providing three meals, and food groups included in three meals all significantly differed between elementary schools and middle schools, also between schools of central area and western area(P<0.05). The changing patterns with year were significantly different in elementary schools and middle schools, and in schools of central area and western area(P<0.05).@*Conclusion@#After the implementation of NNIPRCES, canteen construction and food variety in canteen meals significantly improved during 2012 to 2017. However, there are still gaps between changes of canteen construction and canteen meal provision. It is necessary to overcome obstacles to further increase the proportion of schools with canteen offering meals and the variety of food of meals.

Assessment of hemagglutination activity of porcine deltacoronavirus

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging swine enteric coronavirus that causes diarrhea in piglets. However, the biological characteristics of PDCoV are unclear. In this study, the hemagglutination (HA) abilities of two PDCoV strains (CH-01 and HNZK-04) were investigated. Our results showed that PDCoV has the ability to agglutinate rabbit erythrocytes after virion pretreatment with trypsin or neuraminidase. Additionally, the HA assay results showed a significant positive correlation with the infectious viral titer. Our results suggest that assessing the HA activity of PDCoV may be a useful diagnostic method for investigating and surveilling PDCoV infections.

Evaluation of Different Effect of Pith-nodecayed and Pith-decayed Products of Scutellariae Radix on Large Intestine Damp-heat Syndrome Based on Pharmacological Indexes / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To compare the pharmacodynamic effects of pith-nodecayed and pith-decayed products of Scutellariae Radix on rats with large intestine damp-heat syndrome, and to demonstrate the scientificness of dividing Scutellariae Radix into pith-nodecayed and pith-decayed products as medicines by modern pharmacological test. Method::Rats were randomly divided into blank group, model group, low-and high-dose group of pith-nodecayed products (0.9, 3.6 g·kg-1), low-and high-dose group of pith-decayed products (0.9, 3.6 g·kg-1), Scutellariae Radix group (0.9 g·kg-1), compound berberine tablets group (positive drug group, 0.045 g·kg-1), and 8 rats in each group. Taking model rats with large intestine damp-heat syndrome, the body temperature, thymus index, spleen index, pathological sections of colon and ileum, inflammatory factors and Secretory immunoglobulin (SIg) A content were selected as indexes to evaluate the therapeutic effect of pith-nodecayed and pith-decayed products on large intestine damp-heat syndrome, and make comprehensive evaluation of the difference in efficacy between them. Partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was employed to analyze the pharmacological indexes of these two products against large intestine damp-heat syndrome. Result::Pith-nodecayed and pith-decayed products of Scutellariae Radix with different doses could reduce the body temperature, thymus index, spleen index, contents of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, IL-1β in serum and SIgA content in intestinal mucosa, and most of them had significant differences (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the isodose group of pith-decayed products, the effect of corresponding dose group of pith-nodecayed products was better, and most of them had significant differences (P<0.05, P<0.01). PLS-DA results indicated that there were significant differences in the pharmacological effects of pith-nodecayed and pith-decayed products, and they were clustered on one side, respectively. Conclusion::Both of pith-nodecayed and pith-decayed products of Scutellariae Radix have therapeutic effect on large intestine damp-heat syndrome with distinctly different strength of action, and pith-nodecayed products is superior to pith-decayed products, which verify the scientific nature of pith-nodecayed products was specializedly used to treat bowel disease in ancient times.

Mechanism of Dabuyuan Jian in Promoting Neurogenesis of Hippocampus in APP/PS1 Double Transgenic Dementia Mice Based on Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To investigate the possible mechanism of Dabuyuan Jian to promote neurogenesis by studying the effect of Dabuyuan Jian on Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in hippocampus of amyloid precursor protein/presenilil(APP/PS1) mice. Method::Totally 30 5-month-old APP/PS1 mice and 10 wild mice were divided into control group, model group, donepezil group (6.5×10-4 g·kg-1·d-1) and Dabuyuan Jian group (13.2 g·kg-1·d-1), and given drugs by gavage for 30 days. The control group and the model group were given an equal volume of saline. The learning and memory of mice were evaluated by water maze. The pathological changes of hippocampal neurons were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect label positive cells of 5-bromodeoxyuridine (Brdu), adrenocortical hormone (Dcx) and neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN). Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) and Western bolt were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of β-catenin and glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK-3β) in hippocampus of mice. Result::Compared with the control group, the latency and swimming total distance of the model group were significantly increased (P<0.01), while the number of crossing platforms and the target quadrant time were significantly reduced (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the platform latency and the total swimming distance of the donepezil group and the Dabuyuan Jian group were decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01), while the number of crossing platforms and the target quadrant time were increased (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the number of neurons in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) area of the model group was decreased, and necrotic neurons were observed. Compared with the model group, the number of neurons in the hippocampal DG area of the mice in the donepezil group and the Dabuyuan Jian group was increased, while the number of necrotic neurons was decreased. Compared with the control group, the number of positive cells labeled with Brdu, Dcx and NeuN in the hippocampal DG area of the model group was significantly decreased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the number of positive cells labeled with Brdu, Dcx and NeuN in the hippocampal DG area of the donepezil group and the Dabuyuan Jian group was increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the control group, gene and protein expression levels of β-catenin in the hippocampus of the model group were significantly decreased (P<0.01), whereas gene and protein expression levels of GSK-3β were significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, gene and protein expression levels of β-catenin in hippocampus of donepezil group and Dabuyuan Jian group were increased (P<0.05, P<0.01), while gene and protein expression levels of GSK-3β were increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). Conclusion::Dabuyuan Jian could promote hippocampal neurogenesis in APP/PS1 double transgenic mice by regulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Assessment of hemagglutination activity of porcine deltacoronavirus

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging swine enteric coronavirus that causes diarrhea in piglets. However, the biological characteristics of PDCoV are unclear. In this study, the hemagglutination (HA) abilities of two PDCoV strains (CH-01 and HNZK-04) were investigated. Our results showed that PDCoV has the ability to agglutinate rabbit erythrocytes after virion pretreatment with trypsin or neuraminidase. Additionally, the HA assay results showed a significant positive correlation with the infectious viral titer. Our results suggest that assessing the HA activity of PDCoV may be a useful diagnostic method for investigating and surveilling PDCoV infections.

Changes in Glucose Metabolism after Adrenalectomy or Treatment with a Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonist for Primary Aldosteronism

Background@#Data on the effects of excess aldosterone on glucose metabolism are inconsistent. This study compared the changes in glucose metabolism in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) after adrenalectomy or treatment with a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA). @*Methods@#Overall, 241 patients were enrolled; 153 underwent adrenalectomy and 88 received an MRA. Fasting glucose, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and homeostatic model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β) were compared between the treatment groups after 1 year. Plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) and factors determining HOMA-IR and PAC were evaluated. @*Results@#No baseline differences were observed between the groups. Fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-β increased in both groups and there were no significant differences in fasting glucose following treatment. Multiple regression analysis showed associations between PAC and HOMA-IR (β=0.172, P=0.017) after treatment. Treatment with spironolactone was the only risk factor associated with PAC >30 ng/dL (odds ratio, 5.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.7 to 10; P<0.001) and conferred a 2.48-fold risk of insulin resistance after 1 year compared with surgery (95% CI, 1.3 to 4.8; P=0.007). @*Conclusion@#Spironolactone treatment might increase insulin resistance in patients with PA. This strengthened the current recommendation that adrenalectomy is the preferred strategy for patient with positive lateralization test. Achieving a post-treatment PAC of <30 ng/dL for improved insulin sensitivity may be appropriate.

Establishing the Blood Donor Deferral Criterion in TP ELISA Test / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To Establish the shielding threshold value of TP antibody ELISA for unpaid blood donors, so as to shield true positive blood donors from returning to team management.@*METHODS@#The real serological status of 517 samples with anti-TP ELISA reactivity was determined by confirmation test of Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA). The shielding threshold of TP antibody was preliminarily determined by using 99% specificity of ROC and 95% positive predictive value of percentile method, respectively. 283 TP antibody reactivity specimens routinely tested in our laboratory were selected to determine the applicability of the initial shielding values obtained by the two methods, and finally to determine the shielding threshold values of TP antibody donors.@*RESULTS@#The specific S/CO values of reagent A 99% were 13.33-16.18, that of reagent B 99% was 6.34, that of reagent B 99% was 13.17-19.85, and that of 95% was 6.62. Empirical evidence: 99% specific threshold shielding true positive rates of reagents A and B were 100%, 95% positive expected value shielding true positive rates were 98.4%, 99%. Final determination of 99% specific shielding threshold as a low value of blood donors shielding threshold. The shielding limits of reagent A and B were 13.33 and 13.17.@*CONCLUSION@#The shielding threshold of TP antibody ELISA for blood donors established in this study can help to reduce the number of blood donors returning to team management.

Analysis of theoretical basis and clinical application of dog-days moxibustion / 中国针灸

The present situation of the clinical application of dog-days moxibustion (moxibustion applied in the three periods of the hot season) is summarized so as to provide the guide for the theoretic study and clinical application of dog-days moxibustion. The intervention time of dog-days moxibustion is on the 1st day of each of the three periods of the hot season. Simultaneously, the geographic factors are considered. The disorders of lung system are mostly dominant among the indications of dog-days moxibustion, complicated with spleen and stomach disorders as well as cold and deficiency syndromes/patterns. The acupoints are mainly selected from the front- points on the chest and the back- points on the back, in combination with the differentiation of diseases, symptoms/patterns and the disorder stages. The duration of treatment is ranged from 1 to 3 years. The clinical therapeutic effect is improved constantly along with the increase of treatment periods by years.

Changes in Glucose Metabolism after Adrenalectomy or Treatment with a Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonist for Primary Aldosteronism

Background@#Data on the effects of excess aldosterone on glucose metabolism are inconsistent. This study compared the changes in glucose metabolism in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) after adrenalectomy or treatment with a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA). @*Methods@#Overall, 241 patients were enrolled; 153 underwent adrenalectomy and 88 received an MRA. Fasting glucose, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and homeostatic model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β) were compared between the treatment groups after 1 year. Plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) and factors determining HOMA-IR and PAC were evaluated. @*Results@#No baseline differences were observed between the groups. Fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-β increased in both groups and there were no significant differences in fasting glucose following treatment. Multiple regression analysis showed associations between PAC and HOMA-IR (β=0.172, P=0.017) after treatment. Treatment with spironolactone was the only risk factor associated with PAC >30 ng/dL (odds ratio, 5.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.7 to 10; P<0.001) and conferred a 2.48-fold risk of insulin resistance after 1 year compared with surgery (95% CI, 1.3 to 4.8; P=0.007). @*Conclusion@#Spironolactone treatment might increase insulin resistance in patients with PA. This strengthened the current recommendation that adrenalectomy is the preferred strategy for patient with positive lateralization test. Achieving a post-treatment PAC of <30 ng/dL for improved insulin sensitivity may be appropriate.