c-MYC-mediated TRIB3/P62+ aggresomes accumulation triggers paraptosis upon the combination of everolimus and ginsenoside Rh2

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is abnormally activated in lung cancer. However, the anti-lung cancer effect of mTOR inhibitors as monotherapy is modest. Here, we identified that ginsenoside Rh2, an active component of Panax ginseng C. A. Mey., enhanced the anti-cancer effect of the mTOR inhibitor everolimus both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, ginsenoside Rh2 alleviated the hepatic fat accumulation caused by everolimus in xenograft nude mice models. The combination of everolimus and ginsenoside Rh2 (labeled Eve-Rh2) induced caspase-independent cell death and cytoplasmic vacuolation in lung cancer cells, indicating that Eve-Rh2 prevented tumor progression by triggering paraptosis. Eve-Rh2 up-regulated the expression of c-MYC in cancer cells as well as tumor tissues. The increased c-MYC mediated the accumulation of tribbles homolog 3 (TRIB3)/P62+ aggresomes and consequently triggered paraptosis, bypassing the classical c-MYC/MAX pathway. Our study offers a potential effective and safe strategy for the treatment of lung cancer. Moreover, we have identified a new mechanism of TRIB3/P62+ aggresomes-triggered paraptosis and revealed a unique function of c-MYC.

Fatigue analysis of upper limb rehabilitation based on surface electromyography signal and motion capture / 生物医学工程学杂志

At present, fatigue state monitoring of upper limb movement generally relies solely on surface electromyographic signal (sEMG) to identify and classify fatigue, resulting in unstable results and certain limitations. This paper introduces the sEMG signal recognition and motion capture technology into the fatigue state monitoring process and proposes a fatigue analysis method combining an improved EMG fatigue threshold algorithm and biomechanical analysis. In this study, the right upper limb load elbow flexion test was used to simultaneously collect the biceps brachii sEMG signal and upper limb motion capture data, and at the same time the Borg Fatigue Subjective and Self-awareness Scale were used to record the fatigue feelings of the subjects. Then, the fatigue analysis method combining the EMG fatigue threshold algorithm and the biomechanical analysis was combined with four single types: mean power frequency (MPF), spectral moments ratio (SMR), fuzzy approximate entropy (fApEn) and Lempel-Ziv complexity (LZC). The test results of the evaluation index fatigue evaluation method were compared. The test results show that the method in this paper has a recognition rate of 98.6% for the overall fatigue state and 97%, 100%, and 99% for the three states of ease, transition and fatigue, which are more advantageous than other methods. The research results of this paper prove that the method in this paper can effectively prevent secondary injury caused by overtraining during upper limb exercises, and is of great significance for fatigue monitoring.

Clinical efficacy of gradual decompression in the treatment of severe traumatic brain injury and its effects on the improvement of intracranial pressure / 中国基层医药

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of gradual decompression in the treatment of severe traumatic brain injury and its effects on the improvement of intracranial pressure.Methods:The clinical data of 120 patients with severe traumatic brain injury who received treatment in the General Hospital of Taiyuan Iron and Steel (Group) Co., Ltd. from January 2015 to January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The included patients were divided into decompressive craniectomy group (control group, n = 64) and gradual decompression group ( n = 56). Intracranial pressure was compared between the two groups at different time points (before surgery, during the surgery, immediately after surgery, 3 and 6 months after surgery). The patient's self-care ability, coma degree, and neurological deficits pre-surgery and 6 months after surgery were evaluated in each group. The incidence of complications throughout the surgery and within 6 months after surgery was calculated to evaluate the quality of life. Results:There was no significant difference in intracranial pressure pre-surgery between the two groups ( P > 0.05). Intracranial pressure in the gradual decompression group was (30.74 ± 2.51) mmHg, (25.11 ± 2.06) mmHg, (21.34 ± 2.01) mmHg, and (16.74 ± 1.54) mmHg respectively during the surgery, immediately after surgery, and 3 and 6 months after surgery, which was significantly lower than that in the control group [(34.31 ± 3.06) mmHg, (30.64 ± 2.57) mmHg, (26.33 ± 2.35) mmHg, (22.64 ± 1.95) mmHg, t = 12.88, 19.03, 12.40, 18.20, all P < 0.001]. There were no significant differences in scores of the Modified Barthel Index (MBI), the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) pre-surgery between the two groups (all P > 0.05). At 6 months after surgery, the MBI and GCS scores increased and the NIHSS score decreased in each group. There were significant differences in the NIHSS, MBI, and GCS scores between the two groups ( t = 7.61, 6.26, 13.07, all P < 0.001). During the surgery and 6 months after surgery, the incidences of cerebral infarction, delayed cerebral hematoma, and acute encephalocele were significantly lower in the gradual decompression group than in the control group ( χ2 = 4.23, 4.35, 4.83, all P < 0.05). The Generic Quality of Life Inventory-74 Questionnaire scores in environment, psychological health, social relationship, and psychological health domains were significantly higher in the gradual decompression group than in the control group ( t = 8.16, 9.80, 8.68, 7.76, all P < 0.001) Conclusion:This study is the first to analyze the feasibility of gradual decompression for the treatment of severe traumatic brain injury in terms of intracranial pressure, quality of life, and short- and medium-term complications. Findings from this study confirm that gradual decompression can effectively lower intracranial pressure of patients with severe traumatic brain injury, improve neurological function, reduce complications, and improve patients' self-care ability and quality of life.

The effect of store-operated calcium entry inhibitor on liver and kidney injury induced by paraquat / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of SKF96365, store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) inhibitor, on liver and kidney injury induced by paraquat (PQ).Methods:A549 cells were cultured in vitro and divided into the control group (DMSO group, SKF 2 μmol/L group, and SKF 10 μmol/L group) and PQ group (PQ+DMSO group, PQ+SKF 2 μmol/L group, and PQ+SKF 10 μmol/L group). The nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) in A549 cells was detected by luciferase reporter gene technique. The mouse model of PQ poisoning was constructed and divided into the control group, SKF group, PQ group and PQ+SKF group. In the PQ group, mice were injected with 50 mg/kg PQ intraperitoneally; in the SKF group, mice were injected intraperitoneally with 10 mg/kg SKF96365 for 3 days. Mice in the PQ+SKF group received 50 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection of PQ once and 10 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection of SKF96365 daily for 3 days. On the fourth day, the mice were sacrificed, and the liver and kidney tissues were taken. The histopathological changes of liver and kidney tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, and the apoptosis of liver and kidney tissues was observed by TUNEL staining. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the mean values of normally distributed measurement data between groups. Comparisons between groups were performed using the least significant difference t-test. Results:The luciferase reporter gene technology showed that NFAT was significantly activated in the PQ group. After pretreatment with SKF96365, NFAT activation decreased sharply in a dose-dependent manner. HE staining showed that the outline structure of liver and kidney tissues in the PQ groups were unclear, cells swelled and a large number of inflammatory cells infiltrated; in the PQ+SKF group, liver cell swelling and inflammatory cell infiltration decreased significantly. TUNEL staining showed that the apoptotic cells in liver and kidney tissues increased in the PQ groups, and the apoptosis decreased remarkably in the PQ+SKF group.Conclusions:SOCE inhibitor SKF96365 can significantly reduce the liver and kidney injury caused by PQ.

Expert statement on the construction criteria of critical care department in municipal and district designated hospitals under the pandemic prevention and control / 中华危重病急救医学

The global coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic is still in a pandemic state. Aging population with underlying diseases is prone to become severe, and have a higher mortality. The treatment capacity of the critical care department directly determines the treatment success rate of critical illness. At present, there is still a certain gap between domestic and foreign countries in intensive care unit (ICU), which is not only in the allocation of medical staff, but also in the beds and settings. The current medical model cannot fully meet the needs of development. The experience and lessons of many major public health emergencies suggested that " dual track of peace and war" approach in discipline construction of critical care is the best medical model. Following the concept of "combination of peace and war", strengthening the discipline construction of critical care department in municipal and district designated hospitals, allocating reasonable standard ICU, step-down ICU and combat readiness ICU, establishing rapid response team, and strengthening regular training and scientific management may be the key measures to deal with the epidemic.

The feasibility of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy in the treatment of renal tumors with R. E.N.A.L. score of 10 / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy in the treatment of renal tumors with renal score of 10.Methods:From February 2016 to March 2021, 23 patients who underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy in Peking University Third Hospital with renal tumors of R. E.N.A.L. score of 10 was studied retrospectively, including 16 cases of male and 7 cases of female, with 11 cases on the right side and 12 cases on the left side. The patients’ age was (55.0±16.4) years, and BMI was (25.4±3.6) kg/m 2. The maximum diameter of the tumor was (3.5±1.4)cm. Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy was performed after complete examination. The observation indexes included operation time, blocking time, complications, postoperative hospital stay and the trifecta (negative surgical margin, blocking time ≤25 minutes, and no perioperative complications). Results:All operations were successfully completed, only 4 cases were converted to open surgery. The median operation time was 153 min(99-346 min). The median blocking time was 27 min(14-60min). The median postoperative hospital stay was 6 d(4-11 d). Postoperative complications occurred in 7 cases(fever in 5 cases, intestinal obstruction in 1 case, postoperative blood transfusion and leg intermuscular venous thrombosis in 1 case). 9 cases (39.1%) achieved the trifecta. 19 cases who completed by laparoscopy, their operation time was 151 min(99-303 min), blocking time was 28 min(18-60 min), postoperative hospital stay was 6 d(4-11 d), fever occurred in 4 cases, and 6 cases achieved the trifecta (31.6%). The follow-up time was 3-62 months, with a median of 32 months, and there was no recurrence or metastasis.Conclusions:Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy is safe and effective in the treatment of renal tumors with renal score of 10.Although the tumor is highly complex, it also achieves the purpose of preserving nephron to the greatest extent. If technical conditions permit, laparoscopic partial nephrectomy could be considered for the treatment of highly complex renal tumors.

Comparison of the diagnostic performance in the hepatocellular carcinoma with cirrhosis between the 2017 and 2018 versions of LI-RADS based on Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To compare the diagnostic performance in the hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) with cirrhosis between the 2017 version of liver imaging reporting and data system (LI-RADS v2017) and 2018 version of LI-RADS (LI-RADS v2018) based on gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) enhanced MRI.Methods:Clinical data of 213 patients with 246 hepatic lesions with cirrhosis who underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI in the Third Affiliated Nantong Hospital of Nantong University from October 2015 to July 2020 were retrospectively collected. The MRI major features and LR categories of lesions were respectively reviewed by two radiologists according to LI-RADS v2017 and LI-RADS v2018, respectively. Taking postoperative histopathological results or follow-up imaging as references, with the LR-5 and LR-4+LR-5 as the diagnosis of HCC, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the LI-RADS v2017 and LI-RADS v2018 were evaluated, respectively. The McNemar test or Fisher exact test was used to compare the diagnostic performance between the two LI-RADS versions.Results:In 246 hepatic lesions, 165 were HCCs, 31 were non-HCC malignancies and 50 were benign lesions. Due to the threshold growth and more simplified definition and changes in the LR-5 classification criteria in LI-RADS v2018, the categories of 38 (15.4%, 38/246) lesions were changed. The threshold growths of 84.6% (33/39) lesions in v2017 were reclassified to subthreshold growth in v2018. Using LI-RADS v2018, 10 lesions were down-categorized compared with LI-RADS v2017, including LR-5 to LR-4 in 7 lesions and LR-4 to LR-3 in 3 lesions, and 28 lesions were up-categorized LR-4 to LR-5, in which 25 were small HCC. With LR-5 as the diagnosis criteria of HCC, the sensitivity and accuracy of LI-RADS v2018 were 66.7% (110/165) and 73.6% (181/246); and the sensitivity and accuracy of LI-RADS v2017 were 55.8% (92/165) and 67.5% (166/246), both with statistical differences (χ2=4.13, P=0.001, χ2=6.20, P<0.001). No significant difference was found in the specificity values of LI-RADS v2018 and v2017 [87.7% (71/81) vs. 91.4% (74/81)], χ2=0.59, P=0.442). Compared with v2017, LI-RADS v2018 increased the sensitivity in the diagnosis of small HCC lesions (10-19 mm) [62.9% (56/89) vs. 40.4% (36/89), χ2=9.00, P<0.001]. With LR-4+LR-5 as the diagnostic criteria of HCC, there was no significant difference in the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of LI-RADS v2017 and v2018 in the diagnosis of HCC (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Based on Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI, LI-RADS v2018 has higher sensitivity and similar specificity in the diagnosis of HCC compared to v2017, especially in the diagnosis of small HCC (10-19 mm).

Establishment of a risk prediction model for acute upper gastrointestinal rebleeding in elderly patients / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To establish a prediction model of acute upper gastrointestinal rebleeding (AUGIRB) for elderly patients by combining and applying multiple indicators.Methods:A retrospective observational study was conducted. The clinical data of 161 elderly patients (age ≥ 65 years old) who suffered from acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB) and who were hospitalized in Shanghai General Hospital from July 2018 to December 2020 were recorded. The patients were divided into the rebleeding group (31 cases) and the non-rebleeding group (130 cases) according to whether gastrointestinal rebleeding occurred. Univariate analysis was adopted to screen AUGIRB-related risk factors and Logistic regression analysis was used to screen independent predictors of AUGIRB so that a predictive model was constructed. Based on the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve), the predictive ability of the prediction model for AUGIRB was evaluated, the optimal cut-off value was determined, and the odds ratio ( OR) and its 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated. Bootstrap resampling technology was used to validate the predictive ability of the model. Results:Univariate Logistic analysis showed that oral anticoagulant drugs, oral antiplatelet drugs, albumin (ALB), platelet count (PLT), Glasgow-Blatchford bleeding score (GBS), D-dimer, fibrinogen (FIB), and international normalized ratio (INR) all had a significant effect on the occurrence of AUGIRB among elderly patients. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the oral antiplatelet drugs ( OR = 11.150, 95% CI was 1.888-65.852, P < 0.05) and GBS score ( OR = 2.503, 95% CI was 1.523-4.114, P < 0.05) were the independent risk factors of AUGIRB among elderly patients, while the ALB ( OR = 0.764, 95% CI was 0.626-0.932, P < 0.05) and FIB ( OR = 0.065, 95% CI was 0.011-0.370, P < 0.05) were the protective factors of AUGIRB among elderly patients. The AUC of the above four indexes joint prediction model was 0.979. The verification results of the model showed that the consistency index (C-index) of the model was 0.986. Conclusion:The prediction model fitted in this research has a high prediction accuracy and it also has a certain reference value for the judgment of elderly patients who suffer from AUGIRB.

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis of α/β Complex Thalassemia by Next Generation Sequencing / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the application value of next generation sequencing (NGS) in preimplantation genetic diagnosis of α/β complex thalassemia couple.@*METHODS@#The coding regions of α-globin genes (HBA1, HBA2) and β-globin gene (HBB) were selected as the target regions. The high-density and closely linked single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites were selected as the genetic linkage markers in the upstream and downstream 2M regions of the gene. After NGS, the effective SNP sites were selected to construct the haplotype of the couple, and the risk chromosome of the mutation carried by the couple was determined. The NGS technology was used to sequence the variations of HBA1, HBA2 and HBB directly and construct haplotype linkage analysis for preimplantation genetic diagnosis.@*RESULTS@#Direct sequencing and haplotype linkage analysis of HBA1, HBA2 and HBB showed that two of the six blastocysts were α/β complex thalassemia, one was β-thalassemia heterozygote, two were α-thalassemias heterozygotes, and one was intermediate α-thalassemia. A well-developed embryo underwent preimplantation genetic diagnosis was implanted into the mother's uterus, and a healthy infant was born at term.@*CONCLUSION@#Preimplantation genetic diagnosis can be carried out by NGS technology in α/β complex thalassemia couples, and abortion caused by aneuploid embryo selection can be avoided.

Analysis of clinical feature and genetic basis of a rare case with Olmsted syndrome / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the clinical and genetic characteristics of a patient featuring autosomal dominant Olmsted syndrome.@*METHODS@#Clinical features of the patient was reviewed. High-throughput sequencing was carried out to detect potential genetic variants.@*RESULTS@#The proband, a 12-year-old girl, featured excessive keratinization on hands and feet, contracture of finger joints, and abnormal position and residual contraction of the fifth toes. Skin biopsy showed significant hyperkeratosis, epidermal hyperplasia, and mild interepidermal cell edema. A de novo heterozygous missense variant c.2016G>T(p.Met672Ile) was identified in the TRPV3 gene by high-throughout sequencing. The result was verified by Sanger sequencing.@*CONCLUSION@#The destructive palmoplantar keratosis in the child may be attributed to the c.2016G>T(p.Met672Ile) variant of the TRPV3 gene. Aboving finding has provided new evidence for the correlation of genetic variants with clinical phenotypes of Olmsted syndrome.

Consensus on technological standards for non-invasive prenatal screening of pathogenic copy number variations by high-throughput sequencing of maternal plasma cell-free DNA / 中华医学遗传学杂志

Genomic disorders caused by pathogenic copy number variation (pCNV) have proven to underlie a significant proportion of birth defects. With technological advance, improvement of bioinformatics analysis procedure, and accumulation of clinical data, non-invasive prenatal screening of pCNV (NIPS-pCNV) by high-throughput sequencing of maternal plasma cell-free DNA has been put to use in clinical settings. Specialized standards for clinical application of NIPS-pCNV are required. Based on the discussion, 10 pCNV-associated diseases with well-defined conditions and 5 common chromosomal aneuploidy syndromes are recommended as the target of screening in this consensus. Meanwhile, a standardized procedure for NIPS-pCNV is also provided, which may facilitate propagation of this technique in clinical settings.

Prenatal diagnosis of suspected recurrent Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome: a case report and literature review / 中华围产医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the prenatal genetic testing for suspected Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) to improve its prenatal diagnosis rate.Methods:This study reported a pregnant woman, who had a pregnant history of termination due to the same reason at 18 weeks, with fetal acromphalus and unusually thickened placenta indicated by ultrasound examination at 13 weeks of gestation. After chorionic villus sampling, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array was used to analyze copy number variations in the whole genome, and methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MS-MLPA) was also performed to detect the methylation and copy number variations in H19 and KCNQ1 genes on chromosome 11p15. Peripheral blood samples were collected from the couple for chromosome G-banding karyotype analysis and SNP array. Results:The SNP array indicated a 176 kb heterozygous deletion in the 11p15.5 region. MS-MLPA revealed a loss of methylation at imprinting control region 2 and a 50% reduction of copy numbers of KCNQ1 (L02903) gene. No abnormality was found in the parents in the SNP array and G-banding karyotype analysis. The fetus was prenatally diagnosed with BWS. Conclusions:When intrauterine abnormalities, such as acromphalus and abnormal thickening of the placenta, are found by ultrasound during early pregnancy, prenatal genetic tests related to BWS, including MS-MLPA and SNP array, are suggested to avoid a missed diagnosis of BWS.

Role of the NLRP3 inflammatory signaling pathway in promoting neointimal hyperplasia associated with chronic renal disease / 中华肾脏病杂志

Objective:To investigate the role and mechanism of Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) in chronic kidney disease (CKD)-related neointimal hyperplasia (NH) of vessels.Methods:Wild type C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into normal control group ( n=6) and experimental group ( n=18), by removal of 5/6 kidney and ligation of left common carotid artery to establish a NH model. After established successfully, the mice in NH experimental group were randomly divided into NH model group, NLRP3 inhibitor group, and drug control group ( n=6/group). C57BL/6J male mice with NLRP3 gene knockout group did not do any treatment after the establishment of NH model. After 3 weeks of feeding, the blood and vascular tissue samples of mice were collected. The pathological changes of vascular tissue samples in mice were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The expressions and localization of NLRP3-related protein were observed by immunofluorescence staining. The expression of NLRP3 mRNA in vascular tissue was detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The activity of caspase-1 in vascular tissue was measured by colorimetric method. Human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) were treated with 10% uremic serum to simulate the body's internal environment during the uremic phase. NLRP3 small interfering RNA (siRNA) was transfected or NLRP3 inhibitor glibenclamide was added to the cell cultures. The expression of NLRP3 mRNA in HASMCs was detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The activity of caspase-1 in HASMCs was detected by colorimetric method. Results:Compared with the control group, the levels of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen were significantly increased in the NH model group (both P<0.01). The vascular histopathology showed that vascular intima thickened, vascular smooth muscle cells proliferated and hypertrophied, nuclei were deeply stained, and cells arranged disorderly and migrated to vascular intima in the experimental group. Quantitative analysis showed that the ratio of neointima to lumen increased significantly in the NH model group than that in control group ( P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the immunofluorescence staining of vascular tissue showed that the expressions of NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-18, IL-1β and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) protein in the NH model group increased (all P<0.01), while the expression of α-SMA decreased ( P<0.01). NLRP3 was mainly located in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). VSMCs showed a synthetic phenotype. Compared with the NH model group, the expression of NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-18, IL-1β and PCNA protein in the NLRP3 inhibitor group and NLRP3 gene knockout group decreased (all P<0.01), the expression of α-SMA increased ( P<0.01), and the pathological changes of blood vessels alleviated. Compared with healthy serum group, the expression of NLRP3, IL-18, and IL-1β and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) uptake in uremic serum-stimulated group were increased (all P<0.01). After transfection of NLRP3 siRNA and addition of glibenclamide, the expression of NLRP3, IL-18, and IL-1β in VSMCs in uremic serum-stimulated group decreased, and BrdU intake decreased (all P<0.01). Conclusions:NLRP3 inflammatory bodies play an important role in promoting CKD-related neointimal hyperplasia of vessels, and glibenclamide can effectively reduce neointimal hyperplasia.

Current status and future of interventional robotic surgical system / 中华消化外科杂志

Interventional medicine plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, hepatobiliary tumors and other diseases, which has become the third largest type of treatment technology besides internal and surgical treatment. In recent years, with technological breakthroughs in imaging technology, robotic surgical system, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and other fields, unprecedented opportunities have been provided for interventional/minimally invasive+robotics. Interventional robotic surgical systems have mushroomed around this field. The authors discuss the current status and future of interventional robotic surgical system with high recognition worldwide, especially the three categories of specialized robotic surgical system for vascular intervention, percutaneous puncture intervention and natural non-vascular luminal intervention.

Construction of squalene producing cell factories and screening, cloning and expression of key genes / 生物工程学报

Squalene is widely used in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetics and other fields because of its strong antioxidative, antibacterial and anti-tumor activities. In order to produce squalene, a gene ispA encoding farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase was overexpressed in a previously engineered Escherichia coli strain capable of efficiently producing terpenoids, resulting in a chassis strain that efficiently synthesizes triterpenoids. Through phylogenetic analysis, screening, cloning and expression of squalene synthase derived from different prokaryotes, engineered E. coli strains capable of efficiently producing squalene were obtained. Among them, squalene produced by strains harboring squalene synthase derived from Thermosynechococcus elongatus and Synechococcus lividus reached (16.5±1.4) mg/g DCW ((167.1±14.3) mg/L broth) and (12.0±1.9) mg/g DCW ((121.8±19.5) mg/L broth), respectively. Compared with the first-generation strains harboring the human-derived squalene synthase, the squalene synthase derived from T. elongatus and S. lividus remarkably increased the squalene production by 3.3 times and 2.4 times, respectively, making progress toward the cost-effective heterologous production of squalene.

Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay panel for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and its variants / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#With the ongoing worldwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, an increasing number of viral variants are being identified, which poses a challenge for nucleic acid-based diagnostic tests. Rapid tests, such as real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR), play an important role in monitoring COVID-19 infection and controlling its spread. However, the changes in the genotypes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants may result in decreased sensitivity of the rRT-PCR assay and it is necessary to monitor the mutations in primers and probes of SARS-CoV-2 detection over time.@*METHODS@#We developed two rRT-PCR assays to detect the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and nucleocapsid (N) genes of SARS-CoV-2. We evaluated these assays together with our previously published assays targeting the ORF1ab and N genes for the detection and confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants of concern (VOCs). In addition, we also developed two rRT-PCR assays (S484K and S501Y) targeting the spike gene, which when combined with the open reading frames (ORF)1ab assay, respectively, to form duplex rRT-PCR assays, were able to detect SARS-CoV-2 VOCs (lineages B.1.351 and B.1.1.7).@*RESULTS@#Using a SARS-CoV-2 stock with predetermined genomic copies as a standard, the detection limit of both assays targeting RdRp and N was five copies/reaction. Furthermore, no cross-reactions with six others human CoVs (229E, OC43, NL63, HKU1, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) were observed using these assays. In addition, the S484K and S501Y assays were combined with the ORF1ab assay, respectively.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Four rRT-PCR assays (RdRp, N, S484K, and S501Y) were used to detect SARS-CoV-2 variants, and these assays were shown to be effective in screening for multiple virus strains.

A novel nomogram provides improved accuracy for predicting biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Various prediction tools have been developed to predict biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP); however, few of the previous prediction tools used serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) nadir after RP and maximum tumor diameter (MTD) at the same time. In this study, a nomogram incorporating MTD and PSA nadir was developed to predict BCR-free survival (BCRFS).@*METHODS@#A total of 337 patients who underwent RP between January 2010 and March 2017 were retrospectively enrolled in this study. The maximum diameter of the index lesion was measured on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate independent predictors of BCR. A nomogram was subsequently developed for the prediction of BCRFS at 3 and 5 years after RP. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and decision curve analyses were performed to identify the advantage of the new nomogram in comparison with the cancer of the prostate risk assessment post-surgical (CAPRA-S) score.@*RESULTS@#A novel nomogram was developed to predict BCR by including PSA nadir, MTD, Gleason score, surgical margin (SM), and seminal vesicle invasion (SVI), considering these variables were significantly associated with BCR in both univariate and multivariate analyses (P < 0.05). In addition, a basic model including Gleason score, SM, and SVI was developed and used as a control to assess the incremental predictive power of the new model. The concordance index of our model was slightly higher than CAPRA-S model (0.76 vs. 0.70, P = 0.02) and it was significantly higher than that of the basic model (0.76 vs. 0.66, P = 0.001). Time-dependent ROC curve and decision curve analyses also demonstrated the advantages of the new nomogram.@*CONCLUSIONS@#PSA nadir after RP and MTD based on MRI before surgery are independent predictors of BCR. By incorporating PSA nadir and MTD into the conventional predictive model, our newly developed nomogram significantly improved the accuracy in predicting BCRFS after RP.

Detection of copy number variation in fetuses with congenital anomalies of kidney and urinary tract / 中华围产医学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the detection of copy number variation (CNV) by chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) in fetuses with congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT).Methods:A total of 1 929 fetuses who were ultrasonically found with CAKUT and underwent CMA from Guangdong Women and Children's Hospital and Health Institute were enrolled in this retrospective study from January 2016 to July 2020. These fetuses were divided into isolated CAKUT group ( n=1 567), CAKUT with soft markers group ( n=269), and CAKUT with other structural anomalies group ( n=93) for comparing the detection rate of pathogenic CNV using Chi-square test or Fisher exact test. Results:(1)The detection rate of all and pathogenic CNVs were 6.5%(125/1 929) and 4.8%(93/1 929), respectively. The total detection rate of CNV, clinically significant CNV and large chromosome structural variations in the CAKUT with other structural anomalies group were higher than those of the CAKUT with soft markers group and isolated CAKUT groups[31.2%(29/93), 11.5%(31/269) vs 4.2%(65/1 567), χ2=119.002; 18.3%(17/93), 9.0%(24/269) vs 3.6%(56/1 567), χ2=49.677; 9.7%(9/93), 2.2%(6/269) vs 0.3%(4/1 567), χ2=42.727; all P<0.001]. CAKUT with other structural anomalies group had a higher detection rate of pathogenic CNV (18.3%, 17/93) than the CAKUT with soft markers group (8.6%, 23/269) and the isolated CAKUT group [3.4%(53/1 567)] ( χ2=51.932, P<0.001). (2) The detection rate of pathogenic CNV was the highest in fetuses with enhanced renal echo (14.7%, 23/156), followed by renal enlargement (8.2%, 5/61), renal dysplasia (5.0%,13/261), polycystic renal dysplasia (5.0%, 13/261), and hydronephrosis (4.8%, 20/413). Fetuses with polycystic renal dysplasia, renal agenesis, fused kidney and hydronephrosis in the CAKUT with other structural anomalies group had a higher detection rate of pathogenic CNV than those in the isolated CAKUT group [3/9 vs 3.5%(8/230), 2/17 vs 1.3%(3/237), 1/8 vs 0.0%(0/59) and 3/18 vs 3.4%(12/344), all P<0.017]. The CAKUT with other structural anomalies group had a higher detection rate of pathogenic CNV than CAKUT with soft markers group in fetuses with enhanced renal echo [4/8 vs 12.8%(5/39), P<0.017]. (3) The top three microdeletion/microduplication syndrome were 17q12 microdeletion syndrome (36.6%, 34/93), 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome (23.7%, 22/93), and 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome (7.5%, 7/93) among those with pathogenic CNV. Conclusions:The risk of CNV in fetuses with isolated CAKUT, CAKUT with soft markers, and CAKUT with additional structural anomalies increased progressively. CMA might be a better choice in fetuses with hydronephrosis, enhanced renal echo, renal enlargement, renal hypoplasia, and multicystic renal dysplasia to improve the detection rate of CNV.

The application of liver free technique in surgery of renal cell carcinoma with tumor thrombus / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To disiuss the application of liver free technique in renal cell carcinoma patients with Mayo Ⅱ-Ⅳ tumor thrombus.Methods:The clinical data of renal cell carcinoma patients with MayoⅡ-Ⅳ IVC tumor thrombus in our hospital from January 2014 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. 25 patients underwent right part of liver or hepatic portal part dissection via open abdominal approach. There were 20 males and 5 females, aged 45-74 years (mean 61±6 years). All patients underwent urinary tract CTU or MRU examination, vena cava enhanced magnetic resonance angiography.There were left 8 cases, right 17 cases; the median length of tumor was 7 cm (3.6-12.1 cm). There were 1 case of Mayo grade Ⅱ tumor thrombus, 7 cases of Mayo grade Ⅲ tumor thrombus, and 17 cases of Mayo grade Ⅳ tumor thrombus. There were 7 cases of distant metastasis, including 6 cases of lung metastasis and 1 case of bone metastasis. After multi-disciplinary consultation (MDT), 19 patients underwent radical nephrectomy and 6 patients underwent tumor reducing nephrectomy. During the operation, the ligaments around the liver were completely dissociated and the space between the liver and kidney was opened. The bare area of the liver was fully dissociated, to expose the inferior vena cava. For Mayo grade Ⅳ tumor thrombus, 11 cases were treated with free diaphragmatic thrombus removal without thoracotomy, and 6 cases were treated with open chest cardiopulmonary bypass.Results:The median operation time was 444(258-694)min, the median intraoperative blood loss was 2 000(250-10 000)ml, and the median value of suspended red blood cell transfusion was 1 300(400-10 400)ml. The median postoperative hospital stay was 10(4-25)days.15 patients (60%) had postoperative complications, including 8 cases of liver injury, 5 cases of respiratory complications, 4 cases of kidney injury, 3 cases of anemia, 3 cases of infection and 1 case of thrombosis. Three patients died during perioperative period.Conclusions:The application of total liver free technique might obtain good exposure of surgical field, effectively control the hemorrhage of inferior vena cava, which is helpful for safe resection of tumor.

Ursolic acid ameliorates azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium-caused colorectal cancer by inhibition of Wnt signaling cascade / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE To investigate the pharmacological effect of ursolic acid (UA) on colitis-associated colorec?tal cancer (CAC) and its underlying mechanism based on the Wnt signaling pathway. METHODS The CAC model in mice was established by azoxymethane (AOM) combined and dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS), accompanied by treat?ment with various dosages of UA and concomitant appraisal of body weight, stool and physical state of the mice. After the sacrifice of the mice, the tumor and length of the colorectum were measured, followed by retrieval of the liver, spleen, thymus and tumor tissue for downstream assays. The levels of inflammatory factors interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1βand C-reactive protein (CRP) in the tumor and serum were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The pathological changes of colorectal tissues were observed by HE staining. The levels in tumors of Wnt/β-catenin sig?naling pathway-related proteins Wnt4, GSK-3β, β-catenin, TCF4, LEF1, c-Myc, cyclin D1 and apoptosis-related protein Bcl-2 were assayed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The mRNA expressions of Wnt4, GSK-3β,β-catenin, TCF4, LEF1, c-Myc, cyclin D1, Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-9 and caspase-3 in tumors were detected by real-time quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR). The protein levels of Wnt4, GSK-3β, β-catenin, TCF4, LEF1, c-Myc, cyclin D1, phospho-β-catenin, phospho-GSK-3β, Bcl-2 and Bax in tumors were probed by analyzed by Western blotting (WB). Also, RNA-seq was employed to assess the gut microbiota in the mice. RESULTS UA significantly ameliorated the symptoms of AOM/DSS-induced mouse CAC, evidenced by improved physical state, body weight, survival rate, colorectal length, the mass of liver, thy?mus, spleen, and decreased CAC load and colorectal mass. UA attenuated the levels of IL-6, IL-1β and CRP in the mouse serum and colorectal tumor in a dose-dependent manner. HE staining showed that UA lessened carcinogenesis in the colorectum, with lower infiltration of lymphocytes, versus the control. IHC indicated that UA mitigated the expres?sion of Wnt4,β-catenin, TCF4, LEF1, c-Myc, cyclin D1, Bcl-2, and promoted the GSK-3βexpression, compared with the control. Furthermore, UA diminished the mRNA expressions of Wnt4, β-catenin, TCF4, LEF1, c-Myc, cyclin D1, Bcl-2, and heightened the mRNA levels of GSK-3β, caspase-3, capase-9 and Bax in CAC. The results of mRNA expressions were verified by WB analysis, which revealed that UA impeded the protein expression of Wnt4,β-catenin, c-Myc, cyclin D1, Bcl-2, TCF4, LEF1, and elevated the protein levels of GSK-3βand Bax, phospho-β-catenin in mouse CAC. In addi?tion, UA substantially ameliorated the gut microbiota to store the metabolic function in the mice with CAC. CONCLU?SION Ursolic acid may protect against CAC, potentially by downregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activity and restoration of gut microbiota.