Macular morphology and vascular parameters changes following micro-invasive vitrectomy in patients with severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy / 中华眼底病杂志

Objective:To observe the changes of macular morphology and blood flow after minimally invasive vitrectomy (PPV) in patients with severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (sNPDR).Methods:A prospective clinical study. From January 2020 to April 2021, 17 consecutive sNPDR patients with 17 eyes who were diagnosed and received PPV treatment at the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center of Sun Yat-sen University were included in the study. There were 12 males with 12 eyes and 5 females with 5 eyes; the average age was 55 years old; the average duration of diabetes was 11 years; the average glycosylated hemoglobin was 7.9%. Before the operation and 1, 3, and 6 months after the operation, all the affected eyes underwent best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), standard 7-field fundus color photography, and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). An OCTA instrument was used to scan the macular area of the affected eye with in the range of 3 mm×3 mm to measure the central subfoveal thickness (CST), the thickness of the ganglion cell complex (GCC) in the macular area, the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), and the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) vessel density and perfusion density in the macular area, macular avascular zone (FAZ) area, a-circularity index (AI). Before the operation and 6 months after the operation, the least significant difference test was used for the pairwise comparison.Results:Before the operation, 1, 3, and 6 months after the operation, the FAZ area of the macular area were 0.34±0.14, 0.35±0.10, 0.37±0.10, 0.36±0.13 mm 2, respectively; AI were 0.52±0.13, 0.54±0.11, 0.57±0.10, 0.60±0.11; CST was 282.6±66.7, 290.4±70.9, 287.2±67.5, 273.2± 49.6 μm; GCC thickness were 77.1±15.5, 74.3±13.9, 72.6±16.2, 78.5±18.3 μm; the thickness of RNFL was 97.9±13.8, 101.3±14.6, 97.7±12.0, 96.1±11.4 μm, respectively. The overall blood flow density of SCP in the macula were (16.79±1.43)%, (16.71±1.82)%, (17.30±2.25)%, (17.35±1.22)%; the overall perfusion density were 0.32±0.02, 0.32±0.03, 0.33±0.03, 0.33±0.02, respectively. After the operation, the CST increased first and then decreased; the thickness of RNFL increased 1 month after the operation, and then gradually decreased. Comparison of the parameters before and 6 months after the operation showed that the AI improved, and the difference was statistically significant ( P=0.049); the difference in FAZ area and the thickness of CST, GCC, and RNFL was not statistically significant ( P=0.600, 0.694, 0.802, 0.712); There was no statistically significant difference in the retina SCP blood flow density and perfusion density in the macular area ( P=0.347, 0.361). Conclusion:Compared with before surgery, there is no significant change in macular structure and blood flow density in sNPDR patients within 6 months after minimally invasive PPV.

Screening and analysis of prognostic factors of repairing single missing tooth by autotransplantation of teeth / 中华口腔医学杂志

Objective: To screen and analyze the factors affecting the prognosis of replacing single missing tooth by autograft tooth, so as to provide reference for clinical judgment of surgical prognosis. Methods: A total of 176 patients (188 teeth) underwent autotransplantation of teeth in the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University from January 2017 to December 2019, including 85 teeth of males and 103 teeth of females were involved. The age was (33.0±9.8) years (16-65 years). The possible factors affecting the prognosis of replacing single missing tooth by autograft tooth were summarized and grouped, and the clinical and imaging data were recorded and judged. The surgical records and photographic data from the patients' previous medical records were retrospectively analyzed. The survival analysis method was used for statistical analysis to screen out the factors affecting the cumulative survival rate of transplanted teeth. Results: The 5-year cumulative survival rate of 188 transplanted teeth was 88.4%. Univariate Log-Rank analysis showed that age (P<0.001), sex (P=0.008), smoking (P<0.001), position of recipient area (P<0.001), height of alveolar bone in recipient area (P<0.001), time of donor tooth in vitro (P<0.001), use of donor model (P<0.001) and initial stability (P<0.001) were significantly correlated with cumulative survival rate of transplanted teeth. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that smoking (β=-2.812, P=0.049), alveolar bone height (β=1.521, P=0.020), donor time (β=-2.001, P=0.019), use of donor model (β=1.666, P=0.034) and initial stability (β=-1.417, P=0.033) were significantly correlated with the cumulative survival rate of transplanted teeth. Conclusions: The prognosis of autogenous tooth transplantation can be predicted by smoking, height of alveolar bone in recipient area, time of donor teeth in vitro, use of donor model and initial stability. Good prognosis of transplanted teeth can be obtained by using donor model during operation, reducing the time of donor teeth in vitro, taking effective methods to restore alveolar bone height, maintaining good initial stability, and good oral health education after operation.

The IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway mediated by radiotherapy regulates the expression of PD-L1 in esophageal cancer cells / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To explore the possible mechanism of radiotherapy regulating the expression of PD-L1 in esophageal carcinoma. Methods: Three esophageal cancer cell lines (Eca109, Kyse150, TE1) were irradiated with different doses of X-rays, and 6 Gy+ AG490 group was set. The mRNA expression of PD-L1 was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The protein expressions of PD-L1, STAT3, p-STAT3 were detected by western blotting and the protein level of IL-6 was detected by ELISA. Results: The mRNA expressions of PD-L1 in Eca109, Kyse150 and TE1 were 2.86±0.30, 960.01±21.27 and 106.78±6.67, higher than 1.07±0.15 in normal esophageal cell line HET-1A (P<0.01). The protein expressions of PD-L1 in Eca109, Kyse150 and TE1 were 0.091±0.036, 1.533±0.079 and 0.914±0.035, higher than 0.063±0.01 in normal esophageal cell line HET-1A (P<0.01). After 48 hours of 6 Gy irradiation, the protein expression levels of PD-L1 in Eca109, Kyse150 and TE1 were 0.135±0.007, 1.66±0.06 and 1.32±0.06, higher than 0.09±0.01, 1.21±0.05 and 0.93±0.03 of the 0 Gy group (P<0.01), while the protein expression levels of p-STAT3 in Eca109, Kyse150 and TE1 were 1.44±0.26, 0.75±0.04 and 1.92±0.17, higher than 0.18±0.05, 0.48±0.02 and 0.36±0.06 of the 0 Gy group (P<0.01). IL-6 protein expression increased significantly after different doses of irradiation (P<0.01). After the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway was blocked by the specific inhibitor AG490, the expressions of PD-L1 of Eca109, Kyse150 and TE1 in the 6 Gy+ AG490 groups were 0.11±0.03, 1.07±0.08 and 0.96±0.11, without significant differences of 0.09±0.01, 0.96±0.05 and 0.85±0.09 of the 0 Gy group (P>0.05), while the protein expressions of p-STAT3 were 0.76±0.11, 0.59±0.06 and 0.96±0.12, without significant differences of 0.67±0.08, 0.54±0.06 and 0.84±0.11 of the 0 Gy group (P>0.05). Conclusion: Radiotherapy may regulate the expression of PD-L1 in esophageal cancer cells through IL-6 / STAT3 signaling pathway.

Effect of Xuanfu Daizhe decoction on stemness of esophageal cancer cells / 中国应用生理学杂志

Objective: To investigate the effect of Xuanfu Daizhe decoction on the stemness of esophageal cancer cells. Methods: The BALB/c nude mice were randomly divided into the control group and experimental group, 5 mice in each group, which were continuously administered with normal saline and Xuanfu Daizhe decoction (9.89 g/kg) by gastrogavage, respectively. Human esophageal carcinoma cells ECA-109 (5×106) were subcutaneously injected into the mice on the 8th day. Tumor volume was measured twice a week. The mice were sacrificed 4 weeks after injection, and the tumor tissue and mouse serum were collected. The expressions of the major stemness-regulating transcription factors, i.e., NANOG, OCT4 and SOX2, were detected by RT-qPCR, Western Blot and immunohistochemistry. ECA-109 cells were treated with 10% fetal bovine serum and serum from the above two groups of mice for 48 hours respectively, and three replicate wells were set in each group, and the expressions of NANOG, OCT4, SOX2 and the levels of AKT and p-AKT were detected by RT-qPCR and Western Blot, respectively. ALDH activity in tumor cells was detected by flow cytometry; the number of spheroids of tumor cells was detected by the spheroidization experiment. Results: Compared with the control group, the growth and size of esophageal cancer tumors were significantly inhibited by Xuanfu Daizhe Decoction; the expressions of NANOG, OCT4, SOX2, the ALDH activity, the number of spheroids, and the levels of AKT and phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT) in esophageal cancer cells were significantly reduced by Xuanfu Daizhe Decoction both in vivo and in vitro. Conclusion: Xuanfu Daizhe Decoction inhibits the stemness of esophageal cancer cells, it may be a potentially effective drug for the treatment of esophageal cancer and provides a theoretical basis for the exploration of new effective drugs for the treatment of esophageal cancer.

Characteristics of amino acid metabolism in myeloid-derived suppressor cells in septic mice / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the amino acid metabolomics characteristics of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in mice with sepsis induced by the cecal ligation and puncture (CLP).@*METHODS@#The sepsis mouse model was prepared by CLP, and the mice were randomly divided into a sham operation group (sham group, n = 10) and a CLP model group (n = 10). On the 7th day after the operation, 5 mice were randomly selected from the surviving mice in each group, and the bone marrow MDSCs of the mice were isolated. Bone marrow MDSCs were separated to measure the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) by using Agilent Seahorse XF technology and to detect the contents of intracellular amino acids and oligopeptides through ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) technology. Different metabolites and potential biomarkers were analyzed by univariate statistical analysis and multivariate statistical analysis. The major metabolic pathways were enriched using the small molecular pathway database (SMPDB).@*RESULTS@#The proportion of MDSCs in the bone marrow of CLP group mice (75.53% ± 6.02%) was significantly greater than that of the sham group (43.15%± 7.42%, t = 7.582, P < 0.001), and the basal respiratory rate [(50.03±1.20) pmol/min], maximum respiration rate [(78.07±2.57) pmol/min] and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production [(25.30±1.21) pmol/min] of MDSCs in the bone marrow of CLP group mice were significantly greater than the basal respiration rate [(34.53±0.96) pmol/min, (t = 17.41, P < 0.001)], maximum respiration rate [(42.57±1.87) pmol/min, (t = 19.33, P < 0.001)], and ATP production [(12.63±0.96) pmol/min, (t = 14.18, P < 0.001)] of sham group. Leucine, threonine, glycine, etc. were potential biomarkers of septic MDSCs (all P < 0.05). The increased amino acids were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways, such as malate-aspartate shuttle, ammonia recovery, alanine metabolism, glutathione metabolism, phenylalanine and tyrosine metabolism, urea cycle, glycine and serine metabolism, β-alanine metabolism, glutamate metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism.@*CONCLUSION@#The enhanced mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, malate-aspartate shuttle and alanine metabolism in MDSCs of CLP mice may provide raw materials for mitochondrial aerobic respiration, thereby promoting the immunosuppressive function of MDSCs. Blocking the above metabolic pathways may reduce the risk of secondary infection in sepsis and improve the prognosis.

Research progress in neurogenic bladder fibrosis in children / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Pediatric neurogenic bladder (PNB) is mostly caused by the dysplasia of lumbosacral spinal cord and nerve, and there is no effective treatment available at present.Bladder fibrosis occurs frequently in PNB, and the prevention and treatment of PNB fibrosis is still a challenge worldwide.Most PNBs develop bladder fibrosis over time, which is characterized by the thickened bladder wall, decreased bladder compliance, and obstruction of the bladder outlet.According to some studies, bladder fibrosis is not only related to bladder smooth muscle cells, but also epithelial cells and mesenchymal cells of bladder.However, the mechanism of fibrosis remains unclear.It has been reported that it is associated with the changes of transforming growth factor-β 1 (TGF-β 1)/ Smad, bladder high pressure and related angiotensin Ⅱ signal pathways.Although anti-fibrotic therapies that target a variety of factors have been employed in animal models, the clinical validation is still needed.It is required to conduct a further exploration on whether early clean intermittent catheterization could prevent the fibrosis in PNB patients with increased residual urine.In this paper, the research progress in PNB fibrosis would be reviewed, in order to provide reference for clinical practice.

Application of OCT in the research of amblyopic fundus / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#Amblyopia is a common eye disease in children. If not corrected and treated in time, it will cause irreversible damage to children's vision, resulting in loss of vision in one or both eyes. The pathogenesis of amblyopia is complex, and the specific pathogenesis is not clear at present, mainly focusing on the central theory and peripheral theory. Traditionally, there was no obvious organic change in the fundus of amblyopia patients. In recent years, optical coherence tomography(OCT)technology has developed rapidly. As a convenient and intuitive ophthalmic examination method, OCT has been increasingly used in retinal examination of amblyopia patients due to its advantages of safety, non-invasive, non-contact and rapid and clear. The abnormal anatomy structures of the amblyopia patients in fundus structure are also gradually been found. Providing some evidence and basis for peripheral theory of pathogenesis of amblyopia, amblyopia examine, postoperative evaluation and prognosis. In this article, the applications of OCT in retinal thickness, choroid thickness and vessel density are reviewed.

Study on neurogenic bladder-induced renal fibrosis based on AngⅡ/TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway / 中华肾脏病杂志

Objective:To establish a rat model of neurogenic bladder and analyze the changes in kidney morphology and function and the expression of proteins in AngiotensinⅡ(AngⅡ)/transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1)/Smads pathway.Methods:Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into experimental group (spinal nerve amputation, n=36) and control group (sham operation, n=12). At 6, 12, and 24 weeks, the bladder compliance was measured by cystometry, the kidney morphology was detected by B-ultrasound, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Scr) in blood samples were examined, the kidney pathological changes were detected by Masson and HE staining, the distribution of AngⅡ/TGF-β1/Smads pathway proteins was analyzed by immunohistochemisty, and the protein expressions in kidney were detected by Western blotting. Results:Urodynamics showed that the basic bladder pressure in experimental group was higher than that in control group. B-ultrasound showed that compared with the control group, the diameter of the renal pelvis of the rats with nerve dissection gradually increased ( P<0.05), and the hydronephrosis was gradually obvious. Compared with the control group, the BUN and Scr in experimental group gradually increased (both P<0.01). Masson and HE staining showed that compared with the control group, the collagen expression and renal tubulointerstitial scores in experimental group were gradually increased (both P<0.01). Immunohistochemisty showed that compared with the control group, in experimental group the expression of angiotensinⅡ receptor type 1 (AT1), TGF-β receptor 1(TGF-βR1), phosphorylated Smad2 gradually increased (all P<0.01), the pathway inhibitor Smad6 gradually decreased ( P<0.01), and the distribution of each protein in kidney was consistent. Western blotting showed a corresponding expression trend with immunohistochemisty. Conclusions:In neurogenic bladder caused by bilateral spinal nerve amputation, due to bladder dysfunction, increased bladder pressure induces hydronephrosis, destruction of the nephron structure, activation of AngⅡ/TGF-β1/Smads pathway, and renal fibrosis. This method is effective and has clinical similarities, laying a foundation for exploring neurogenic bladder treatment.

Diagnosis and treatment of non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: 3 case reports and literature review / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:The clinical heterogeneity of non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer is high, and precise and individualized treatment is required for different patients to achieve maximum benefits. Three cases of non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer were reported in this paper. One case received apalutamide + leproprillin treatment, one received radical prostatectomy, and one received radiotherapy + abiraterone treatment. After a period of follow-up, the three patients all benefited to varying degrees.

Clinical research progress of PET imaging in tumor hypoxia / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Hypoxia is a common phenomenon of solid tumor, which is closely related to the malignant proliferation, tumor progression, radiotherapy and chemotherapy resistance, treatment failure, and poor prognosis. At present, many researches focus on the application of medical imaging and nuclear medicine methods in detecting the hypoxic areas of tumors. This article focuses on the detection of hypoxia microenvironment and the application of PET tracers in tumor hypoxia imaging.

Effect of feedback pulmonary rehabilitation guidance on self-management of elderly patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease / 中华健康管理学杂志

Objective:To observe the effect of feedback pulmonary rehabilitation guidance on self-management of elderly patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Methods:Ninety-four elderly patients with stable COPD that visited the outpatient department between January 2018 and January 2019 were selected. Block randomization methods were used to divide the patients into two groups: routine lung rehabilitation instruction group (referred to as the “routine group”) and feedback lung rehabilitation group (referred to as the “feedback group”). The feedback group received the instruction of feedback pulmonary rehabilitation guidance, while the routine group received the instruction of routine pulmonary rehabilitation guidance. The quality of life and the self-management ability of the two groups before and after the intervention were compared.Results:There was no statistically significant difference between the scores of the feedback and routine groups before the intervention of the COPD-specific self-management scale ( P>0.05). In the feedback group, the scores of emotional management, daily life management, symptom management, self-efficacy management, and information management on the COPD-specific self-management scale after the intervention were 45.01±5.31, 53.10±6.60, 25.88±3.03, 35.01±5.31, and 24.32±4.20, respectively, whereas those for the routine group were 40.23±5.19, 48.02±6.58, 22.88±3.01, 31.01±4.80, and 20.30±2.88, respectively. The scores of the feedback group were higher than the routine group and the difference was significant ( P<0.001). There was no significant difference between the feedback group and the routine group before the intervention of the respiratory disease questionnaire, i.e., the airways questionnaire 20-revised (AQ20-R) score ( P>0.05). The AQ20-R score of the feedback group after the intervention was 7.22±1.08, which was lower than that of the routine group (9.01±2.01); the difference was significant ( P<0.001). Conclusion:The application of feedback pulmonary rehabilitation guidance in the self-management of elderly patients with stable COPD can improve both their self-management ability and quality of life.

Changes in the bladder morphological structure and function and the expression significance of transforming growth factor-beta1 pathway-related proteins in neurogenic bladder rats / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To investigate changes in the bladder morphological structure and function and the expression of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1) pathway-related proteins in the bilateral spinal nerve amputated neurogenic bladder(NB) rat.Methods:A total of 64 female SD rats were included, and 32 of them underwent bilateral spinal nerve L6+ S1 amputation to construct the NB model and the others were used as sham operation controls.Rats in both NB and control groups received bladder cystometry 3, 6, 12, 24 weeks after corresponding operation.Collagen fibers in their bladder tissues were detected by Masson staining and Sirius scarlet staining.TGF-β1, Smad2 and Smad6 proteins were checked by immunohistochemical staining.TGF-β1 receptor Ⅰ protein was measured by Western blot.Results:Bladders in the NB group were instable, with bladder leak point pressure(BLPP) and underactive voiding pressures.The basal pressure [(22.10±2.51), (18.20±1.52), (31.20±2.82), (41.10±3.41) cmH 2O(1 cmH 2O=0.098 kPa)] and bladder volume [(22.30±1.72), (49.10±5.54), (30.30±2.68), (13.50±1.52) mL] of the NB rats at 3, 6, 12 and 24 weeks were significantly higher than those of the sham operation controls[(3.51±0.45) cmH 2O and (0.52±0.04) mL], and the difference were significant(all P<0.05). The bladder size and thickness in the NB group firstly increased (3, 6 weeks) and then decreased (12, 24 weeks), but the bladder weight increased continuously.Masson staining showed disordered fibrous connective tissues, disintegrated layered bla-dder wall, hypertrophied smooth muscle tissues and deposited intramuscular collagen on the nerve-amputated bladder wall.Sirius scarlet staining suggested that 24 weeks after nerve amputation, collagen Ⅲ increased greatly, and the ratio of type Ⅲ/Ⅰ collagen fibers (3.14±0.71) was significantly higher than that in the sham group (0.88±0.21) ( t= 7.48, P<0.01). According to the immunohistochemical staining results, the expressions of TGF-1β and Smad2 increased while the pathway inhibitory protein Smad6 decreased with time in the NB group.Western blot showed that the expression of TGF-β1 receptor Ⅰ in the amputated bladder was 1.3 and 1.6 folds higher than that in the sham group 12 weeks and 24 weeks after operation( t=6.06, 14.45, all P<0.01). Conclusions:In NB rats with bilateral spinal nerve amputated, bladder contraction becomes paralysis, intravesical pressure increases, bladder normal structure disintegrates and the fibrosis pathway TGF-β1/Smads is activated.Therefore, the key step of development of pediatric NB is bladder fibrosis, which should be prevented as early as possibly in the clinical practice.

Selective stent implantation for treatment of severe residual stenosis of intracranial target artery after successful mechanical thrombectomy / 中国介入影像与治疗学

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of selective stent implantation for treatment of severe residual stenosis of intracranial target artery after successful mechanical thrombectomy (MT). Methods: Selective stent implantation was successfully performed for treatment of severe residual stenosis of the intracranial target artery after MT in 4 patients, and the data of patients were analyzed retrospectively. Results: The occluded arteries of 4 patients were all successfully recanalized after MT, and all the target arteries remained severe stenosis (≥70%) with antegrade blood flow stable. Two patients with major acute infraction on MRI within 72 h underwent stent implantation 48 days and 27 days after thrombectomy, while the other two with minor infraction and little neural deficits underwent stent implantation 4 days and 12 days after thrombectomy, respectively. The blood flows were all satisfying after stenting, no complication occurred, and modified Rankin scale (mRS) of all patients were ≤2 after 90 days. No stent migration was observed at the end of follow-up, and all target arteries remained patent. Conclusion: Selective stent implantation is an alternative, relatively safe and effective treatment method for residual severe intracranial stenosis after the reexamination of cerebral infarction and the neurological function.

Classification of pulmonary nodules on PET/CT image based on deep belief network / 中国医学影像技术

Objective: To observe classification effect of pulmonary nodules on PET/CT images with deep belief network (DBN). Methods: PET/CT images of 216 patients with pulmonary nodules were collected, among them 339 pulmonary nodules were detected, including 190 benign and 149 malignant ones. Totally 2 055 ROI images were captured, incuding 1 069 of benign ones and 986 of malignant ones. Gray scale and size normalization were performed on ROI images, and then the lesions were detected with DBN. The network structure and training parameters were determined by experimental Methods:, and the Results: were evaluated by confusion matrix, overall accuracy, Kappa coefficient and other indicators. A support vector machine model (SVM) was also built with wavelet texture features based on nonsubsampled dual-tree complex contourlet transform (NSDTCT), using the same data as DBN. The Results: detected with DBN and SVM were compared. Results: The Results: of DBN and SVM Methods: were 0.94 and 0.72 for overall accuracy, 0.96 and 0.66 for sensitivity, 0.92 and 0.96 for specificity, and 0.87 and 0.42 for Kappa coefficient, respectively. Conclusion: The accuracy of DBN in identifying benign and malignant pulmonary nodules is better than that of SVM.

Prevalence and Subtypes of Blastocystis in Alpacas, Vicugna pacos in Shanxi Province, China

Blastocystis, an enteric protist, has been reported to be an important cause of protozoal gastrointestinal manifestations in humans and animals worldwide. Animals harboring certain Blastocystis subtypes (STs) may serve as a potential source of human infection. However, information about the prevalence and genetic diversity of Blastocystis in alpacas is limited. In the present study, a total of 366 fecal samples from alpacas in Shanxi Province, northern China, were examined for Blastocystis by PCR amplification of the small subunit rRNA gene, followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The prevalence of Blastocystis in alpacas was 23.8%, and gender difference in the prevalence of Blastocystiswas observed. The most predominant Blastocystis ST was ST10, followed by ST14 and ST5. The detection of ST5, a potentially zoonotic genotype, indicates that alpacas harboring ST5 could be a potential source of human infection with Blastocystis. These data provide new insight into the prevalence and genetic diversity of Blastocystis in alpacas.

Comparative study on differences of resin-containing drugs in Dracaena from different appearance based on HS-GC-MS and chemometrics / 中国中药杂志

Resin-containing drugs in Dracaena from four different appearances were analyzed by headspace sampling-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(HS-GC-MS) metabolomics technique and hierarchical clustering analysis(HCA) chemometrics method. This study was to analyze differential volatile components in resin-containing drugs in Dracaena from different appearance and metabolic pathways. The results of partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) and HCA analysis indicated that there was little difference in volatile components between fiber-rich sample and hollow cork cambium sample, however, the volatile components in the two samples compared with whole body resin-containing sample and resin-secreting aggregated sample had a large metabolic difference. Twenty differential metabolites were screened by VIP and P values of PLS-DA. The content of these differential metabolites was significantly higher in whole body resin-containing sample and resin-secreting aggregated sample than in fiber-rich sample and hollow cork cambium sample. Sixteen significant metabolic pathways were obtained through enrichment analysis(P<0.05), mainly involved in terpenoids biosynthesis and phenylpropanoid metabolism. This result provided a reference for further study of resin formation mechanism of resin-containing drugs in Dracaena from different appearances. At the same time, it also provided a reference for establishing a multi-index quality evaluation system.

Research progress on the biological regulatory function of lysophosphatidic acid in bone tissue cells / 华西口腔医学杂志

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a small phospholipid that is present in all eukaryotic tissues and blood plasma. As an extracellular signaling molecule, LPA mediates many cellular functions by binding to six known G protein-coupled receptors and activating their downstream signaling pathways. These functions indicate that LPA may play important roles in many biological processes that include organismal development, wound healing, and carcinogenesis. Recently, many studies have found that LPA has various biological effects in different kinds of bone cells. These findings suggest that LPA is a potent regulator of bone development and remodeling and holds promising application potential in bone tissue engineering. Here, we review the recent progress on the biological regulatory function of LPA in bone tissue cells.

LC-MS/MS analysis of pazufloxacin in human plasma and otorrhea: application to a pharmacokinetic study of ear drops / 药学学报

Pazufloxacin eardrops are a topical quinolone agent for the treatment of outer ear infection. The present study evaluated the pharmacokinetics and topical distribution of pazufloxacin eardrops by a sensitive LC-MS/MS method for determining pazufloxacin in plasma and otorrhea. Plasma and otorrhea samples were extracted by acetonitrile-induced protein precipitation and were subjected to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric analysis with an electrospray ionization interface. The samples were separated on an HSS T3 column (50 mm×2.1 mm, 1.8 μm). To avoid the matrix effect, gradient elution was performed with the mobile phase consisting of methanol and 1 mmol·L-1 ammonium acetate aqueous solution (0.1% formic acid). The ion transitions for pazufloxacin and pazufloxacin-d4 were m/z 319.1→281.2 and m/z 323.1→285.2, respectively, under the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The method was linear in the range of 0.010 0 - 8.00 ng·mL-1 for pazufloxacin in plasma and 0.500 - 1 000 ng·mg-1 in otorrhea. The intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision for pazufloxacin in plasma and in otorrhea met acceptable criteria. The clinical trial was approved by the Society of Ethics and conducted in Nanjing First Hospital and Jiangsu Province Hospital. The validated methods were used in a systemic and topical pharmacokinetic study of 0.1% pazufloxacin eardrops in 3 patients with chronic suppurative otitis media.

Effect of Total Alkaloids from Nandina domfestica in Attenuating Arsenic Trioxide and Its LC-MS / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To study the effect of total alkaloids of Nandina domestica in attenuating arsenic trioxide, and analyze chemical constituents of alkaloids extract of Nandina, in order to provide the theoretical basis for studying the effect of N. domestica in attenuating arsenic trioxide with alkaloids extract of N. domestica as effective fraction. Method::The model of acute liver injury induced by arsenic trioxide was used to compare the effects on heart and liver functions of mice between arsenic trioxide alone and total alkaloids of N. domestica combined with arsenic trioxide. The detoxification of total alkaloids on arsenic trioxide was evaluated based on biochemical parameters and pathological report. Peakview (Version1.2, AB SCIEX) software was used to process the mass spectrometry data of total alkaloids of N. domestica. The structures of determined compounds were identified by molecular weight of compound (molecular formula), secondary fragments, chromatographic peak retention and literature information. Result::Among biochemical indicators, creatine kinase(CK), lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), blood urea nitrogen(BUN), malondialdehyde(MDA), alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and amino transferase of aspartate(AST) of the arsenic trioxide group were increased, while elimination rates of Na+ -K+ -adenosine triphosphate(ATP), superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase(CAT) and serum creatinine(SCr) were decreased, compared with those of the combination group. CK and LDH of the alkaloids extract group were more obviously increased than those of the N. domestica extract group, but with no remarkable difference. In histomorphometric examination, edema of mouse heart cells was improved, and some kidney and liver damages in rats were alleviated. Totally 25 alkaloids of alkaloid extract were identified. Among them, 18 were known, and 7 were unknown, including 3 structural types, in which apomorphine alkaloids were mostly. Conclusion::Heart, kidney and liver damage degrees of the combination group were significantly alleviated compared with the arsenic trioxide group. The total alkaloids fraction extracted and purified have a significant attenuation in arsenic trioxide toxicity. The detoxification of total alkaloids extract was equal to that of N. domestica extract. Furthermore, apomorphine alkaloids, such as nantenine and domesticine, can be used as index components to establish a quality control method for total alkaloids.

Analysis of Programs and Guidelines on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for COVID-19 to Provide Suggestions for Future Development of TCM Clinical Practice Guidelines / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To comprehensively analyze the diagnosis and treatment programs and prevention and treatment programs on tratidional Chinese medicine (TCM) for coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), and to provide suggestions for further development of TCM clinical guidelines. Method:Diagnosis and treatment programs on TCM for COVID-19 pneumonia, as well as prevention and treatment programs, clinical practice guidelines and expert consensus, were retrieved till Feb 19, 2020. The information about TCM syndrome differentiation, state of disease, and TCM treatments (decoction and Chinese patent medicines) were extracted and analyzed. Result:A total of 24 TCM programs/guidelines were included containing 23 diagnosis and treatment programs or prevention and treatment programs and one rapid advice guideline. Of the 23 TCM programs, 14 programs described the classification of TCM syndromes and the stages of disease，22 programs described the composition of the TCM decoction; seven programs described how to add and subtract the herbs according to different TCM syndromes,17 programs described the weight/volume of the herbs of TCM decoctions, three programs described the decoction method，six programs described the usage and dosage of TCM decoction， two programs clarified the course of treatment; none of the 23 programs indicated the source of evidence. The TCM treatment within the rapid advice guideline was in reference to the fourth edition of the COVID-19 pneumonia TCM diagnosis and treatment program issued by the National Health Commission. A total of 41 Chinese patent medicines were recommended in 23 programs, of which 12 Chinese patent medicines were off-label recommended. Conclusion:In most TCM programs, TCM decoction and Chinese patent medicines are recommended based on TCM syndrome differentiation in combination with the state of disease, and the dosage of the TCM decoctions are clearly described. Some Chinese patent medicines in the TCM programs are off-label recommended. Expert experience and opinions are valued when developing TCM programs/ guidelines. All of these provide reference for developing TCM programs/guidelines in future.