Study on quality standard of Yi medicine Gynura japonica and quality evaluation of medicinal materials from different producing areas / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To improve the quality standard of Yi medicine Gynura japonica， and to evaluate its quality. METHODS Using 15 batches of G. japonica from different producing areas as samples， the contents of water， total ash， acid- insoluble ash and water-soluble extract were determined according to the method stated in part Ⅳ of Chinese Pharmacopoeia （2020 edition）. The contents of total alkaloid （calculated by senecionine） was determined by UV spectrophotometry. The contents of senecionine and seneciphylline were determined by HPLC. Using above 7 indexes as evaluation indexes， cluster heat map analysis， principal component analysis （PCA） and entropy weight approximation ideal ranking （TOPSIS） were used to evaluate the quality of medicinal material comprehensively. RESULTS Among 15 batches of G. japonica， the moisture contents were 8.88%-12.60%， the total ash contents were 4.43%-11.02%， the acid-insoluble ash contents were 0.56%-3.45%， the water-soluble extract contents were 21.71%-53.91%， the total alkaloid contents （calculated by senecionine） were 0.15%-0.39%， and the contents of senecionine and seneciphylline were 0.01% -0.05% and 0.01%-0.06% respectively. According to the results of various indicators， it was preliminarily proposed that the water content in the sample of G. japonica should not exceed 13.00%， the total ash content should not exceed 11.50%， the acid-insoluble ash content should not exceed 3.70%， the water-soluble extract should not be less than 20.70%， the total alkaloid content should not be less than 0.15%， the contents of senecionine and seneciphylline should not be less than 0.01% both. The results of cluster heat map analysis showed that the 15 batches of samples could be divided into four categories； the results of PCA and TOPSIS showed that the samples with high-quality ranking were jsq-2， jsq-5， jsq-6 and jsq-10， and the samples with low-quality ranking were jsq-4， jsq-13 and jsq-14. CONCLUSIONS In this study， the quantitative analysis method of total alkaloids （calculated by senecionine）， senecionine and seneciphylline in G. japonica is established， and the limits of each index are preliminarily determined. Among 15 batches of samples， the qualities of medicinal material collected from Linza Village of Ganluo County of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture， Machangping Village of Luojishan Town of Puge County of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture and other places are better.

Analysis of prescription and medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of the coronavirus disease 2019 based on traditional Chinese medicine inheritance support platform / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To analyze the rules of medication and principles of formulas for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using the traditional Chinese medicine inheritance support platform (V2.5).Methods:The clinical data, including gender, age, clinical symptoms, frequency of traditional Chinese medicine medication and prescription information, of patients with COVID-19 and asymptomatic infection who were admitted to Hebei COVID-19 designated hospital supported by medical team of First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University of Chinese Medicine from January to March 2021 were collected. The information data were input into the traditional Chinese medicine inheritance support platform (V2.5). The data mining and analysis were realized by the integrated association rules and complex entropy clustering analysis methods of the software, including the analysis of the frequency of each drug use, drug meridian, taste, and prescription rules, and the new prescriptions were developed.Results:A total of 564 patients (564 prescriptions) were enrolled, involving 200 Chinese herbs, including 357 cases of common COVID-19 and 207 cases of asymptomatic infection. The proportion of women with common COVID-19 was high, and the high incidence age group was 51-70 years old. There was no significant difference in gender of asymptomatic infection, and the high incidence age group was 1-20 years old. The main clinical manifestations of most patients were head heavy and cough, followed by low fever and cough with sputum, the main tongue coating and pulse pattern were similar in both types of patients. The frequency of traditional Chinese medicine used in patients with common type of COVID-19 from high to low was liquorice root (326 times), indian bread (264 times), pinellia tuber (263 times), bitter apricot seed (236 times), baical skullcap root (229 times), gypsum (205 times), agastache rugosus (201 times), dried tangerine peel (194 times), ephedra (184 times), and Chinese thorowax root (163 times), while that used by asymptomatic infection were baical skullcap root (174 times), liquorice root (142 times), medicated leaven (137 times), agastache rugosus (127 times), pinellia tuber (114 times), Chinese thorowax root (100 times), officinal magnolia bark (91 times), atractylodes rhizome (89 times), peony root (84 times), and milkvetch root (83 times). The two types of patients were mainly treated with warm, cold and flat drugs, and the nature and taste were mainly pungent, bitter and sweet. The meridian tropism of drugs was mainly lung, spleen and stomach. High frequency drug formulation mainly included drugs for resolving turbidity and detoxification. At the same time, seven new prescriptions for common COVID-19 and four new prescriptions for asymptomatic infection were developed.Conclusions:The primary reason for the COVID-19 occurrence and development is turbidity-toxin and the qi of plague, and resolving turbidity and detoxication are the basic treating principle. On the basis, for patients with common COVID-19, symptomatic treatment such as relieving exterior syndrome, clearing heat, resolving phlegm, and antitussive drugs should be taken into account at the same time, while the treatment of asymptomatic infections should focus more on supporting the body and eliminating the harmful pathogens.

Clinical and imaging analysis on meningiomas initially manifesting as intracranial hemorrhage in 19 cases / 中国基层医药

Objective:To investigate the main clinical characteristics, imaging features, diagnosis, and treatment of meningiomas initially manifesting as spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage.Methods:The clinical characteristics, imaging features, treatment, and follow-up data of 19 patients with meningiomas initially manifesting as spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage who received treatment in The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College from January 2011 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:Among the 19 patients, there were 6 males and 13 females, with an average age of (53 ± 14) years. The onset manifestations were sudden and severe headache and vomiting in 6 cases, progressive coma in 4 cases, and hemiplegia in 9 cases. Among the 19 patients, 15 patients showed irregular tumor shape and mixed hyperintense signal in CT, and 4 patients showed a homogeneous hyperintense signal. Eighteen patients showed peritumoral edema. Three patients showed intratumoral calcification. One patient showed an intratumoral fluid level. Fourteen patients showed isointense to hypointense signals on T1WI images and isointense to hyperintense signals on T 2WI images. Five patients showed mixed isointense and hyperintense signals on T 1WI images and mixed hypointense and hyperintense signals on T 2WI images. Heterogeneous enhancement was found in 18 patients, intratumoral cystic necrosis was found in 15 patients, and the meningeal tail sign was found in 16 patients. Preoperative imaging misdiagnosis occurred in 4 patients. Before surgery, all patients underwent surgery to resect the tumor and remove the hematoma. No patients died because of surgery. After surgery, muscle strength was improved compared with that before surgery. The average follow-up time was (46.5 ± 28.4) months. Tumor recurrence occurred in two patients. The Karnofsky Performance Scale score at the last follow-up, at discharge, and before surgery was (73.7 ± 3.4) points, (61.1 ± 5.5) points, and (49.5 ± 5.6) points, respectively ( F = 21.06, P < 0.01). The Karnofsky Performance Scale score at the last follow-up was significantly increased compared with that at discharge and before surgery ( F = 13.13, P < 0.01). Conclusion:Spontaneous hemorrhagic meningioma is rare and has a sudden onset. It is easily misdiagnosed before surgery. Skull CT, skull CT angiography, and enhanced magnetic resonance imaging examination in combination can increase the preoperative diagnosis rate. Early surgical resection of tumors and removal of hematoma can acquire good clinical efficacy.

Application of situational simulation teaching of endodontics in doctor-patient communication skills of undergraduate clerkship doctors / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To explore the effectiveness of situational simulation teaching in the clinical clerkship education of endodontics.Methods:Stomatology students from Batch 2015 of Xinjiang Medical University were selected and randomly divided into two groups, experimental group ( n=28), taking situational simulation teaching and control group ( n=27), taking traditional teaching. The SEGUE scale was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching methods. SPSS 21.0 software was used for independent samples t-test. Results:The theoretical results of the experimental group [(91.31±3.37) points] were higher than those of the control group [(87.93±4.28) points], with significant differences ( P < 0.05). According to the scores of SEGUE scale, the communication ability scores before and after teaching in the experimental group were (9.07±3.37) points and (21.86±2.47) points, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05); the control group were (8.85±3.43) points and (15.67±2.87) points, respectively; the teaching effect of the experimental group was significantly better than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). Conclusion:The application of situational simulation teaching can effectively improve doctor-patient communication skills of medical students, thereby promoting the combination of theory and practice, and has a positive impact on improving students' clinical practice communication skills in the future.

Design and practice of SPOC mixed teaching based on MOOC in general medical courses / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Taking "count down your weight—start from 'diet'" as an example, this article discusses the design and practice of SPOC (small private online course) mixed teaching based on MOOC (massive open online course) in general medical courses. By designing teaching methods and teaching content, and using formative evaluation methods, the SPOC mixed teaching was implemented for 201 students from Sichuan University in the spring of 2020. According to the teaching evaluation and preliminary teaching effect, students generally believed that teaching resources were relatively abundant and the communication effects were generally recognized, as well as, it could significantly improve students' interest in and effect of general medical courses.

Efficacy and safety of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOAC) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Methods: This study was a prospective cohort study. The data of this study were based on the Chinese Atrial Fibrillation Registry (CAFR) Study, which was a prospective, multicenter registry study. The CAFR Study enrolled inpatients and outpatients with AF from 31 hospitals. Patients with AF and HCM were selected from August 2011 to December 2018. The patients were divided into NOAC-treated group and warfarin-treated group. General clinical data, echocardiographic results and treatment options were collected and compared between the two groups. Patients were followed up every 6 months; outcome events included effective endpoint events(thromboembolism)and safety endpoint events(major bleeding). The incidence of endpoint events in both groups was calculated and compared. Cox proportional hazards regression models and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were performed to determine the association between NOAC use and endpoint events. Results: A total of 393 patients were included (average age: (60.5±11.8) years, 252 men (64.1%)). There were 133 (34.0%) patients in the NOAC-treated group and 260 (66.0%) patients in the warfarin-treated group. Compared with the warfarin-treated group, the patients in the NOAC-treated group had a higher proportion of paroxysmal AF, catheter ablation of AF, a lower proportion of hypertension, ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA), lower heart rate, lower usage rate of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors(ACEI)/angiotensin receptor blockers(ARB), β-blockers, non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers(NDH-CCB)(P<0.05). There were no significant differences on the echocardiographic results, including interventricular septal thickness, left ventricular posterior wall thickness, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, left atrial diameter, left ventricular ejection fraction(P>0.05). After a follow-up of 42 (24, 60)months, the incidence rates of thromboembolism were 1.63 and 2.10 events per 100 person-years for NOAC-and warfarin-treated group, and those of major bleeding were 0.66 and 1.03 events per 100 person-years. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed survival rates free from endpoint events were similar between NOAC-treated group and warfarin-treated group(thromboembolism-free survival comparison, P=0.476; major bleeding-free survival comparison, P=0.855). Cox multivariate regression analysis revealed that there was no significant difference on risk of thromboembolism(HR=1.21, 95%CI: 0.42-3.50, P=0.720) and major bleeding(HR=1.50, 95%CI: 0.27-8.41, P=0.642) between NOAC-treated and warfarin-treated group. Conclusion: Patients with AF and HCM can be safely and effectively treated with NOAC.

Material Attribute Research in Quality Control of Traditional Chinese Medicine Pills： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

As intelligent production of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has been inevitable， informatization and automation of the production process have become the precondition for realizing intelligent manufacturing of TCM， of which the accumulation of critical material attribute and the critical quality attribute are the basis. The study of material properties is of great significance to achieve the quality control of the final product in the process， but there is a lack of systematic induction and summary of the research on the attribute of TCM pills. Therefore， the authors analyzed and summarized the attributes of raw materials， excipients and intermediates in the pill unit process according to the classification of powder properties， rheological properties and texture properties. What’s more， the impact of material attributes on the quality of the final product was summarized. Besides， this review summarized the attribute characterization techniques involved in the pill process and provided some suggestions for the characterization of product quality attributes. Finally， based on the concept of quality by design （QbD）， the authors proposed that the study of material attribute should be combined with process analytical technology （PAT）， and the focus of drug quality control should be moved forward to guide equipment upgrading， so as to realize intelligent continuous manufacturing of TCM pills.

Mechanism of Chinese Herbal Monomers Against Cisplatin-induced Resistance of Ovarian Cancer： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Because the early symptoms of ovarian cancer are not typical and there is a lack of effective screening methods， most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage， which seriously endangers the health of modern women. Platinum-based chemotherapy after tumor reduction is the first choice for patients with advanced and recurrent ovarian cancer， but almost all patients with recurrent ovarian cancer will eventually develop platinum resistance. Therefore， the search for natural， safe， and effective chemotherapeutic sensitizers has become an urgent and important topic in the study of ovarian cancer. With the increasingly extensive application of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in the treatment of cancer， the research on Chinese herbal monomers is also deepening， and the mechanisms of Chinese herbal monomers in intervening in cisplatin （DDP）-induced resistance of ovarian cancer is becoming increasingly clearer. Based on the research status of Chinese herbal monomers available in many Chinese and English databases， it was found that Chinese herbal monomers were involved in the reversal of DDP-induced resistance of ovarian cancer via many routes， mainly through increasing the intracellular drug concentration， reversing the blocked apoptosis， correcting the abnormal intracellular signaling pathway， enhancing DNA damage and inhibiting DNA repair， regulating intracellular autophagy， and suppressing epithelial mesenchymal transition （EMT）. Chinese herbal monomers weaken the resistance of ovarian cancer to DDP from multiple targets and enhance the toxicity of DDP to ovarian cancer cells in vitro and transplanted tumors in vivo. Therefore， Chinese herbal monomers are expected to become natural sensitizers for ovarian cancer chemotherapy with DDP. However， the current studies on Chinese herbal monomers are still confined to the single experimental type， and their action mechanisms and toxic and side effects remain to be further clarified. The application of Chinese herbal monomers for sensitizing DDP chemotherapy still needs to be verified by multi-target， multi-level experimental studies and large-scale clinical studies in the future.

Mechanisms of Guizhi Fulingwan Against Ovarian Cancer： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Ovarian cancer （OC） is one of the three major gynecological malignancies. Due to its insidious onset at the early stage，most of OC patients are diagnosed at the advanced stage， making it become one of the most deadly gynecological tumors and thus a hot topic in the field of gynecology and oncology. Guizhi Fulingwan is a classic Chinese herbal compound derived from Synopsis of Golden Chamber （《金匮要略》） for the treatment of abdominal mass in women on account of its efficacy in resolving stasis， generating new blood， and eliminating mass. The articles concerning the treatment of OC with Guizhi Fulingwan were searched from such databases as China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， PubMed，Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform， and Chongqing Weipu Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals （VIP） and collated for expounding its action mechanisms， in order to provide ideas for further research on its pharmacological effects，clinical application， and promotion. Clinically，Guizhi Fulingwan has been proved to control the growth of myoma，correct serological indexes，enhance chemotherapy sensitivity and anti-tumor immunity，reduce postoperative recurrence rate， and improve the quality of life of patients. As revealed by experimental research，Guizhi Fulingwan alleviates the pathological state of animal and cell models by promoting mitochondrial apoptosis and tumor immunity，inhibiting vascular factors，inducing cell cycle arrest， and reversing multidrug resistance. Guizhi Fulingwan exerts a certain therapeutic effect on OC through multi-target and multi-channel mechanisms， reflecting the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine in treating OC.

UPLC fingerprint and indicator components of Boenninghausenia albiflora var. albiflora / 中国中药杂志

The fingerprint of Boenninghausenia albiflora var. albiflora was established by ultra performance liquid chromatography(UPLC), and the content of 12 active components including chlorogenic acid was determined. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to explore the indicator components of B. albiflora var. albiflora and a comprehensive evaluation system was created for the quality of B. albiflora var. albiflora. In this study, 33 batches of B. albiflora var. albiflora with different sources were collected and studied, and the UPLC fingerprint of B. albiflora var. albiflora was developed. There were 37 common peaks, of which 12 components were identified, and the content of these 12 components was measured. In combination of the common peaks and the content of chemical components, multivariate statistical analysis was performed, and the results showed that 6 components [daphnoretin, isoimperatorin, astragalin, imperatorin, neochlorogenic acid, and isoquercitrin(weight coefficient>0.1)] were selected as chemical markers for the quality of B. albiflora var. albiflora. Technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution(TOPSIS) analysis and chemometrics revealed that the quality of S32, S28 and S29 were superior, while that of S12, S7 and S16 were inferior. The quality evaluation method of B. albiflora var. albiflora constructed in this study was accurate and reliable, with simpleness and easiness to operate. It is suggested that the 6 above-mentioned active components could be used as indicator components for quality control of B. albiflora var. al-biflora. The samples were harvested during the flowering and fruiting period, which is from the beginning of July to the end of August.

Bioinspired membrane-based nanomodulators for immunotherapy of autoimmune and infectious diseases

Autoimmune or infectious diseases often instigate the undesirable damages to tissues or organs to trigger immune-related diseases, which involve plenty of immune cells, pathogens and autoantibodies. Nanomedicine has a great potential in modulating immune system. Particularly, biomimetic nanomodulators can be designed for prevention, diagnosis and therapy to achieve a better targeted immunotherapy. With the development of materials science and bioengineering, a wide range of membrane-coated nanomodulators are available. Herein, we summarize recent advancements of bioinspired membrane-coated nanoplatform for systemic protection against immune-related diseases including autoimmune and infectious diseases. We also rethink the challenges or limitations in the progress of the therapeutic nanoplatform, and discuss the further application of the nanomodulators in the view of translational medicine for combating immune-related diseases.

Inhibition of gasdermin D-dependent pyroptosis attenuates the progression of silica-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis

Silicosis is a leading cause of occupational disease-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, but the molecular basis underlying its development remains unclear. An accumulating body of evidence supports gasdermin D (GSDMD)-mediated pyroptosis as a key component in the development of various pulmonary diseases. However, there is little experimental evidence connecting silicosis and GSDMD-driven pyroptosis. In this work, we investigated the role of GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis in silicosis. Single-cell RNA sequencing of healthy and silicosis human and murine lung tissues indicated that GSDMD-induced pyroptosis in macrophages was relevant to silicosis progression. Through microscopy we then observed morphological alterations of pyroptosis in macrophages treated with silica. Measurement of interleukin-1β release, lactic dehydrogenase activity, and real-time propidium iodide staining further revealed that silica induced pyroptosis of macrophages. Additionally, we verified that both canonical (caspase-1-mediated) and non-canonical (caspase-4/5/11-mediated) signaling pathways mediated silica-induced pyroptosis activation, in vivo and in vitro. Notably, Gsdmd knockout mice exhibited dramatically alleviated silicosis phenotypes, which highlighted the pivotal role of pyroptosis in this disease. Taken together, our results demonstrated that macrophages underwent GSDMD-dependent pyroptosis in silicosis and inhibition of this process could serve as a viable clinical strategy for mitigating silicosis.

Effects of intrathecal injection of ropivacaine on spinal cord in rats based on genomics / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVES@#There are clinical reports of nerve injury caused by ropivacaine. The mechanism for nerve injury induced by ropivacaine has not been fully clarified. This study aims to investigate the changes of pain threshold and L3 spinal cord genomics at 6 h and 24 h after intrathecal injection of 0.5% and 1.0% ropivacaine, and to explore the underlying mechanisms for nerve injury caused by ropivacaine.@*METHODS@#A total of 30 male Sprague Dawley rats weighing 220-260 g were successfully implanted with microspinal catheter. The rats were randomly divided into 5 groups (each n=6): a control group (given saline), a ropivacaine group 1 and a ropivacaine group 2 (both given 1% ropivacaine), a ropivacaine group 3 and a ropivacaine group 4 (both given 0.5% ropivacaine). The rats received continuous intrathecal injection of corresponding drugs at 8.3 μL/h for 24 h via an implanted intrathecal catheter followed by 24 h-pause of injection for the ropivacaine group 2, the ropivacaine group 4 and the control group, 6 h-pause of injection for the ropivacaine group 1 and the ropivacaine group 3. For each group, the observation of behavioral change and the paw withdrawal mechanical threshold (PWMT) was conducted immediately after the injection and again after the pause of injection. After the PWMT observation, the rats were dissected to acquire L3 spinal cords. Illumina sequencing was applied to construct gene libraries. Then the statistical methods were used to find out differentially expressed genes between the groups. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) signaling pathway analysis were conducted for those genes. Real-time RT-PCR was used to determine different expressions of some of those genes.@*RESULTS@#Compared with control group, the PWMT got higher in the ropivacaine group 1-4 and was positively correlated with concentration, negatively correlated with discontinuation duration. Compared with control group, the ropivacaine group 1 had 488 differentially expressed genes, of which 456 were up-regulated and 32 were down-regulated; the ropivacaine group 2 had 1 194 differentially expressed genes, of which 1 092 were up-regulated and 102 were down-regulated; the ropivacaine group 3 had 518 differentially expressed genes, of which 384 were up-regulated and 134 were down-regulated; and the ropivacaine group 4 had 68 differentially expressed genes, of which 46 were up-regulated and 22 were down-regulated. GO enrichment analysis and KEGG signaling pathway analysis showed that most of these differentially expressed genes were related to signaling pathways of inflammatory response.@*CONCLUSIONS@#After intrathecal injection of 0.5% ropivacaine and 1.0% ropivacaine for 24 h, the differentially expressed genes in L3 spinal cord of rats are mainly related to signaling pathways of inflammatory response.

Ethyl Acetate Fraction of Dicliptera chinensis (L.) Juss. Ameliorates Liver Fibrosis by Inducing Autophagy via PI3K/AKT/mTOR/p70S6K Signaling Pathway / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the anti-hepatic fibrosis activity of ethyl acetate fraction Dicliptera chinensis (L.) Juss. (EDC) in human hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in vitro and in a carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic fibrosis mouse model in vivo.@*METHODS@#For in vitro study, HSCs were pre-treated with platelet-derived growth factor (10 ng/mL) for 2 h to ensure activation and treated with EDC for 24 h and 48 h, respectively. The effect of EDC on HSCs was assessed using cell counting kit-8 assay, EdU staining, transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescence staining, and Western blot, respectively. For in vivo experiments, mice were intraperitoneally injected with CCl4 (2 ° L/g, adjusted to a 25% concentration in olive oil), 3 times per week for 6 weeks, to develop a hepatic fibrosis model. Forty 8-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were divided into 4 groups using a random number table (n=10), including control, model, positive control and EDC treatment groups. Mice in the EDC and colchicine groups were intragastrically administered EDC (0.5 g/kg) or colchicine (0.2 mg/kg) once per day for 6 weeks. Mice in the control and model groups received an equal volume of saline. Biochemical assays and histological examinations were used to assess liver damage. Protein expression levels of α -smooth muscle actin (α -SMA) and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3B (LC3B) were measured by Western blot.@*RESULTS@#EDC reduced pathological damage associated with liver fibrosis, downregulated the expression of α -SMA and upregulated the expression of LC3B (P<0.05), both in HSCs and the CCl4-induced liver fibrosis mouse model. The intervention of bafilomycin A1 and rapamycin in HSCs strongly supported the notion that inhibition of autophagy enhanced α -SMA protein expression levels (P<0.01). The results also found that the levels of phosphoinositide (PI3K), p-PI3K, AKT, p-AKT, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), p-mTOR, and p-p70S6K all decreased after EDC treatment (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#EDC has anti-hepatic fibrosis activity by inducing autophagy and might be a potential drug to be further developed for human liver fibrosis therapy.

Treatment of finger spasm after stroke with wheat grain moxibustion at Shixuan (EX-UE 11) combined with rehabilitation training: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the clinical effect of wheat grain moxibustion combined with rehabilitation training and simple rehabilitation training on finger spasm after stroke.@*METHODS@#A total of 80 patients with finger spasm after stroke were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 40 cases in each group. The control group was given routine rehabilitation training, once a day, 30 min each time. The observation group was given wheat grain moxibustion at Shixuan (EX-UE 11) on the basis of the control group, 8~10 moxibustion cones at each point, once a day. Both groups were treated for 6 days as one course of treatment for 4 courses. The motor function of the affected hand (Fugl-Meyer assessment [FMA] score) and muscle tension (modified Ashworth scale [MAS] grading), surface EMG indexes (wrist dorsiflexor muscle and flexor carpal metacarpal muscle mean square [RMS] value), hand muscle strength (neurological deficit score [NDS]) and daily living ability (modified Barthel index [MBI] score) were compared between the two groups before and after treatment, and clinical efficacy was evaluated.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, FMA and MBI scores in the 2 groups were increased compared with before treatment (P<0.05), and those in the observation group were higher than the control group (P<0.05). The RMS value of wrist dorsiflexor muscle and flexor carpal metacarpal muscle in relaxation and passive function testsand and NDS in the 2 groups were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05), and those in the observation group were lower than the control group (P<0.05). MAS grading in the 2 groups was improved compared with before treatment (P<0.05), and that in the observation group was better than the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group was 92.5% (37/40), which was higher than that of the control group (80.0%, 32/40, P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Wheat grain moxibustion at Shixuan (EX-UE 11) combined with rehabilitation training can improve the hand motor function and daily living ability of patients with finger spasm after stroke, improve the degree of spasm and the function of wrist dorsiflexor muscle and flexor carpal metacarpal muscle, the clinical effect is better than simple rehabilitation training.

Computer simulation of molecular docking between methylene blue and some proteins of Porphyromonas gingivalis / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To study the binding target of photosensitizer and bacteria in antimicrobial photodynamic therapy with computer-simulated target prediction and molecular docking research methods and to calculate the binding energy.@*METHODS@#The protein names of Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) were obtained and summarized in Uniprot database and RCSB PDB database; the structure diagrams of methy-lene blue were screened in SciFinder database, PubChem database, ChemSpider database, and Chemical Book, and ChemBioDraw software was used to draw and confirm the three-dimensional structure for target prediction and Cytoscape software was used to build a visual network diagram; a protein interaction network was searched and built between the methylene blue target and the common target of Pg in the String database; then we selected FimA, Mfa4, RgpB, and Kgp K1 proteins, used AutoDock software to calculate the docking energy of methylene blue and the above-mentioned proteins and performed molecular docking.@*RESULTS@#The target prediction results showed that there were 19 common targets between the 268 potential targets of methylene blue and 1 865 Pg proteins. The 19 targets were: groS, radA, rplA, dps, fabH, pyrG, thyA, panC, RHO, frdA, ileS, bioA, def, ddl, TPR, murA, lepB, cobT, and gyrB. The results of the molecular docking showed that methylene blue could bind to 9 sites of FimA protein, with a binding energy of -6.26 kcal/mol; with 4 sites of Mfa4 protein and hydrogen bond formation site GLU47, and the binding energy of -5.91 kcal/mol, the binding energy of LYS80, the hydrogen bond forming site of RgpB protein, was -5.14 kcal/mol, and the binding energy of 6 sites of Kgp K1 protein and the hydrogen bond forming site GLY1114 of -5.07 kcal/mol.@*CONCLUSION@#Computer simulation of target prediction and molecular docking technology can initially reveal the binding, degree of binding and binding sites of methylene blue and Pg proteins. This method provides a reference for future research on the screening of binding sites of photosensitizers to cells and bacteria.

Analysis on epidemiological characteristics of dengue fever and E gene evolution of dengue virus in Guangzhou, 2020 / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To assess the incidence of dengue fever and E gene evolution of dengue virus in Guangzhou in 2020 and understand the local epidemiological characteristics of dengue fever and spreading of dengue virus. Methods: The information of dengue fever cases in Guangzhou in 2020 was collected from Notifiable Infectious Disease System of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention Information System. Serum samples from the cases were detected by real-time PCR. The E gene was sequenced and analyzed. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees were constructed using software MEGA 5.05. The statistical analysis was conducted using software SPSS 20.0. Results: A total of 33 dengue fever cases were reported in Guangzhou in 2020, including 31 (93.94%) imported cases and 2 (6.06%) local cases. Compared with the data during 2016 to 2019, the number of cases, overall incidence and local incidence all decreased with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). The imported cases from Southeast Asia constituted 90.32% (28/31) of imported cases. The E gene sequences and the phylogenetic trees of imported and local cases demonstrated close relationship with the virus sequences from Southeast Asian, and they were less homologous with the sequences of dengue virus isolated in Guangzhou in previous years. Conclusions: The incidence of dengue in Guangzhou in 2020 was significantly affected by the imported cases, especially those from Southeast Asian countries. The study result demonstrated that dengue fever was not endemic in Guangzhou and it was caused by imported ones.

Transcriptome analysis in fetal lungs of SRC1/SRC2 double-knockout mice / 生理学报

Steroid receptor coactivators (SRCs) significantly increase the transcriptional activity of various steroid hormone receptors, and play an important regulatory role in a variety of physiological functions such as food intake, sleep, stress response and reproduction. Previous studies have found that pregnant mice carrying fetuses with SRC1/2 double-knockout (dKO) manifested delayed labor, partly due to the hypoplasia of fetal lungs and the decreased secretion of pulmonary surfactant protein-A (SP-A) and platelet activating factor (PAF). However, there is still a lack of systematic analysis of the changes in gene expression at the whole transcriptome level in the fetal lungs of SRC1/2 dKO mice. In this study, the SRC1KO, SRC2KO, SRC1/2 dKO and wild-type (WT) mouse fetal lung samples were collected at 18.5 days post coitus. The Illumina platform was employed for transcriptome mRNA sequencing, and then the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were annotated and analyzed by GO and KEGG analysis. The results showed that the proportion of quality score of the sequencing data above Q30 in all samples was more than 92% and passed the quality control. Compared with WT fetal lungs, SRC1KO and SRC2KO fetal lungs had 61 and 32 DEGs, respectively; SRC1/2 dKO fetal lungs had 480, 11 and 901 DEGs compared with WT, SRC1KO and SRC2KO fetal lungs, respectively. Among these genes, Aspg, Crispld2, Eln, Ntsr2, Slc10a6 and Vgll3 were the unique DEGs of SRC1/2 dKO fetal lungs compared with other genotype mice. Real-time PCR and Western blotting verified the reliability of transcriptome sequencing results. The GO analysis of the DEGs between SRC1/2 dKO and WT mouse fetal lungs showed that the DEGs were significantly enriched in the extracellular space, extracellular region, and extracellular matrix in terms of cellular component. In the biological process, they were significantly enriched in the term of development of multiple organs. KEGG pathway analysis showed that the DEGs were mainly enriched in signaling pathways such as the complement system, extracellular matrix-receptor interactions, and protein digestion and absorption. In summary, this study comprehensively revealed the changes of gene expression in the fetal lungs of SRC1/2 dKO mice at the transcriptome level, which provides a new theoretical basis for the study of the developmental regulatory mechanism of the fetal lung during pregnancy, and the fetus-derived signals that affect the initiation of labor.

Optimization and screening of carrier for solid dispersion of olaparib based on the solubility parameter and differential scanning calorimetry / 药学学报

Solid dispersion, a dispersion system in which drug molecules are highly dispersed in carrier materials, has been commonly used to improve the solubility and dissolution rate of poorly soluble drugs. The miscibility between drug and carrier is crucial to improve the dissolution performance and stability of solid dispersion. Therefore, the selection of carrier types and the optimization of drug loading are very important. In the current study, the solubility parameter method and Flory-Huggins theory were used to predict the miscibility between olaparib (OLP) and different carriers (VA64, Soluplus, Plasdone S630 and Kollidon K29/32). Besides, the carrier material with good miscibility was experimentally screened by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The optimum of drug-carrier ratio was further performed based on the miscibility phase diagram of drug and carrier. Theoretical calculation and experimental evaluation showed that the miscibility of OLP and VA64 was the best, and the drug loading of 30% could meet the requirements of large drug loading and physical stability. Polarizing light microscope, X-ray powder diffraction, DSC and laser confocal Raman spectroscopy exhibited that OLP was amorphous form in the solid dispersion system. Powder dissolution test demonstrated that the solid dispersion showed significantly enhanced dissolution rate in comparison to crystalline OLP. In this study, theoretical calculation and experimental evaluation were used to screen the types of carriers and optimize the drug loading, which provides an efficient strategy for the selection of carrier and the amount used in solid dispersion.

Association of vitamin D levels with hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels among primary and middle school students / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate vitamin D levels among primary and middle school students in Xicheng District, Beijing Municipality, and to examine the association of vitamin D levels with hemoglobin (Hb) and serum ferritin (SF) levels, so as to provide insights into the prevention of anemia among primary and middle school students. @*Methods@#The first, third and fifth grade primary school students and the first grade junior high school students were sampled from Xicheng District in 2019, using the multistage stratified cluster sampling method, and students' gender, age, height, weight and Hb levels were collected. The 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25-( OH )D] was measured using electrochemiluminescence assay, and SF was detected using immunoturbidimetry. The vitamin D deficiency was determined according to the American College of Endocrinology guidelines. The associations of 25-( OH) D levels with Hb and SF levels were examined using Pearson correlation analysis and Spearman rank correlation analysis. @*Results@#Totally 403 primary and junior high school students were investigated, including 196 boys ( 48.64% ) and 207 girls ( 51.36% ). There were 179, 114 and 110 students at ages of 6 to 8 years ( 44.41% ), 9 to 11 years ( 28.29% ) and 12 to 13 years ( 27.30% ), respectively. The mean 25-( OH )D level was ( 14.80±5.96 ) ng/mL among the study students, and there were 90 students ( 22.33% ) with severe vitamin D deficiency, 243 students ( 60.30% ) with vitamin D deficiency, 63 students ( 15.63% ) with vitamin D inadequacy and 7 students ( 1.74% ) with vitamin D sufficiency. The mean Hb level was ( 136.28±8.33 ) g/L and the median SF level (interquartile range) was 56.80 (14.36) ng/mL among the study students, respectively. The 25-( OH )D level positively correlated with Hb ( r=0.364, P<0.001 ) and SF levels ( rs=0.374, P<0.001 ), and after adjustment for age and body mass index, the 25-( OH )D still correlated positively with Hb ( r=0.157, P=0.048 ) and SF levels ( rs=0.174, P=0.022 ) .@*Conclusions@#Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among primary and middle school students in Xicheng District, and the 25-(OH)-D levels correlate positively with Hb and SF levels. 25-( OH )-D deficiency may contribute to the development of anemia.