Icariin plus curcumol enhances autophagy through the mTOR pathway and promotes cathepsin B-mediated pyroptosis of prostate cancer cells

@#Objective: To examine the effect of icariin plus curcumol on prostate cancer cells PC3 and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Methods: We employed the Cell Counting Kit 8 assay and colony formation assay to assess cell viability and proliferation. Autophagy expression was analyzed using monodansylcadaverine staining. Immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses were used to evaluate protein expressions related to autophagy, pyroptosis, and the mTOR pathway. Cellular damage was examined using the lactate dehydrogenase assay. Moreover, cathepsin B and NLRP3 were detected by co-immunoprecipitation. Results: Icariin plus curcumol led to a decrease in PC3 cell proliferation and an enhancement of autophagy. The levels of LC3- Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ and beclin-1 were increased, while the levels of p62 and mTOR were decreased after treatment with icariin plus curcumol. These changes were reversed upon overexpression of mTOR. Furthermore, 3-methyladenine resulted in a decrease in inflammatory cytokines, pyroptosis-related protein levels, and lactate dehydrogenase concentration, compared to the icariin plus curcumol group. Inhibiting cathepsin B reversed the regulatory effects of icariin plus curcumol. Conclusions: Icariin plus curcumol demonstrates great potential as a therapeutic agent for castration-resistant prostate cancer by enhancing autophagy via the mTOR pathway and promoting pyroptosis mediated by cathepsin B. These findings provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic potential of icariin and curcumol for prostate cancer treatment.

Diagnostic value of multi-slice spiral computed tomography for acute pulmonary embolism / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To evaluate the value of multi-slice spiral computed tomography (CT) for diagnosing acute pulmonary embolism, and to provide a reference for the precise diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism. Methods We enrolled a total of 102 patients pathologically diagnosed with acute pulmonary embolism from January 2019 to October 2023. All the patients underwent CT scanning of central and segmental pulmonary arteries with a GE 64-slice spiral CT scanner. The diagnostic efficacy of multi-slice CT scans for acute pulmonary embolism was evaluated with the pathological results as the gold standard. Results Of the 102 patients pathologically diagnosed with acute pulmonary embolism, multi-slice CT detected 92 cases, with an accuracy of 90.20% (92/102), including 17 cases (18.48%) of embolism in left pulmonary arteries, 31 cases (33.70%) of embolism in right pulmonary arteries, and 44 cases (47.82%) of embolism in both pulmonary arteries. Multi-slice CT visualized a total of 9905 pulmonary artery branches, and 304 of them (3.07%) had embolism, with the highest embolism rate in lobar arteries (43.89%). Conclusion Multi-slice spiral CT has high accuracy for diagnosing acute pulmonary embolism by directly and clearly visualizing embolism in the arteries of the lungs, which deserves clinical promotion.

Autophagy-regulated strategies in pre-clinical studies of inflammatory bowel disease / 药学学报

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic idiopathic colorectal inflammatory diseases with a progressive and unpredictable course, including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). Abnormal intestinal inflammation and immune response contribute to the pathogenesis of IBD. Autophagy as an essential catabolic process in cells, has been demonstrated to have associations with a variety of inflammatory diseases including IBD. Here, we review the relationship between autophagy dysfunction and the process of IBD. The progress of several autophagy regulators for intestinal epithelial cells and macrophages is highlighted (inflammasome inhibitors, intestinal flora regulators, and other signal regulators) in the current studies on IBD.

Effect of multi-glycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii on renal injury in diabetic kidney disease rats through NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway / 中国中药杂志

This study investigated the effect of multi-glycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii(GTW) on renal injury in diabetic kidney disease(DKD) rats through Nod-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)/cysteine-aspartic acid protease-1(caspase-1)/gsdermin D(GSDMD) pyroptosis pathway and the mechanism. To be specific, a total of 40 male SD rats were randomized into the normal group(n=8) and modeling group(n=34). In the modeling group, a high-sugar and high-fat diet and one-time intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin(STZ) were used to induce DKD in rats. After successful modeling, they were randomly classified into model group, valsartan(Diovan) group, and GTW group. Normal group and model group were given normal saline, and the valsartan group and GTW group received(ig) valsartan and GTW, respectively, for 6 weeks. Blood urea nitrogen(BUN), serum creatinine(Scr), alanine ami-notransferase(ALT), albumin(ALB), and 24 hours urinary total protein(24 h-UTP) were determined by biochemical tests. The pathological changes of renal tissue were observed based on hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining. Serum levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β) and interleukin-18(IL-18) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Western blot was used to detect the expression of pyroptosis pathway-related proteins in renal tissue, and RT-PCR to determine the expression of pyroptosis pathway-related genes in renal tissue. Compared with the normal group, the model group showed high levels of BUN, Scr, ALT, and 24 h-UTP and serum levels of IL-1β and IL-18(P<0.01), low level of ALB(P<0.01), severe pathological damage to kidney, and high protein and mRNA levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, and GSDMD in renal tissue(P<0.01). Compared with the model group, valsartan group and GTW group had low levels of BUN, Scr, ALT, and 24 h-UTP and serum levels of IL-1β and IL-18(P<0.01), high level of ALB(P<0.01), alleviation of the pathological damage to the kidney, and low protein and mRNA levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, and GSDMD in renal tissue(P<0.01 or P<0.05). GTW may inhibit pyroptosis by decreasing the expression of NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD in renal tissue, thereby relieving the inflammatory response of DKD rats and the pathological injury of kidney.

Application of nuclear magnetic resonance in the clinical study of high myopia / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Myopia is a harmful ophthalmic disease that may change the activity of the visual cortex and affect the corresponding neural function. At present, the incidence rate of myopia in China has been rising unprecedentedly, especially in high myopia(HM). Therefore, efficacious prevention and treatment of myopia are extremely important. However, since the specific pathogenesis of myopia has not been clarified so far, it is difficult to achieve the prevention and control of the disease at its source. Recently, there have been studies on the pathogenesis of myopia from the perspective of genetics, environment, neurotransmitters, etc., but few studies have explored the neuroimaging mechanism of myopia from the perspective of brain structure and function. With the development of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)technology, brain images gradually appear in the study of myopia-related mechanisms. Therefore, this paper summarizes the research on myopia-related brain images, to provide an important reference for the clinical prevention and control of myopia.

A review of COVID-19 vaccination and the reported cardiac manifestations

In Singapore, 9.03 million doses of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have been administered, and 4.46 million people are fully vaccinated. An additional 87,000 people have been vaccinated with vaccines in World Health Organization's Emergency Use Listing. The aim of this review is to explore the reported cardiac adverse events associated with different types of COVID-19 vaccines. A total of 42 studies that reported cardiac side effects after COVID-19 vaccination were included in this study. Reported COVID-19 vaccine-associated cardiac adverse events were mainly myocarditis and pericarditis, most commonly seen in adolescent and young adult male individuals after mRNA vaccination. Reports of other events such as acute myocardial infarction, arrhythmia and stress cardiomyopathy were rare. Outcomes of post-vaccine myocarditis and pericarditis were good. Given the good vaccine efficacy and the high number of cases of infection, hospitalisation and death that could potentially be prevented, COVID-19 vaccine remains of overall benefit, based on the current available data.

Guijiajiao (Colla Carapacis et Plastri, CCP) prevents male infertility via gut microbiota modulation / 中国天然药物

Male infertility is a significant cause of psychosocial and marital distress in approximately 50% of couples who are unable to conceive, with male factors being the underlying cause. Guijiajiao (Colla Carapacis et Plastri, CCP) is a Traditional Chinese Medicine commonly used to treat male infertility. The present study aimed to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the preventive effects of CCP on male infertility. An infertile male rat model was established using cyclophosphamide (CTX), and CCP was administered for both treatment and prevention. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was also performed to explore the role of gut microbiota in the CCP-mediated prevention of male infertility in rats. Sperm motility and concentration were determined using a semi-automatic sperm classification analyzer. Subsequently, histopathological analysis using HE staining was performed to examine the changes in the small intestine and testis. Moreover, the serum levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and testosterone were measured by ELISA. In addition, immunohistochemistry was conducted to detect CD3 expression in the small intestine, while RT-qPCR was employed to assess the expressions of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3), Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL-10) in the small intestine and epididymis. Finally, gut microbiota was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. CCP improved sperm motility, number, and concentration in CTX-induced infertile male rats. CCP increased the serum testosterone level, inhibited the immune cell infiltration of the intestinal lamina propria, and promoted the aggregation of CD3+ T cells in CTX-induced male infertility rats. CCP also inhibited the expressions of MCP-1, CXCL-10, and IL-1β in the epididymis of male infertility rats. At the genus level, CTX led to a reduction in the abundance of Lactobacillus, Clostridia_UCG.014, and Romboutsia in the intestinal tract of rats. In contrast, CCP decreased the abundance of Ruminococcus and increased the abundance of Romboutsia in infertile male rats. Additionally, FMT experiments proved that the gut microbiota of CCP-treated rats facilitated testicular tissue recovery and spermatogenesis while also reducing the serum LPS level in infertile male rats. CCP improves the spermatogenic ability of infertile male rats by restoring gut microbiota diversity and inhibiting epididymal inflammation.

Association of face mask use with self-reported cardiovascular symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic

INTRODUCTION@#Countries are mandating the use of face masks to stem the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Face mask use has been associated with discomfort due to its effects on thermoregulation, breathing and oxygenation. We evaluated the prevalence and severity of self-reported cardiovascular symptoms before and during face mask use.@*METHODS@#This was a cross-sectional study of 1,001 participants residing in Singapore, who participated in a self-administered questionnaire between 25 April 2020 and 4 May 2020. Symptom severity before and during mask use, and health-seeking behaviour information were collected. The study outcome was self-reported worsening of cardiovascular symptoms and its association with the type of mask worn, duration of mask worn per day, and intensity of physical activities during mask use.@*RESULTS@#The most common symptom reported during mask use was dyspnoea. Independent predictors for self-reported cardiovascular symptoms during mask use were moderate-high physical activity during mask use (odds ratio [OR] 1.634, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.176-2.270, P = 0.003), duration of mask use for ≥3 h (OR 1.672, 95% CI 1.189-2.352, P = 0.003) and type of mask used, after adjusting for age, sex, healthcare-based worker status and presence of comorbidities. N95 mask was associated with worse symptoms when compared to surgical mask. Participants with ≥3 worsening symptoms or worsening dyspnoea, palpitations, fatigue and dizziness were more likely to seek medical help.@*CONCLUSION@#Face mask use has been proven to be an effective way in curbing COVID-19 transmission. However, participants in this study had concerns regarding its use and these concerns should be urgently addressed to enable mask use policies to be enacted.

Biallelic mutations in spermatogenesis and centriole-associated 1 like (SPATC1L) cause acephalic spermatozoa syndrome and male infertility / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Acephalic spermatozoa syndrome is a rare type of teratozoospermia that severely impairs the reproductive ability of male patients, and genetic defects have been recognized as the main cause of acephalic spermatozoa syndrome. Spermatogenesis and centriole-associated 1 like (SPATC1L) is indispensable for maintaining the integrity of sperm head-to-tail connections in mice, but its roles in human sperm and early embryonic development remain largely unknown. Herein, we conducted whole-exome sequencing (WES) of 22 infertile men with acephalic spermatozoa syndrome. An in silico analysis of the candidate variants was conducted, and WES data analysis was performed using another cohort consisting of 34 patients with acephalic spermatozoa syndrome and 25 control subjects with proven fertility. We identified biallelic mutations in SPATC1L (c.910C>T:p.Arg304Cys and c.994G>T:p.Glu332X) from a patient whose sperm displayed complete acephalia. Both SPATC1L variants are rare and deleterious. SPATC1L is mainly expressed at the head-tail junction of elongating spermatids. Plasmids containing pathogenic variants decreased the level of SPATC1L in vitro. Moreover, none of the patient's four attempts at intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) resulted in a transplantable embryo, which suggests that SPATC1L defects might affect early embryonic development. In conclusion, this study provides the first identification of SPATC1L as a novel gene for human acephalic spermatozoa syndrome. Furthermore, WES might be applied for patients with acephalic spermatozoa syndrome who exhibit reiterative ICSI failures.

Effect of laparoscopic surgery for pancreatic cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy / 中华外科杂志

Objective: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer. Methods: Clinical data of 8 patients underwent laparoscopic surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center from September 2019 to June 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. There were 5 males and 3 females,aged from 47 to 72 years old. All patients underwent abdominal enhanced CT and PET-CT before operation to accurately evaluate the tumor stage and exclude distant metastasis. Results: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with AG regimen(gemcitabine 1 000 mg/m2 and albumin bound paclitaxel 125 mg/m2) was received for 2 to 6 cycles before surgery. All 8 patients successfully completed the operation,including 5 cases of pancreaticoduodenectomy,2 cases of radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy(RAMPS),and 1 case of total pancreatectomy. No conversion to laparotomy or laparoscopic assisted surgery. The operation time was 240 to 450 minutes,the blood loss was 100 to 500 ml,the postoperative length of stay was 10 to 16 days. During the follow-up period up to December 31, 2020, there was 1 case suffered grade B pancreatic leakage and abdominal infection. The numbers of resected lymph nodes were 9 to 31. All patients received R0 resection. The follow-up times were 4.5 to 9.5 months. One patient underwent RAMPS was diagnosed as liver metastasis after 2 months of the operation,and the other 7 patients still survived without tumor recurrence. Conclusion: Minimally invasive surgery of pancreatic cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is safe and feasible in experienced pancreatic minimally invasive centers.

Research progress of prebiotics in drug delivery system / 药学学报

With the in-depth study on the gut microflora, the impact of intestinal bacteria on human health has attracted more and more attention. It has become a research hotspot in life science and medicine, and is considered as an important target of disease control. Prebiotics can regulate the composition and function of intestinal flora and then improve host health. Carbohydrate is the most basic prebiotic. Its unique physiochemical characteristics and gut microbiota-regulating ability make it a promising ingredient for achieving drug target delivery and intestinal health promotion. In this paper, different kinds of prebiotics and their regulation mechanism of intestinal bacteria were illuminated. Moreover, the research progress of carbohydrate prebiotics in drug delivery system was elucidated, and its application prospect is prospected, so as to provide reference for related research.

Protective Effect of Guilu Erxianjiao on Reproductive Injury in Diabetic Rats and Its Mechanism / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Guilu Erxianjiao on improving reproductive injury in diabetic rats and its possible mechanism. MethodFifty-three SD male rats were randomly divided into 5 groups， with 1 group as the normal group and the other 4 groups as the modeling groups. Rats in the modeling groups were fed with a high-fat diet combined with 30 mg·kg-1 streptozotocin （STZ） intraperitoneal injection to induce diabetes， with the random blood glucose >16.7 mmol·L-1 for 3 consecutive times as the criteria for inclusion in the model of diabetic reproductive injury. The rats with diabetic reproductive injury were then randomly divided into a model group， a Guilu Erxianjiao group （2 g·kg-1）， a Vitamin E group （0.03 g·kg-1）， and a Wuzi Yanzong pill group （0.6 g·kg-1） according to the blood glucose level. The rats were given the corresponding drug dose intragastric administration， once a day for 4 weeks， and their body weight and blood glucose were measured weekly. After 4 weeks， samples were collected for index determination. Morphological changes in testis and epididymis were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， and apoptosis of testis cells was observed by in situ end labeling （TUNEL） staining. Sperm concentration and motility were detected by the semen analyzer. Serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， and testosterone （T） were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The content of superoxide dismutase （SOD）， propylene glycol （MDA）， reactive oxygen species （ROS）， and glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px） in the testicular tissue was determined by ELISA. The expressions of nuclear respiratory factor-2 （Nrf2）， heme oxygenase 1 （HO-1）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2 associated X protein （Bax） in the testicular tissue were detected by Western blot. ResultAs compared with the normal group， testicular tissue atrophy， decreased spermatogenic tubules， epididymal wall hyperplasia， and lumen stenosis were observed in the model group. Sperm concentration and motility decreased （P<0.01）， and serum levels of T， FSH， and LH decreased （P<0.01） in the model group. The content of ROS and MDA in the testis increased （P<0.01）， while that of SOD and GSH-Px decreased （P<0.01） in the model group. The expression of Bax increased （P<0.01）， and the expressions of Nrf2， HO-1， and Bcl-2 decreased （P<0.01） in the model group. As compared with the model group， the pathological changes in the testis and epididymis in the Guilu Erxianjiao group were improved to some extent. Sperm concentration and motility increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In the Guilu Erxianjiao group， serum levels of T and LH increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while FSH levels showed no significant difference. The content of ROS and MDA in the testis decreased （P<0.01）， while that of SOD and GSH-Px increased （P<0.01） in the Guilu Erxianjiao group. The expression of Bax decreased （P<0.01）， and the expressions of Nrf2， HO-1， and Bcl-2 increased （P<0.05， P<0.01） in the Guilu Erxianjiao group. ConclusionGuilu Erxianjiao improves the reproductive injury and sperm quality of diabetic rats to a certain extent， and the mechanism may be related to the improvement of oxidative stress and anti-apoptosis.

Protective Effect of Guilu Erxianjiao on Reproductive Injury in Diabetic Rats and Its Mechanism / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Guilu Erxianjiao on improving reproductive injury in diabetic rats and its possible mechanism. MethodFifty-three SD male rats were randomly divided into 5 groups， with 1 group as the normal group and the other 4 groups as the modeling groups. Rats in the modeling groups were fed with a high-fat diet combined with 30 mg·kg-1 streptozotocin （STZ） intraperitoneal injection to induce diabetes， with the random blood glucose >16.7 mmol·L-1 for 3 consecutive times as the criteria for inclusion in the model of diabetic reproductive injury. The rats with diabetic reproductive injury were then randomly divided into a model group， a Guilu Erxianjiao group （2 g·kg-1）， a Vitamin E group （0.03 g·kg-1）， and a Wuzi Yanzong pill group （0.6 g·kg-1） according to the blood glucose level. The rats were given the corresponding drug dose intragastric administration， once a day for 4 weeks， and their body weight and blood glucose were measured weekly. After 4 weeks， samples were collected for index determination. Morphological changes in testis and epididymis were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， and apoptosis of testis cells was observed by in situ end labeling （TUNEL） staining. Sperm concentration and motility were detected by the semen analyzer. Serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， and testosterone （T） were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The content of superoxide dismutase （SOD）， propylene glycol （MDA）， reactive oxygen species （ROS）， and glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px） in the testicular tissue was determined by ELISA. The expressions of nuclear respiratory factor-2 （Nrf2）， heme oxygenase 1 （HO-1）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2 associated X protein （Bax） in the testicular tissue were detected by Western blot. ResultAs compared with the normal group， testicular tissue atrophy， decreased spermatogenic tubules， epididymal wall hyperplasia， and lumen stenosis were observed in the model group. Sperm concentration and motility decreased （P<0.01）， and serum levels of T， FSH， and LH decreased （P<0.01） in the model group. The content of ROS and MDA in the testis increased （P<0.01）， while that of SOD and GSH-Px decreased （P<0.01） in the model group. The expression of Bax increased （P<0.01）， and the expressions of Nrf2， HO-1， and Bcl-2 decreased （P<0.01） in the model group. As compared with the model group， the pathological changes in the testis and epididymis in the Guilu Erxianjiao group were improved to some extent. Sperm concentration and motility increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In the Guilu Erxianjiao group， serum levels of T and LH increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while FSH levels showed no significant difference. The content of ROS and MDA in the testis decreased （P<0.01）， while that of SOD and GSH-Px increased （P<0.01） in the Guilu Erxianjiao group. The expression of Bax decreased （P<0.01）， and the expressions of Nrf2， HO-1， and Bcl-2 increased （P<0.05， P<0.01） in the Guilu Erxianjiao group. ConclusionGuilu Erxianjiao improves the reproductive injury and sperm quality of diabetic rats to a certain extent， and the mechanism may be related to the improvement of oxidative stress and anti-apoptosis.

Sequential Treatment with Syndrome Differentiation on Children's Refractory Nephrotic Syndrome with Yiqi Huayu Qingre Prescription / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of sequential syndrome differentiation of Yiqi Huayu Qingre prescription （YHQ） in the treatment of refractory nephrotic syndrome in children. MethodA total of 112 children with refractory nephrotic syndrome were randomly divided into an observation group （57 cases） and a control group（55 cases）. The children in the control group were treated with prednisone tablets combined with tacrolimus，and those in the observation group were treated with YHQ by sequential syndrome differentiation on the basis of the control group. The total effective rates of the two groups after treatment were observed. The 24-hour urinary total protein（24 h UTP），plasma albumin（ALB），cholesterol（CHO），triglycerides（TG）， and traditional Chinese medicine quality of life scale scores before treatment and after four weeks，eight weeks，16 weeks，24 weeks，32 weeks，40 weeks，and 52 weeks in the two groups were recorded. The total course of treatment and the total accumulation of hormones were compared among the children with reduced or no hormone treatment till 52 weeks during treatment. ResultThe total effective rate in the observation group was higher （Z=-2.052，P<0.05）. The observation group had lower 24 h UTP and higher ALB at each follow-up time point than the control group（P<0.05，P<0.01）. At four weeks，eight weeks，and 16 weeks of treatment，there was no statistically significant difference in CHO between the observation group and the control group，and the observation group was lower than the control group in CHO at the rest of the time points （P<0.05，P<0.01）. For TG， the observation group was not significantly different from the control group at four weeks，eight weeks，16 weeks，and 40 weeks of treatment，but lower at 24，32，and 52 weeks （P<0.05，P<0.01）. The total treatment course of hormones in the observation group was shorter（P<0.01）， with less total accumulation（P<0.01）. At different follow-up time points，the total score of traditional Chinese medicine quality of life scale in the observation group was superior to that in the control group（P<0.05，P<0.01），and the scores of the observation group in the four dimensions （physiological function，independent factor，social factor，and psychological factor） after treatment were higher than those in the control group（P<0.05，P<0.01）. ConclusionYHQ under sequential syndrome differentiation has a definite clinical effect in treating children with refractory nephrotic syndrome. It has advantages in shortening the total course of hormone treatment and reducing the total accumulation of hormones，and can improve the quality of life of children with refractory nephrotic syndrome.

Progress on research and development of drug for chronic kidney disease and related comorbidities / 药学学报

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive disease with many complications (eg, cardiovascular disease and acidosis and anemia) and high morbidity and mortality occurs in the population. There is no cure for this disease, current treatments including renin-angiotensin-aldosterone pathway inhibitors and sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors can only delay the progression to end-stage renal disease. With the identification of more key factors and mechanisms in CKD development, new potential therapeutic approaches for CKD can be developed. This review summarizes the mainstays of therapy and strategies for CKD and related comorbidities to support the development of novel treatments.

HPLC assay of epinephrine sulfonate in epinephrine injection / 药学学报

An HPLC method was established for the assay of epinephrine sulfonate (impurity F) in epinephrine injection. The determination was performed on an AQUASIL C18 (100 mm × 4.6 mm, 3 μm) column with a gradient elution system, and the mobile phase was consisted of monopotassium phosphate solution (mobile phase A) and acetonitrile (mobile phase B). The injection volume was 40 μL. The detection wavelength was at 210 nm and the column temperature was 25 ℃. The total analytical time was 40 min. The results showed that the standard cure of epinephrine sulfonate (impurity F) between peak area and concentration exhibited good linear relationship within the ranges of 0.520-12.480 μg·mL-1 and the R2 = 0.999 8. The average recovery rate was 103.04% and the RSD was 2.00%. The limit concentration of detection was 0.104 μg·mL-1 and the limit concentration of quantitation was 0.520 μg·mL-1. The method could be applied to the determination of epinephrine sulfonate in epinephrine injection with high accuracy and precision, as well as good sensitivity. It could also enhance the quality standards of epinephrine-related products.

Interaction between Abnormal Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and Hyperlipidemia during Pregnancy on the Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To explore the interaction between abnormal prepregnancy body mass index(pBMI)and high blood lipid level during pregnancy on the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM). Methods A total of 235 patients with GDM and no blood lipid-related diseases before pregnancy were selected from Hangzhou Women's Hospital during March 2017 to July 2018 as the GDM group.At a ratio of 1∶3,a total of 705 individual age-matched pregnant women with normal glucose metabolism during prenatal examination from the same hospital were selected as the control group.The generalized multifactor dimension reduction(GMDR)method was employed to characterize the possible interaction between pBMI-blood lipid and GDM.The cross-validation consistency,equilibrium test accuracy,and P value were calculated to evaluate the interaction of each model. Results GMDR model analysis showed that the second-order model including pBMI and gestational blood lipid level had the best performance(P=0.001),with the cross-validation consistency of 10/10 and the equilibrium test accuracy of 64.48%,suggesting that there was a potential interaction between pBMI and gestational high blood lipid level.After adjustment of confounding factors,the model demonstrated that overweight/obesity patients with high triglyceride(TG) level had the highest risk of developing GDM(OR=14.349,95%CI=6.449-31.924,P<0.001).Stratified analysis showed that overweight/obesity patients under high TG level group had a higher risk of developing GDM than normal weight individuals(OR=2.243,95%CI=1.173-4.290,P=0.015). Conclusions Abnormal pBMI and high blood lipid level during pregnancy are the risk factors of GDM and have an interaction between each other.Overweight/obese pregnant women with high TG levels are more likely to develop GDM.

Epidemiological investigation on a cluster epidemic of COVID-19 in Taizhou， Zhejiang Province / 上海预防医学

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of a family and workplace clustering of COVID-19， identify the source of infection and the transmission chain， and provide evidence for prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic. Method:Field epidemiological method was used to conduct the investigation of confirmed cases and close contacts in this cluster. Data were analyzed with descriptive method. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR （RT-PCR） was used to detect the novel coronavirus nucleic acid in the collected respiratory tract samples. Results:A total of 18 epidemiological related cases were collected including 16 confirmed cases and 2 cases of asymptomatic infections. The involved places included 1 beauty clinic workplace and 3 families. Seven cases were males and 11 cases were females， with the minimum， maximum and median age of 3， 65 and 32 years old， respectively. Among them， the employees attack rate was 9.80% （10/102）， the family attack rate was 7.70% （5/78）， and the customer attack rate was 0.58% （1/173）. Positive nucleic acid test result in the respiratory tract sample of asymptomatic infection lasted for more than 2 months. Conclusions:The cause of this clustered COVID-19 epidemic is that the workplace environment is relatively closed with clustering crowds， and the source of imported infection is not discovered in time， which lead to a point-source outbreak and spread through family close contacts and clustering.

Behavioral Responses of Pregnant Women to the Early Stage of COVID-19 Pandemic in the Network Era in China: Online Questionnaire Study

Purpose@#The aim of this study was to examine the behavioral responses of pregnant women during the early stage of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. @*Methods@#We recruited 1,099 women to complete an online questionnaire survey from February 10 to February 25, 2020. The subjects were divided into two groups (the pregnant women group and the control group). @*Results@#Concerns about infection: most of the participants watched the COVID-19 news at least once a day. Protective behaviors: the utilization rate of pregnant women (often using various measures) was higher than that of nonpregnant women. Exercise: 30.6% of the pregnant women continued to exercise at home, whereas in the control group, this percentage was 8.4%. Spouse relationship: 38.8% of the subjects’ relationship improved, whereas only 2.3% thought the relationship was getting worse. @*Conclusion@#Pregnant women had some unique behavioral responses different from that of nonpregnant women. It is important to understand the behavioral responses of pregnant women in this network era.

Behavioral Responses of Pregnant Women to the Early Stage of COVID-19 Pandemic in the Network Era in China: Online Questionnaire Study

Purpose@#The aim of this study was to examine the behavioral responses of pregnant women during the early stage of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. @*Methods@#We recruited 1,099 women to complete an online questionnaire survey from February 10 to February 25, 2020. The subjects were divided into two groups (the pregnant women group and the control group). @*Results@#Concerns about infection: most of the participants watched the COVID-19 news at least once a day. Protective behaviors: the utilization rate of pregnant women (often using various measures) was higher than that of nonpregnant women. Exercise: 30.6% of the pregnant women continued to exercise at home, whereas in the control group, this percentage was 8.4%. Spouse relationship: 38.8% of the subjects’ relationship improved, whereas only 2.3% thought the relationship was getting worse. @*Conclusion@#Pregnant women had some unique behavioral responses different from that of nonpregnant women. It is important to understand the behavioral responses of pregnant women in this network era.