Application value of two-dimensional shear wave elastography for detecting chemotherapy-induced changes of liver stiffness in postoperative breast cancer patients / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To detect the changes of liver stiffness before and after chemotherapy in postoperative breast cancer patients using the two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) technique, and analyze its correlation with liver serum indexs, then discuss the application value of 2D-SWE technique in the quantitative diagnosis for chemotherapeutic liver injury.Methods:Sixty breast cancer patients underwent postoperative chemotherapy in Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from January 2021 to November 2021 were included. Conventional two-dimensional ultrasound, 2D-SWE and the serum tests including alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST), γ-glutamyltransferase(γ-GT), alkaline phosphatase(AKP) were performed before and after chemotherapy, respectively. The medians of ElastQ Imaging stiffness (EQI meds) of the whole liver and different liver segments (S4, S5/S6, S7/S8) before and after chemotherapy were measured and compared. The EQI meds of different liver segments (S4, S5/S6, S7/S8) after chemotherapy were compared. The correlation between EQI med of the whole liver and serum indexes after chemotherapy was analyzed. Results:①Compared with before chemotherapy, the EQI meds of the whole liver and different liver segments after chemotherapy were significantly decreased ( P<0.001, respectively). ②The EQI meds among different liver segments were different after chemotherapy ( F=7.489, P=0.001). Moreover, the EQI meds of S5/S6 and S7/S8 were significantly lower than those of S4 after chemotherapy ( P=0.002, 0.001). ③The EQI med of the whole liver was negatively correlated with ALT, AST, and γ-GT ( r=-0.776, P<0.001; r=-0.656, P<0.001; r=-0.428, P=0.010), while there was no correlation between the EQI med of the whole liver and AKP ( r=-0.146, P=0.267). Conclusions:2D-SWE is expected to be a new, real-time, noninvasive and quantitative method to evaluate the changes of liver stiffness before and after chemotherapy in postoperative patients, thus provides a promising method for the early clinical diagnosis of chemotherapy-induced liver injury in breast cancer patients.

Antitumor effect of low-frequency ultrasound combined with autophagy blockade in the mouse model of 4T1 breast cancer / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of low-frequency ultrasound combined with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) on the growth and invasion of 4T1 breast cancer in mice.Methods:4T1 cells in logarithmic growth phase were divided into 4 groups: control group, ultrasound group, HCQ group and ultrasound combined with HCQ group. Western blot was performed to detect the effects of ultrasound combined with HCQ on the protein expression levels of autophagy-related proteins LC3, p62 and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9). Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the formation of autophagic vesicles. The cell proliferation and cell viability were determined by EdU and CCK-8. Transwell assay was performed to detect the effect of ultrasound combined with HCQ on the invasive ability of 4T1 cells. Flow cytometry was performed to detect the effect of ultrasound combined with HCQ on the apoptosis of 4T1 cells. The transplantation tumor model of 4T1 breast cancer in BALB/c mice was constructed.The mice were randomly divided into 4 groups ( n=5 for each group), including control group, ultrasound group, HCQ group, ultrasound combined with HCQ group. The tumor volume and mice body weight were evaluated and measured in each group every 2 days. Results:The expression of LC3-Ⅱ and p62 protein levels increased in the ultrasound combined with HCQ group, and intracellular autophagosome accumulation was evident by transmission electron microscopy. In cellular experiments, compared with the other groups, the ultrasound combined with HCQ group showed stronger growth inhibition, significantly decreased cell proliferation rate, decreased expression of MMP-9, and significantly inhibited invasion (all P<0.050). In the in vivo experiments, compared with the control group, the tumor growth rate of all 3 inter vention groups of mice decreased (all P<0.050), and the ultrasound combined with HCQ group had better therapeutic effects than the ultrasound and HCQ groups. The treatment effect of ultrasound combined with HCQ group was better than that of ultrasound and HCQ groups (all P<0.001). Conclusions:The combination of low-frequency ultrasound and hydroxychloroquine could synergistically inhibit tumor cell proliferation, promote apoptosis, and significantly inhibit tumor growth in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice.

Immunomodulatory and Antioxidant Activity of Gouqi Chewable Tablets / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the regulatory effect of Gouqi chewable tablets on innate and adaptive immunity in normal mice and its antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo. MethodThe effects of low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （0.25， 0.5， 1.5 g·kg-1） on the immune function of normal mice were observed by carbon clearance test， immune organ index test， serum hemolysin test， ConA-induced splenic lymphocyte proliferation test， and natural killer cell （NK cell） activity test. The effects of Gouqi chewable tablets on the antioxidant capacity in vivo were determined by detecting the content of superoxide dismutase （SOD）， glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px）， and malondialdehyde （MDA） in mice serum. The in vitro antioxidant activity of Gouqi chewable tablets was detected by 2，2'-azino-bis（3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid） diammonium salt （ABTS）， 2，2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl （DPPH）， and hydroxyl radical scavenging tests. ResultCompared with the blank control group， the low-， medium-， and high-dose groups of Gouqi chewable tablets improved the viability of NK cells， the proliferation of splenic lymphocytes， and the level of serum hemolysin antibody in mice （P<0.05）. The high-dose group increased the thymus index， spleen index， and phagocytic function of macrophages （P<0.05， P<0.01）. As compared with the blank control group， the activity of GSH-Px in mice serum in the medium-dose group was increased （P<0.05）， and the content of MDA in mice serum in the high-dose group was decreased （P<0.05）. In in vitro antioxidant tests， the median inhibitory concentration （IC50） values of Gouqi chewable tablets were 1.64±0.20， 2.04±0.03， and 10.27±0.03 g·L-1 by the DPPH， ABTS， and OH- free radical method， respectively. Those results indicated that Gouqi chewable tablets have good antioxidant effects in vitro. ConclusionGouqi chewable tablets can enhance the immune function of mice with good antioxidant effects.

Association between duration of fever before treatment and intravenous immunoglobulin resistance in Kawasaki disease / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To examine the association between duration of fever before intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment and IVIG resistance in children with Kawasaki disease (KD).@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 317 children with KD who were admitted from January 2018 to December 2020. According to the duration of fever before IVIG treatment, they were divided into two groups: short fever duration group (≤4 days) with 92 children and long fever duration group (>4 days) with 225 children. According to the presence or absence of IVIG resistance, each group was further divided into a drug-resistance group and a non-drug-resistance group. Baseline data and laboratory results were compared between groups. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the influencing factors for IVIG resistance.@*RESULTS@#In the short fever duration group, 19 children (20.7%) had IVIG resistance and 5 children (5.4%) had coronary artery aneurysm, and in the long fever duration group, 22 children (9.8%) had IVIG resistance and 19 children (8.4%) had coronary artery aneurysm, suggesting that the short fever duration group had a significantly higher rate of IVIG resistance than the long fever duration group (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in the incidence rate of coronary artery aneurysm between the two groups (P>0.05). In the short fever duration group, compared with the children without drug resistance, the children with drug resistance had a significantly lower level of blood sodium and significantly higher levels of procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, and N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide before treatment (P<0.05). In the long fever duration group, the children with drug resistance had significantly lower levels of blood sodium and creatine kinase before treatment than those without drug resistance (P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a reduction in blood sodium level was associated with IVIG resistance in the long fever duration group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#IVIG resistance in children with KD varies with the duration of fever before treatment. A reduction in blood sodium is associated with IVIG resistance in KD children with a duration of fever of >4 days before treatment.

GAO Shu-zhong's clinical experience in "seeking yin from yang needling method" based on "qi street" and "four seas" theories / 中国针灸

The paper introduces professor GAO Shu-zhong's understanding on "seeking yin from yang needling method" and its clinical application on the basis of "qi street" and "four seas" theories. Through professor GAO's clinical practice for years, he integrates and extendes the theories of "seeking yin from yang", "qi street" and "four seas" in Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic). In this specific acupuncture method, in reference with the theories of "qi street" and "four seas", acupuncture is exerted on yang part of body, e.g. the back and lumber region to treat the diseases of yin parts, e.g. the chest and abdomen, which is differentiated as yin-yang imbalance in pathogenesis. In order to fully explain the clinical curative effect of "seeking yin from yang needling method", the common diseases in clinic, e.g. the disorders of heart, spleen and stomach systems, as well as the gynecology are taken as examples in the paper.

Successful cesarean sections under rigid bronchoscopy combined with general anesthesia in two cases of massive hemoptysis during late pregnancy / 中华围产医学杂志

We report two women with massive hemoptysis during late pregnancy, who gave birth to two live neonates by cesarean section under a rigid bronchoscopy-guided high-frequency jet ventilation combined with general anesthesia at 33 and 28 gestational weeks, respectively. Bronchoscopy- guided hemostasis was achieved during the operation. Postoperative bronchial arteriography and bronchial artery embolization confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary vascular malformations. During the 12-month follow-up, no relapse of hemoptysis was observed and the two babies were healthy.

Biological Evaluation for Quality Control of Water Extract of Qingjin Huatantang Based on Phagocytic and Secretory Functions of Macrophages / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To establish a method for evaluating the biological activity of water extract lyophilized powder of Qingjin Huatantang based on the phagocytic and secretory functions of macrophages， and to control the quality of this formula from the biological activity level. Method:The phagocytic and inflammation models of RAW264.7 macrophages were established， the inhibition rates of water extract lyophilized powder of Qingjin Huatantang on interleukin-6 （IL-6） secretion and phagocytic index of neutral red of RAW264.7 macrophages were chosen as indicators to investigate the biological activity of Qingjin Huatantang， and the biological limit was searched. Result:The optimal inoculation density of RAW264.7 macrophages was 3×10⁵ pcs/mL， and the concentration of lipopolysaccharide （LPS） was 1 mg·L^-1 after treatment for 24 h. When the concentration was 500 mg·L^-1， water extract lyophilized powder of Qingjin Huatantang had no toxicity and no obvious promotion effect on the proliferation of RAW264.7 macrophages， and at this concentration， the phagocytosis of RAW264.7 macrophages for neutral red was significantly promoted， the phagocytic index was >113%. In addition， the lyophilized powder had a significant and stable inhibitory effect on IL-6 secretion of RAW264.7 macrophages induced by LPS， the inhibitory rate was >45%. Conclusion:Combined with the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of Qingjin Huatantang， this study establishes an <italic>in vitro </italic>biological limit method for evaluating the quality of water extract of Qingjin Huatantang based on the phagocytic and secretory functions of RAW264.7 macrophages， and 500 mg·L^-1 was confirmed as the limit concentration. Under the limit concentration， Qingjin Huatantang water extract can significantly promote the phagocytic index of macrophages or significantly inhibit the secretion of IL-6 of RAW264.7 macrophages induced by LPS， which can be judged as qualified.

Analysis of the soil microbial community of Cistanche deserticola and Cynomorium songaricum in the saline-alkali soil of Ebinur Lake / 药学学报

To explore the characteristics of soil microbial communities of Cistanche deserticola and Cynomorium songaricum, two typical parasitic medicinal plants that live in an extreme saline alkali environment, 16S PCR was used to sequence the soil microbial communities of C. deserticola and C. songaricum in Ebinur Lake, Xinjiang. Redundancy analysis and correlation analysis were carried out based on the abundance of core microbiome and ecoclimatic factors. The results show that the diversity of the soil microbial community of C. deserticola was significantly higher than that of C. songaricum. The core microbial groups of C. deserticola and C. songaricum were Marinomona, Halomonadaceae, Rhizobiales, Halomonas, and Acidimicrobiales. Six specific biomarkers were identified as Micrococcacea, Echinicola, Glutamicibacter, Galbibacter, Pseudoalteromonas, and Marinobacterium_ rhizophilum. The results of redundancy analysis and correlation analysis show that the average temperature in the driest season and the average temperature in the coldest season, and the clay content and soil texture classification were the main ecological factors affecting the composition of these soil microbial communities. This study provides a theoretical basis for finding molecular markers of C. deserticola and C. songaricum and promoting the quality of C. deserticola and C. songaricum.

Few points on anti-D immunoglobulin administration in Rh-negative pregnant women / 中华围产医学杂志

Anti-D immunoglobulin effectively prevents RhD alloimmunity and has a low incidence of adverse reactions, which are generally mild. A consensus is yet to be reached regarding the clinical norms in China. We provide an overview of anti-D immunoglobulin in preventing RhD alloimmunity, including its mechanism of action, dose-effect, and safety, the timing and rationality of prenatal antibody screening, the timing and dosage of routine prenatal administration of anti-D immunoglobulin, as well as the prenatal indications for an additional dosage of anti-D immunoglobulin and postpartum prevention based on evidence from both domestic and abroad.

Evaluation of myocardial work in anthracycline-treated breast cancer patients by left ventricular pressure strain loop echocardiography / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the effect of anthracyclines on myocardial work in patients with breast cancer by left ventricular pressure strain loop (PSL).Methods:From April 2019 to June 2020, 30 breast cancer patients treated with AC-T regimen(Adriamycin/epirubicin+ cyclophosphamide+ docetaxel) in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University were selected as case group, and 30 healthy volunteer were selected as control group. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed in the case group at 3 time points: before chemotherapy (T0 phase), after the third cycle of chemotherapy (T1 phase), and after the sixth cycle of chemotherapy (T2 phase) respectively. Conventional ultrasonic parameters were collected. Left ventricular PSL was used to evaluate the left ventricular myocardial work index, including global work index (GWI), global constructive work (GCW), global work waste (GWW) and global work efficiency (GWE). The same examination was performed in the control group, and the results between T0 phase and control group, among different phases were compared.Results:①There were no statistically significant differences of general information, conventional ultrasound parameters, left ventricular strain and myocardial work parameters between T0 phase and control group (all P>0.05). ②There were no statistically significant differences of LVEF, GLS, GWI, GCW, GWE and GWW between T1 phase and T0 phase (all P>0.05). ③There were no statistically significant differences in LVEF between T2 phase and T0 phase ( P>0.05). The absolute values of GLS, GWI, GCW and GWE decreased, but GWW increased, the difference was statistically significant (all P<0.05). ④There were no significant differences in LVEF between T2 phase and T1 phase ( P>0.05), but the absolute values of GLS, GWI, GCW and GWE decreased, while GWW increased (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Left ventricular PSL can effectively evaluate the myocardial work of anthracycline chemotherapy in breast cancer patients, which is superior to LVEF and provide a new evaluation method for asymptomatic patients.

A review on integration methods for single-cell data / 生物医学工程学杂志

The emergence of single-cell sequencing technology enables people to observe cells with unprecedented precision. However, it is difficult to capture the information on all cells and genes in one single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) experiment. Single-cell data of a single modality cannot explain cell state and system changes in detail. The integrative analysis of single-cell data aims to address these two types of problems. Integrating multiple scRNA-seq data can collect complete cell types and provide a powerful boost for the construction of cell atlases. Integrating single-cell multimodal data can be used to study the causal relationship and gene regulation mechanism across modalities. The development and application of data integration methods helps fully explore the richness and relevance of single-cell data and discover meaningful biological changes. Based on this, this article reviews the basic principles, methods and applications of multiple scRNA-seq data integration and single-cell multimodal data integration. Moreover, the advantages and disadvantages of existing methods are discussed. Finally, the future development is prospected.

Platelet function tests and Chinese medicines with antiplatelet function:a review / 中国中药杂志

Platelet function tests have been increasingly used to assist in the diagnosis of platelet disorders and prethrombotic state, monitoring of the efficacy of antiplatelet therapies, and personalized treatment. On the basis of light transmission aggregometry, new methods for platelet function test have been developed successively. At present, the research and development of platelet function detector is in its infancy in China. The active constituents of antiplatelet Chinese medicines can be classified into terpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, organic acids, lignans, diketones, volatile oils, and stilbenes. The results of dose-antiplatelet effect relationship of Chinese medicines and the active constituents showed that the effective concentration of the extracts or monomers of Chinese medicines was at micromolar level(μmol·L~(-1)), among which salvianolic acid B and ginkgolide K, ginkgolide B, and ginkgolide A had the strongest antiplatelet effect. These results suggest that the antiplatelet effect of Chinese medicine may be weaker than that of chemical drugs and biological products. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the structure-activity relationship of the active constituents in existing Chinese medicines and further improve their efficacy through structure modification. The antiplatelet effect of Chinese medicines and the constituents involves multiple pathways and multiple targets. These research results provide a reference for clinical application of them. However, there is still a lack of large-scale multi-center clinical trials to confirm the efficacy and safety of them. The regularity of the relationship between the structures of various constituents and their corresponding functions is still unknown and the relevant signal transduction pathways and structure-activity relationship need to be further studied. This paper summarized and analyzed the determination methods of platelet functions and the research results of antiplatelet Chinese medicines, which is of reference value for the research of effective and safe antiplatelet Chinese medicines.

3D-FLAIR MRI findings in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss and the correlations with clinical features and prognosis / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To explore the correlations of different appearances of labyrinthine 3D-FLAIR MRI with clinical features and prognosis in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL). Methods: Clinical data of patients with unilateral ISSNHL hospitalized from May 2017 to January 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the results of 3D-FLAIR MRI, the patients were divided into three groups including hyperintense with absorption, hyperintense without absorption and normal. The differences and correlations among the three groups in clinical characteristics (gender, age, deafness side, duration, treatment days, dizziness/vertigo, basic diseases, vestibular function, deafness classification and typing) and prognosis were analyzed by SPSS 20.0 software. Results: Data were collected from 1 245 cases, including 739 (59.36%) with normal signal, 288 (23.13%) hyperintense without absorption, and 218 (17.51%) hyperintense with absorption. The side ratio, treatment days, dizziness/vertigo incidence, vestibular dysfunction, deafness classification and typing were different among the three groups (P<0.001). The incidence of right side was significantly higher in both the hyperintense with and without absorption groups than that in the normal. The vestibular dysfunction was more common in the hyperintense with absorption group than in the normal and hyperintense without absorption groups. It showed statistical differences in the dizziness/vertigo incidence, deafness classification, treatment days, and deafness typing compared between groups, which was the most significant in the hyperintense with absorption group, followed by the hyperintense without absorption group. There was no statistical difference in the total effective rate among the three groups (P=0.139), whereas a significant difference in the recovery rate (P<0.001). The prognosis was significantly correlated with duration, age, treatment days and dizziness/vertigo in the normal group (all P<0.001), correlated with duration and treatment days in the hyperintense with absorption group (both P<0.001), only correlated with the duration in the hyperintense without absorption group (P<0.001). Conclusion: 3D-FLAIR MRI manifestation is closely related to the clinical features and efficacy of ISSNHL. It is helpful to clarify the pathology of inner ear, which is expected to be a new imaging indicator for disease evaluation.

Regulation of REM sleep: Basic mechanisms and clinical drugs / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

To explore the mechanism of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep regulation and the drugs that affect it. This article summarizes the relevant nucleuses regulating REM sleep in the pontine, medulla, and hypothalamus starting from the neural circuit that regulates REM sleep. Drugs that affect REM sleep, such as selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and selective 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) reuptake inhibitors, etc. The mechanism of action can be summarized as reducing the degradation of norepinephrine and 5-HT of synaptic sites, prolonging the action time of neurotransmitters, reducing the reuptake of presynaptic membrane, prolonging the action time of transmitters in the synaptic space, and relatively increasing norepinephrine and 5-HT neurons excitement.

Effect of percutaneous internal fixation of anterior inferior iliac spine for pelvic fractures / 中华创伤杂志

Objective:To compare the efficacy of internal fixation and external fixation in the treatment of pelvic fractures.Methods:A retrospective case control study was conducted to analyze the data of 66 patients with anterior pelvic ring fracture treated from December 2015 to December 2017 at First People's Hospital of Lianyungang, including 36 males and 30 females, with an average age of 42.7 years (range, 19 to 63 years). There were 36 patients with Tile type B fractures and 30 with Tile type C fractures. Minimally invasive percutaneous internal fixation through the anterior inferior iliac spine was performed in 33 patients (internal fixation group) and external fixator was employed in another 33 patients (external fixation group). The two groups were compared in terms of the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, fracture healing time, fracture reduction assessment with Matta criteria, Majeed score and surgical complications.Results:All patients were followed up for 9-24 months (mean, 14.5 months). The operation time was (33.7±3.6)minutes in internal fixation group , and (24.5±3.5)minutes in external fixation group ( P<0.05). Intraoperative blood loss was (25.8±3.3)ml in internal fixation group and (21.8±4.3)ml in external fixation group ( P<0.05). The fractures were healed acceptably, with the healing time of (13.8±1.6)weeks in internal fixation group and (21.7±1.9)weeks in external fixation group ( P< 0.05). According to the Matta criteria, internal fixation group showed excellent results in 17 patients, good in 14, fair in 2 and poor in 0, with the excellent and good rate of 94%; external fixation group showed excellent results in 14 patients, good in 12, fair in 6 and poor in 1 , with the excellent and good rate of 79% ( P>0.05). For Majeed function score, the results in internal fixation group were excellent in 18 patients, good in 13, fair in 2 and poor in 0, with the excellent and good of 94%; the results in external fixation group were excellent in 14 patients, good in 12, fair in 7 and poor in 0, with the excellent and good of 79% ( P>0.05). After operation, frequent urinary occurred in one patient, unilateral femoral nerve partial paralysis in one, nail cap stimulation in two and incisional redness, swelling and exudation in one in internal fixation group. In external fixation group, there were 5 patients with nail rod exudation. Conclusion:Compared with the external fixator, the internal fixation for pelvic fractures is less invasive and more reliable, can accelerate fracture healing without interfering with the patient's daily life, and can be used as the final fixation.

Transplantation of retinal organoids in vivo and long-term survival of photoreceptor cells / 中华实验眼科杂志

Objective:To investigate the differentiation process of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into retinal organoids (ROs) in vitro and its potential application in cell transplantation, and to provide a fundamental study for stem-cell therapy. Methods:BC1-eGFP hiPSCs were differentiated into neurospheres in directional differentiation medium via suspension culture.On day 7, hiPSCs-induced-neurospheres were seeded onto Geltrex-coated dishes to induce neural retinal (NR) domains.On day 28, the NR domains were manually detached and collected.These NRs were cultured until the maturation of ROs.The quantitative real-time PCR (at week 0, week 7, week 15, week 21 and week 30 group) and immunohistochemistry (at day 8, day 15, week 15, week 21 and week 30 group) were used to characterize the differentiation process of hiPSCs.For ROs transplantation, the ROs were digested, and the cell suspension was injected into the subretinal cavity of Gnat1-/- mice with the outer limiting membrane damaged in retina.Immunohistochemistry was also used to detect the survival and integration ability of the implanted cells 5 months after transplantation. Results:The morphology and immunofluorescence staining illustrated that the cells induced from hiPSCs highly expressed the neural-retinal-epithelial specific markers PAX6 and SOX1 in the early stage, then the cells expressed the retinal-progenitor-cell specific marker LHX2 and a transparent and horseshoe-shaped NR domain was formed at the outer region of the colony.ROs was obtained by manual isolation and suspension culture.The diameter of ROs was about 1 millimeter.The retinal-like tissue gradually became thicker, even formed retinal pigment epithelial cells.Quantitative real-time PCR results showed that the expression of retinal-progenitor marker VSX2 peaked at week 7 and maintained its high expression thereafter ( F=168.30, P<0.01); the expression of retinal-precursor marker RCVRN also appeared at week 7 and increased thereafter ( F=271.60, P<0.01); the expressions of RHO was detected at week 15 ( F=95.02, P<0.01), and the expression of OPN1LW/MW was detected at week 21 ( F=40.57, P<0.01). Moreover, the expression of photoreceptor protein RHO maintained in a relatively high expression state at week 30.Three weeks after the transplantation of RO cells, cells with green fluorescence were successfully moved into the outer nuclear layer of the host retina.Four to six months after transplantation, the implanted cells expressed the functional light signal transduction protein GNAT1. Conclusions:Transplantation of retinal organoids in vivo can recapitulate the development of human retina.Transplanted RO cells can effectively move into the outer nuclear layer, differentiate into photoreceptors and survive in the recipient mice's retina over several months.

Relationship between circular RNA and cancer drug resistance / 国际肿瘤学杂志

Circular RNA is a member of the non-coding RNA family and can participate in biological functions in many ways, such as cell proliferation, cell cycle, invasion and metastasis. Recent studies have shown that circular RNA can be involved in post transcriptional regulation by sponge miRNA and RNA binding proteins. Thus, it can affect DNA repair, apoptosis, proliferation, cell transport, and intracellular enzymes those mediate drug resistance, so as to play an important regulatory role in drug resistance. Moreover, it has been confirmed that interfering with the expression of circular RNA can improve the sensitivity of cancer to drugs, suggesting that circular RNA may provide a new target for the study of drug resistance of cancer.

Characteristics of lymph node metastasis in thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A study of 407 patients / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To analyze the characteristics and risk factors of lymph node metastasis in thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods    The clinical data of 407 patients with ESCC who underwent radical resection of esophageal carcinoma from December 2012 to October 2018 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. There were 390 males and 17 females with a median age of 63 (38-82) years. Esophageal lesions were found in 26 patients of upper thoracic segment, 190 patients of middle thoracic segment and 191 patients of lower thoracic segment. Results    Among the patients, 232 (57.0%) were found to have cervical, thoracic and/or abdominal lymph node metastasis. The lymphatic metastasis rates of cervical, upper, middle, lower mediastinal nodes and abdominal nodes were 0.7%, 8.8%, 21.4%, 16.7% and 37.1%, respectively. The adjacent lymph node metastasis alone occurred in 50.0% patients, and the multistage or skip lymph node metastasis accounted for 29.3% and 20.7%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the length of esophageal lesion, T stage, degree of tumor differentiation, vascular cancer embolus and nerve invasion were independent risk factors for lymph node metastasis. Conclusion    The rates of lymph node metastasis are similar in the upper, middle and lower thoracic ESCC. The main pattern of lymph node metastasis is the adjacent lymph node metastasis, followed by multistage and skip lymph node metastases. The length of esophageal lesion, T stage, degree of tumor differentiation, vascular cancer embolus and nerve invasion are independent factors for lymph node metastasis. The operation and dissection range should be selected according to the location of tumor and the characteristics of the lesion.

Effects of Xueshuantong Injection on thrombosis formation and blood flow in rats / 中国中药杂志

The aim of this paper was to explore the effect of Xueshuantong Injection(freeze-dried powder,XST) on κ-carrageenan-induced thrombosis and blood flow from the aspects of interactions among blood flow,vascular endothelium and platelets. Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats(190-200 g) were randomized into five groups: control group, model group, heparin sodium(1 000 U·kg~(-1)) group, low-dose and high-dose(50, 150 mg·kg~(-1)) XST groups. Rats were intraperitoneally injected with corresponding drugs and normal saline(normal control and model groups) for 10 days. One hour after drugs were administered intraperitoneally on the 7 th day, each rat was injected with κ-carrageenan(Type Ⅰ, 1 mg·kg~(-1)) which was dissolved in physiological saline by intravenous administration in the tail to establish tail thrombus model. The lengths of black tails of the rats were measured at 2, 6, 24 and 48 h after modeling. Vevo®2100 small animal ultrasound imaging system was used to detect the internal diameter of rat common carotid artery, blood flow velocity and heart rate, and then the blood flow and shear rate were calculated. Meanwhile, the microcirculatory blood flow perfusion in the thigh surface and tail of rats were detected by laser speckle blood flow imaging system. Platelet aggregometry was used to detect the max platelet aggregation rate in rats. Pathological changes in tail were observed through hematoxylin-eosin staining, and Western blot was used to detect the protein content of platelet piezo1. According to the results, XST could inhibit the rat tail arterial thrombosis and significantly reduce the length of black tail(P<0.05). The blood flow of common carotid artery in XST low dose group was significantly higher than that in the model group(P<0.05). XST high dose group could significantly increase the microcirculatory blood flow perfusion of the tail in rats as compared with the model group(P<0.05). XST high dose group could significantly inhibit platelet aggregation rate(P<0.05) and XST low dose group could significantly inhibit platelet piezo1 protein expression(P<0.01). In summary, XST could play an effect in fighting against thrombosis induced by κ-carrageenan in rats, which may be related to significantly inhibiting platelet aggregation, improving body's blood flow state, maintaining normal hemodynamic environment and affecting mechanical ion channel protein piezo1.

Penicacids E-G, three new mycophenolic acid derivatives from the marine-derived fungus Penicillium parvum HDN17-478 / 中国天然药物

Three new mycophenolic acid derivatives, penicacids E-G (1-3), together with three known analogues, mycophenolic acid (4), 4'-hydroxy-mycophenolic acid (5) and mycophenolic methyl ester (6), were isolated from a marine-derived fungus Penicillium parvum HDN17-478 from a South China Sea marine sediment sample. The structures of compounds 1-3 were elucidated by HRMS, NMR, and Mosher's method. Among them, compounds 1 and 2 were the first examples of mycophenolic acid analogs with a double bond at C-3'/C-4' position. The cytotoxicity of 1-6 was evaluated against the HCT-116, BEL-7402, MGC-803, SH-SY5Y, HO-8910 and HL-60 cell lines, and compounds 4 and 6 showed potent cytotoxicity with IC