Prokaryotic expression, subcellular localization and enzymatic activity analysis of DXS gene from Platycodon grandiflorum / 药学学报

1-Deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (DXS), the first key enzyme in 2-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP) pathway, catalyzes the condensation of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate with pyruvate to 1-deoxy-xylose-5-phosphate (DXP). In this study, PgDXS1, PgDXS2, and PgDXS3 genes were cloned from the root of Platycodon grandiflorum (P. grandiflorum). The open reading frame (ORF) of PgDXS1, PgDXS2, and PgDXS3 were 2 160, 2 208, and 2 151 bp in full length, encoding 719, 735, and 716 amino acids, respectively. Homologous alignment results showed a high identity of PgDXSs with DXS in Hevea brasiliensis, Datura stramonium and Stevia rebaudiana. The recombinant expression plasmids of pET-28a-PgDXSs were constructed and transformed into Escherichia coli (E. coli) BL21 (DE3) cells, and the induced proteins were successfully expressed. Subcellular localization results showed that PgDXS1 and PgDXS2 were mainly located in chloroplasts, and PgDXS3 was located in chloroplasts, nucleus and cytoplasm. The expression of three DXS genes in different tissues of two producing areas of P. grandiflorum were assayed via real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the results showed that all of them were highly expressed in leaves of P. grandiflorum from Taihe. Under methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment, the expression levels of three PgDXS genes showed a trend of first decreasing and then increasing at different time points (3 - 48 h), and the activity of DXS showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing in three tissues of P. grandiflorum. This study provides a reference for further elucidating the biological function of PgDXS in terpenoid synthesis pathway in P. grandiflorum.

Pathological components of thrombi retrieved with endovascular mechanical thrombectomy in patients with acute ischemic stroke / 国际脑血管病杂志

Endovascular mechanical thrombectomy (EMT) has become the main treatment of acute ischemic stroke, but the pathological study of thrombi retrieved with EMT is still very limited. This article reviews the routine staining, special components, expression of immune factors, electron microscopic morphology, imaging features of the pathological components of thrombi retrieved with EMT, and their correlation with the etiological differentiation and outcomes of stroke.

Protective effect of ginsenoside Rg_1 aganist diabetic retinopathy by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome in type 2 diabetic mice / 中国中药杂志

Ginsenoside Rg_1, one of the main active components of precious traditional Chinese medicine Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, has the anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammation, anti-aging, neuroprotection, and other pharmacological effects. Diabetic retinopathy(DR), the most common complication of diabetes, is also the main cause of impaired vision and blindness in the middle-aged and the elderly. The latest research shows that ginsenoside Rg_1 can protect patients against DR, but the protection and the mechanism are rarely studied. This study mainly explored the protective effect of ginsenoside Rg_1 against DR in type 2 diabetic mice and the mechanism. High fat diet(HFD) and streptozotocin(STZ) were used to induce type 2 diabetes in mice, and hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was employed to observe pathological changes in the retina of mice. The immunohistochemistry was applied to study the localization and expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors 3(NLRP3) and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) in retina, and Western blot was used to detect the expression of nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB), p-NF-κB, NLRP3, caspase-1, interleukin-1β(IL-1β), transient receptor potential channel protein 6(TRPC6), nuclear factor of activated T-cell 2(NFAT2), and VEGF in retina. The results showed that ginsenoside Rg_1 significantly alleviated the pathological injury of retina in type 2 diabetic mice. Immunohistochemistry results demonstrated that ginsenoside Rg_1 significantly decreased the expression of NLRP3 and VEGF in retinal ganglion cells, middle plexiform layer, and outer plexiform layer in type 2 diabetic mice. According to the Western blot results, ginsenoside Rg_1 significantly lowered the expression of p-NF-κB, NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β, TRPC6, NFAT2, and VEGF in retina of type 2 diabetic mice. These findings suggest that ginsenoside Rg_1 can significantly alleviate DR in type 2 diabetic mice, which may be related to inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome and VEGF. This study provides experimental evidence for the clinical application of ginsenoside Rg_1 in the treatment of DR.

Relationship between preoperative frailty and postoperative pulmonary complications in elderly patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the relationship between preoperative frailty and postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in elderly patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy.Methods:The elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy in the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University were collected.The general data, frailty status, parameters of blood and operation-related parameters were recorded.The patients were divided into PPC group and non-PPC group according to whether PPCs occurred during hospitalization, and the differences between the parameters were compared.Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the independent risk factors for PPCs.Stratification analysis and interaction test were used to further analyze the relationship between frailty and PPCs.Results:A total of 298 elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy were included in this study, and the incidence of PPCs was 22.8%.Compared with non-PPC group, the albumin and FEV 1/FVC were decreased, and age, blood creatinine, ratio of diabetes mellitus, ratio of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and rate of preoperative frailty were significantly increased in PPC group ( P<0.05). The results of logistic regression analysis showed that COPD and preoperative frailty were independent risk factors for PPCs.After adjusting all the risk variables, the frail patients had a 171% increased risk of PPCs compared with non-frail patients ( OR value=2.71, 95%CI: 1.18-4.73, P<0.05). The results of subgroup analysis showed that body mass index and operation time had effect modification on the association between frailty and PPCs (interaction P<0.05). Conclusion:COPD and preoperative frailty are independent risk factors for PPCs in elderly patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy, and the frail patients with obesity or long operation time are at higher risk of PPCs.

Predictive value of recurrence risk evaluation scale combined with inflammatory markers in the recurrence risk of cerebral infarction / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To explore the predictive value of the recurrence risk estimator at 90-days(RRE-90) score combined with lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP) in the recurrence risk of acute atherosclerotic cerebral infarction.Methods:Totally 400 patients with acute atherosclerotic cerebral infarction who were hospitalized for the first time in neurology department were followed up for 90 days.However, 8 cases were lost and 392 cases were included finally.According to recurrence or not, 64 cases were divided into recurrence group and 328 cases into non-recurrence group.The RRE-90 score was applied to all the participants and the levels of Lp-PLA2 was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the levels of hs-CRP was detected by immunoturbidimetry.The ROC curve was used to analyze the predictive value of RRE-90 score combined with Lp-PLA2 and hs-CRP for the recurrence risk of acute cerebral infarction.Results:Compared with the non-recurrence group(RRE-90: (3.07±1.01)score, Lp-PLA2: (103.53±8.11)μg/L, hs-CRP: (4.07±1.48)mg/L), the levels of (RRE-90 score: (4.11±0.78)score, Lp-PLA2: (121.52±13.95)μg/L, hs-CRP: (12.40±2.46) mg/L)in the recurrence group of cerebral infarction were significantly higher ( P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with RRE-90 score (0.705), Lp-PLA2 (0.697), hs-CRP (0.622), RRE-90 score combined with Lp-PLA2 (0.752), RRE-90 score combined with hs-CRP (0.746), RRE-90 score combined with Lp-PLA2 and hs-CRP (0.782) had the largest area under the curve for predicting recurrence of cerebral infarction within 90 days, with statistical significance( P<0.05), sensitivity was 87.8%, specificity was 89.6%. Conclusion:RRE-90 score combined with Lp-PLA2 and hs-CRP detection can further improve the accuracy of predicting recurrence within 90 days in patients with cerebral atherosclerotic infarction, and the predictive value is high.

Investigation on knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of foodborne parasitic diseases among medical students / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To understand the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of foodborne parasitic diseases among medical college students, so as to provide the evidence for the development of strategies on health education. Methods A total of 929 premed students from a medical college were selected in Hebei Province using the stratified sampling method from October to December, 2017, and investigated by questionnaires to understand their KAP on foodborne parasitic diseases. Results The understanding and concern degree on foodborne parasitic diseases among the college students from different majors were statistically different (all P < 0.05), the awareness rate and the degree of concern of the non-medical students were lower than those of the medical students, and the awareness rate and the degree of concern of the students who had received medical parasitology education were higher than those who had not received. For the formation rate of not prefer seeking novelty, there was a statistically significant difference among the college students in different majors (P < 0.05), and the rate of health behavior formation in non-medical students was relatively low. There were statistically significant differences among the students from different majors in the attitude on "would suggest others not to eat the foods that might be infected with the foodborne parasites", "would not eat the foods that might be infected with the foodborne parasites", and "would give up special preferences or bad habits" (all P < 0.05), and the formation rate of correct attitude of medical students was relatively high. Conclusion The awareness rate and the formation rates of correct attitude and behavior of the college students who have received medical parasitology education are relatively higher, so it is necessary to set up a course on foodborne parasitic diseases in colleges and universities.

Investigation on knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of foodborne parasitic diseases among medical students / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To understand the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of foodborne parasitic diseases among medical college students, so as to provide the evidence for the development of strategies on health education. Methods A total of 929 premed students from a medical college were selected in Hebei Province using the stratified sampling method from October to December, 2017, and investigated by questionnaires to understand their KAP on foodborne parasitic diseases. Results The understanding and concern degree on foodborne parasitic diseases among the college students from different majors were statistically different (all P < 0.05), the awareness rate and the degree of concern of the non-medical students were lower than those of the medical students, and the awareness rate and the degree of concern of the students who had received medical parasitology education were higher than those who had not received. For the formation rate of not prefer seeking novelty, there was a statistically significant difference among the college students in different majors (P < 0.05), and the rate of health behavior formation in non-medical students was relatively low. There were statistically significant differences among the students from different majors in the attitude on "would suggest others not to eat the foods that might be infected with the foodborne parasites", "would not eat the foods that might be infected with the foodborne parasites", and "would give up special preferences or bad habits" (all P < 0.05), and the formation rate of correct attitude of medical students was relatively high. Conclusion The awareness rate and the formation rates of correct attitude and behavior of the college students who have received medical parasitology education are relatively higher, so it is necessary to set up a course on foodborne parasitic diseases in colleges and universities.

Analysis of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma treated by microwave ablation assisted by three-dimensional visualization / 中国实用外科杂志

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficiency and feasibility for the treatment of recurrent hepatocellularcarcinoma treated by percutaneous microwave ablation assisted by three-dimensional visualization.METHODS: Theclinical data of 84 consecutive patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma treated by percutaneous microwaveablation in Department of Interventional Ultrasonography,Chinese PLA General Hospital from December 1, 2017 to June1, 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into three-dimensional reconstruction group(30 patients,49 tumors)and normal group(54 patients,111 tumors)according to whether evaluated by three-dimensionalvisualization. Treatment related indicators and the prognosis were compared. Preoperative total liver volume,tumorvolume,planning ablation volume,postoperative total liver volume and ablation volume were computed via three-dimensional visualization system in three-dimensional reconstruction group. Furthermore,the preoperative planningablation volume and actual postoperative ablation volume were compared between the two group.RESULTS: All patientsaccomplished the procedure of percutaneous microwave ablation. The maximal diameter of tumor was(4.3±1.0)cm,andthe follow-up period was 10(2-19) months. The three-dimensional reconstruction group and normal group had nosignificant differences in major complications rate(6.7% vs. 9.3%), overall survival rate(100% vs. 94.4%), intrahepaticdistant recurrence rate(8.2% vs. 12.6%) and local tumor progression rate(6.1% vs. 10.8%)(P>0.05). There was nostatistically significant difference between preoperative planning ablation volume and postoperative ablation volume inthe two groups(P=0.616). The ratio of residual liver volume/standard liver volume was(98.0±25.6)%. Alanine aminotransferase,aspartate amino transferase,total bilirubin and cholinesterase had no statistically significant difference before and after ablation between two groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION: The role of ultrasound-guidedpercutaneous microwave ablation assisted by three-dimensional visualization for the accurate treatment of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma is of great importance.

Progress in Hypoglycemic Effect and Mechanism of Polysaccharides / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Diabetes and its relevant complications have been increasing each year. Oral hypoglycemic agents can temporarily control blood sugar within a normal range, but with serious side effects on multiple systems and no significant efficacy on diabetic complications. Polysaccharide, as a natural drug with various activities, has become a hotspot in recent years, because of its safety, efficacy and low toxicity. More and more researches for the relations between polysaccharides and diabetes have demonstrated that polysaccharides have the advantages of a high safety and low toxicity in treating diabetes. In addition, some polysaccharides may show an effect in alleviating diabetic complications. This paper summarizes recent researches on the hypoglycemic mechanism of polysaccharides. Polysaccharides could protect islet β cell, increase the number of islet cells, promote insulin secretion or release, increase insulin sensitivity, improve insulin resistance and improve glucose metabolism. And polysaccharides can be used in alleviating diabetes-related kidney, eye and foot disease. This report proposes shortcomings for the extraction, activity research and multi-target effects of polysaccharides for diabetes treatment. In addition, this report reviews how polysaccharides affect diabetes and complications, so as provide a scientific reference for the hypoglycemic effect of polysaccharides.

Micro RNA differential expression in primary retroperitoneal liposarcoma / 中国现代普通外科进展

Objective:To explore the miRNA (micro RNA)differential expression profile between primary retroperitoneal liposarcoma tissues and normal fat tissues,and to provide the evidence that miRNA were involved in the molecular pathways of primary retroperitoneal liposarcoma tissues' occurrence.Methods:Collecting retroperitoneal liposarcoma tissues and normal fat tissues from 4 patients after radical surgery of retroperitoneal lipsarcoma.Using microarray analysis.The tissues' miRNA hybridizated with human's LC Sciences microRNA Microarray-Single (miRBase 21.0) expression profile gene chips,and got the date.Analyzing the differential expressing of the siginal date by LOWESS.Results:Total 38 differential expressed miRNA were found (P＜0.05),including 23 over-expression and 15 low-expression miRNAs.10 of them(38 differential miRNAs) was significant deviation (P＜0.01),including 4 over-expression and 6 low-expression.Date analysis revealed that some miRNAs were associated some different tumors,Conclusion:The number of over-expression were more than the low-expression in primary retroperitoneal liposarcoma compared with the normol fat tissue,which indicate that the genes expression are less abundant in primary retroperitoneal li-posarcoma;some of the miRNAs might involved in the molecular pa-thways of primary retroperitoneal liposarcoma tissues' occurrence and recurrence,they might become the target point of the targetedtherapy of the primary retroperitoneal liposarcoma,some of the over-expressed miRNAs can become new biomarkers in the following diagnosis of the primary retroperitoneal liposarcoma.

Correlation between microalbuminuria and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with essential hypertension / 心血管康复医学杂志

Objective: To explore the correlation among carotid atherosclerosis, ankle-brachial index (ABI) and urinary microalbumin (UMA) level in patients with essential hypertension (EH). Methods: A total of 215 EH patients treated in our hospital from Apr 2014 to Aug 2015 were selected. According to 24h UMA level, patients were divided into normal UMA group (n=116) and microalbuminuria (MAU) group (n=99). General data, UMA level, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), carotid artery lumen diameter, incidence rate of plaque and ABI were measured and compared between two groups. Correlation among CIMT, ankle-brachial index (ABI) and urinary microalbumin (UMA) level was analyzed in EH + MAU patients. Results: There were no significant difference in age, gender, levels of blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, blood lipids and serum creatinine between two groups, P＞0. 05 all. Compared with normal UMA group, there were significant rise in UMA level [21. 25 (15. 75, 25. 75) mg/d vs. 86. 50 (56. 50, 104. 50) mg/d], CIMT [(1. 20± 1. 09) mm vs. (1. 76±0. 81) mm]and incidence rate of plaque (55. 17％ vs. 75. 76％), and significant reduction in ABI [(1. 12±0. 11) vs. (0. 97±0. 11)] in MAU group, P＜0. 01 all. Linear correlation analysis indicated that UMA level was significant positively correlated with CIMT (r=0. 551, P=0. 001), and significant inversely correlated with ABI (r=-0. 266, P=0. 008) in EH + MAU patients. Conclusion: In EH+ MAU patients, MAU is significant positively correlated with CIMT, and significant inversely correlated with ABI, suggesting MAU is not only related to hypertensive renal disease, but also an early sign of subclinical atherosclerosis.

Clinical features and prognosis of malignancy-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in children: a clinical analysis of 24 cases / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical features and prognosis of malignancy-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (MAHS) in children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective analysis was performed for the primary diseases, clinical features, and prognosis of 24 children with MAHS.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 24 children, 11 (46%) had MAHS induced by tumor and 13 (54%) had chemotherapy-associated MAHS. As for primary diseases, 17 children had acute leukemia, 6 had lymphoma, and 1 had neuroblastoma. The most common clinical manifestations were pyrexia, respiratory symptoms, and hepatosplenomegaly. The most common laboratory abnormalities were hemocytopenia, elevated serum ferritin, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase. Of the 24 children, 22 were treated according to the HLH-2004 protocol and 2 gave up treatment; 18 children died, 1 was lost to follow-up, and 5 survived. The survival time ranged from 3 days to 2 years and 4 months (median 28 days).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Children with MAHS have various clinical features and extremely poor treatment outcomes.</p>

Study on mechanisms of Liujing Toutong Tablets in treatment of migraine by network pharmacology / 中草药

Objective To study the mechanisms of Liujing Toutong Tablets (LTT) in the treatment of migraine by network pharmacology. Methods Eighteen components of LTT absorbed into blood were selected as the objects, and targets of compounds were predicted according to the reverse pharmacophore matching method. The related pathways and correlation analysis were explored by the MAS 3.0 biomolecule function software and the Kyoto Encyclopedia and Genomes (KEGG) database. Finally, the network of compound-target-pathway-disease of LTT was constructed by Cytoscape software. Results Eighteen compounds interacted with 88 pathways through 72 targets, of which 36 protein targets and 22 pathways were associated with migraine. Conclusion LTT may play a role in expelling wind and dredging collaterals, promoting orifice and pain-relieving by intervening with the related pathways of inflammation, homeostasis of blood vessels, nervous centralis, immunity, and hormonal regulation.

Dexmedetomidine improves function of lung oxygenation in patients with moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease underwent lung cancer surgery / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Objective:To determine whether dexmedetomidine (Dex) improves oxygenation and lung mechanics in patients with moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during lung cancer surgery.Methods:Fifty-six patients with moderate COPD were randomly allocated to a control group and a Dex group (n=28 each).In the Dex group,dexmedetomidine was given as an initial loading dose at 1.0 μg/kg lasting for 10 min followed by a maintenance dose at 0.5 μg/(kg-h) during OLV while the control group was administered an equal volume of 0.9％ saline accordingly.Results:Patients in the Dex group had a significantly higher oxygenation index (P＜0.05) and higher dynamic lung compliance at Dex-30 and Dex-60 (P＜0.05) compared with those in the control group.In the Dex group,oxygenation index in the postoperative period was significantly higher (P=0.025) and postoperative complications were lower than those in the control group.Conclusion:Dex administration may provide dinically relevant benefits by improving oxygenation index and lung mechanics,and reducing postoperative pulmonary complications in patients with moderate COPD underwent lung cancer surgery.

Comparison of dexmedetomidine versus sevoflurane to reduce perioperative myocardial ischemia in coronary heart disease patients undergoing noncardiac surgery / 临床麻醉学杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine versus sevoflurane to perioperative myocardial ischemia in coronary heart disease patients undergoing noncardiac surgery.Methods A total of 135 patients (90 males,45 females,aged 45-82 years,ASA grade Ⅱ or Ⅲ) with coronary heart disease,undergoing endoscopic thoracic and abdominal surgery,were divided into control group (group C),dexmedetomidine group (group D) and sevoflurane group (group S) by random number table.Anesthesia induction and maintenance were adopted by etomidate 0.2 mg/kg,propofol 0.5 mg/kg,atracuronium sulfonate 0.2-0.3 mg/kg and fentanyl 5.0-6.0 μg/kg.Dexmedetomidine was given the continuous injection from 10 min before the start of the operation to the end in group D.Equal volume of saline was given in group C.Sevoflurane was inhaled from the induction of anesthesia 30 min before the end of surgery.ST segment changes of electrocardiogram were recorded for diagnosis of myocardial ischemia during the operation and postoperative 72 hours.Results The incidence of myocardial ischemia in group C,group D and group S were 26.7% (12 cases),6.7% (3 cases),8.9% (4 cases) during the operation and 13.3% (6 cases),8.9% (4 cases) and 8.9% (4 cases) postoperative 72 hours.Conclusion Dexmedetomidine and sevoflurane can improve the balance of blood oxygen supply and demand to reduce cardiovascular complications of non-cardiac surgery in patients with coronary heart disease.

The protective effects of sevoflurane at different anesthesia depths on periperative myocardial ischemia in coronary heart disease patients undergoing noncardiac surgery / 实用医学杂志

Objective To study the protective effects of sevoflurane at different anesthesia depths on periperative myocardial ischemia in coronary heart disease patients undergoing noncardiac surgery.Methods 96 patients with coronary undergoing noncardiac surgery were randomly divided into three groups:control group (Group C),high-concentration sevoflurane group (Group S 1) and low-concentration sevoflurane group (Group S2).Etomidate,Propofol,Cisatracurium Besilate and Fentanyl were used for intravenous anesthetic induction and maintenance of anesthesia.In addition,B ispectralindex (BIS) remained between 35 ～ 45 and 45 ～ 55 in groups S1 and S2,re spectively.BIS remained between 40 ～ 50 in group C.Perioperative hemodynamic changes,ECG ST-segment before induction of anesthesia,endotracheal immediate intubation and extubation were recorded.Plasma concentrations of cTnT,high sensitive cardiac troponin (hs-cTnT) and high sensitive ereaetive protein (hs-CRP) were detected with central venous blood before anesthesia induction and immediate extubation.Results Compared with group C,the incidences of hypertension,tachycardia,myocardial ischemia,proiosystole and atrial fibrillation were significantly reduced in groups S1 and S2 (P ＜ 0.05);The incidences of bradycardia and hypotension groups were significantly higher in group S1 (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with group S1,the incidences of hypotension,bradycardia,myocardial ischemia were significantly reduced in group S2 (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with group C,plasma concentrations of cTnT,hs-cTnT and hs-CRP were significantly reduced after endotracheal extubation in group S1 and S2 (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Myocardial protective effect is better and less risky for patients with coronary artery disease undergoing noncardiac surgery by inhalation of 1.0％ to 2.5％ sevoflurane to maintain BIS between 45 to 55.

Research Advances in the Porcine Deltacoronavirus / 病毒学报

The deltacoronavirus is a new member of the subfamily Coronaviridae of the family Coronaviridae. Deltacoronaviruses can infect birds and mammals. Deltacoronaviruses were detected in early 2007 in Asian leopard cats and Chinese ferret badgers. In 2014, porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) infection spread rapidly in the USA. Moreover, cell culture-adapted PDCoV has been obtained from infected piglets. Animal experiments have confirmed that the isolated PDCoV is highly pathogenic and causes severe diarrhea in piglets. Thus, the PDCoV can be considered to be a good model to study the deltacoronavirus. In this review, we discuss the etiology, epidemiology, pathogenicity, culture, and diagnostic methods of the PDCoV.

Distribution of Syndrome Types of Chinese Medicine in Acute Infectious Diarrhea / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe syndrome types of Chinese medicine (CM) and distribution features of acute infectious diarrhea patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective study was performed in 465 acute infectious diarrhea patients. The distribution of CM syndrome and syndrome types in different seasons and genders were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Lack of appetite [381 (81.94%)], fatigue [350 (75.27%)], abdominal pain [338 (72.69%)], tenesmus [325 (69.89%)], anal scorching hot [276 (59.35%)], nausea [25 (55.48%)], diarrhea [249 (53.55%)], short yellow-urine [240 (51.61%)], thirsty [210 (45.16%)], and abdominal distention [206 (44.30%)] were most often seen. The syndrome distribution were sequenced as intestinal damp heat syndrome [268 (57.63%)], dyspeptic retention in intestine and stomach syndrome [106 (22.80%)], cold-damp invading exterior syndrome [47 (10.11%)], Pi-Wei qi deficiency syndrome [23 (4.95%)], cold-damp disturbing Pi syndrome [21 (4.52%)]. The incidence ratio of intestinal damp heat syndrome was the highest in autumn (P < 0.01), while that of cold-damp invading exterior syndrome was the highest in winter (P < 0.01). Cold-damp disturbing Pi syndrome was more often seen in females than in males (P < 0.01), and its incidence ratio was the highest in autumn (P < 0.05). The incidence ratio of dyspeptic retention in intestine and stomach syndrome was the highest in winter (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Intestinal damp heat syndrome was the most often seen in acute infectious diarrhea. Incidence ratios of in- testinal damp heat syndrome and cold-damp disturbing Pi syndrome were higher in autumn, while those of cold-damp invading exterior syndrome and dyspeptic retention in intestine and stomach syndrome were higher in winter. Cold-damp disturbing Pi syndrome was more often seen in females.</p>

Adrenomedullin promotes cell-cell contact formation of podocytes through regulating Rho GTPases / 中华肾脏病杂志

Objective To investigate the regulatory effect of adrenomedullin (AM) on the cell-cell contact formation of podocytes and the possible mechanism.Methods Podocytes were treated with AM (10-7 mol/L),AM combined with a PKA inhibitor H89 (10-4 mol/L),and forskolin (10-5 mol/L) as positive control respectively for 12 hours.Immunofluorescent staining was applied to observe the distribution of cell adhesion molecules and actin-associated proteins.Western blotting assay was used to assess their protein levels.Rho GTPases activity was analyzed by GST-pull down assay and their protein levels were tested by Western blotting.Results AM induced the redistribution of adhesion molecules,actin-associated proteins as well as the F-actin at cell-cell contacts between podocytes.This effect was similar to that of forskolin and could be blocked by H89.The levels of those proteins did not change significantly (P ＞ 0.05).AM up-regulated the activities of RhoA,Rac1 and Cdc42 (P ＜ 0.05),which were partially blocked by H89.The protein levels of Rho GTPases showed no difference compared with the control (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions AM may promote cell-cell contact formation of podocytes,probably through enhancing the activity of Rho GTPases and then resulting in the redistribution of adhesion molecules,actin-associated proteins and F-actin,which is partially mediated through cAMP-PKA signaling pathway.

Subdivision of M category for nasopharyngeal carcinoma with synchronous metastasis: time to expand the M categorization system / 癌症

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>The current metastatic category (M) of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a "catch-all" classification, covering a heterogeneous group of tumors ranging from potentially curable to incurable. The aim of this study was to design an M categorization system that could be applied in planning the treatment of NPC with synchronous metastasis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 505 NPC patients diagnosed with synchronous metastasis at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between 2000 and 2009 were involved. The associations of clinical variables, metastatic features, and a proposed M categorization system with overall survival (OS) were determined by using Cox regression model.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Multivariate analysis showed that Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) N category (N1-3/N0), number of metastatic lesions (multiple/single), liver involvement (yes/no), radiotherapy to primary tumor (yes/no), and cycles of chemotherapy (>4/≤4) were independent prognostic factors for OS. We defined the following subcategories based on liver involvement and the number of metastatic lesions: M1a, single lesion confined to an isolated organ or location except the liver; M1b, single lesion in the liver and/or multiple lesions in any organs or locations except the liver; and M1c, multiple lesions in the liver. Of the 505 cases, 74 (14.7%) were classified as M1a, 296 (58.6%) as M1b, 134 (26.5%) as M1c, and 1 was not specified. The three M1 subcategories showed significant difference in OS [M1b vs. M1a, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.16-2.48, P = 0.007; M1c vs. M1a, HR = 2.64, 95% CI = 1.75-3.98, P < 0.001].</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>We developed an M categorization system based on the independent factors related to the prognosis of patients with metastatic NPC. This system may be helpful to further optimize individualized care for NPC patients.</p>